Why people share fake news on social media ^{CEFR B2}

Researchers from Georgia State’s Robinson College of Business, Kennesaw State University and the University of Tennessee developed the Content Dimensions–Overton Window–Perceived Utility, or COP Model, to explain how emotional cues shape news consumption and sharing. The COP Model considers three dimensions in any news item: veracity (how true it is), emotional appeal (how it makes people feel) and relevance (how closely it connects to someone’s life). The model also incorporates the Overton window, a concept for which ideas the public finds acceptable at a given time, and shows that fake news that sits inside or nudges that window is more likely to be accepted.

The team tested the model by analysing more than 10,000 tweets about COVID-19. They measured likes, identified tweets that were "ratioed" (more negative replies than likes), and ran emotion and sentiment analyses to measure tone, trust and relevance. The results showed a strong response to emotional tone, particularly negative emotions such as fear, anger and disgust. Even when content was less true, posts that felt emotionally useful or relevant were more likely to be liked and shared; this effect was stronger for fake news than for tabloid stories, which readers often view as entertainment.

The authors propose practical steps: platforms could use the ratio of likes to replies and emotional tone, not only fact-checks, to flag problematic posts. The study also highlights media literacy, noting that countries such as Finland include media literacy in school from kindergarten and suggesting similar programmes could reduce emotionally driven misinformation. The researchers warn that widely accepted emotional stories can stretch the Overton Window and make extreme ideas feel normal. “We’re not just talking about what people believe,” Amrita George says. “We’re talking about what becomes acceptable to believe.” Source: Georgia State University.