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Recognition, belief and an emotional response to disinformation are key factors
Fake news stories are more likely to be believed and consequently shared on social media if readers think they have seen them before, research suggests.
Academics at Cardiff University’s Crime and Security Research Institute say their report offers insights into the reasons why seemingly outlandish claims on social media can gain traction.
The team devised a fake news story and showed it to 8,630 citizens from 12 different European countries before assessing their reactions. The fabricated story, about a communist killer dolphin heading to a popular holiday resort, was intentionally similar to previous media reports about the use of dolphins and whales for government-led espionage activities.