What Constitutes Disinformation? Disinformation Judgment, Influence of Partisanship, and Support for Anti-Disinformation Legislation

Abstract

This study examines people’s judgment of what constitutes disinformation, how partisanship shapes such judgment, and how broadness of disinformation judgment relates to perceptions of the disinformation problem and support for anti-disinformation legislation. Analysis of a Hong Kong survey shows that many citizens are willing to treat a wide range of problematic news materials as disinformation. Partisans tend to treat counter-attitudinal materials as disinformation, but the influence of partisanship can be reduced by the norm of evenhandedness. Besides, broadness of disinformation judgment—especially anti-government disinformation judgment—relates positively with the perceived severity and impact of disinformation and support for legislation.