Ridiculing the “tinfoil hats:” Citizen responses to COVID-19 misinformation in the Danish facemask debate on Twitter-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Ridiculing the “tinfoil hats:” Citizen responses to COVID-19 misinformation in the Danish facemask debate on Twitter

Published:2022-03-02 Issue: Volume: Page:
ISSN:
Container-title:Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review
language:
Short-container-title:HKS Misinfo Review

Author:

Johansen Nicklas¹,Marjanovic Sara Vera¹,Kjaer Cathrine Valentin¹,Baglini Rebekah Brita²,Adler-Nissen Rebecca³

Affiliation:

1. Center for Social Data Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

2. Center for Humanities Computing Aarhus, Aarhus University, Denmark,

3. Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Abstract

We study how citizens engage with misinformation on Twitter in Denmark during the COVID-19 pandemic. We find that misinformation regarding facemasks is not corrected through counter-arguments or fact-checking. Instead, many tweets rejecting misinformation use humor to mock misinformation spreaders, whom they pejoratively label wearers of “tinfoil hats.” Tweets rejecting misinformation project a superior social position and leave the concerns of misinformation spreaders unaddressed. Our study highlights the role of status in people’s engagement with online misinformation.

Funder

Carlsbergfondet

Publisher

Shorenstein Center for Media, Politics, and Public Policy

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