Global Media Attitudes Toward Conspiracy Theories

Presenter Information

Melissa Pacifico, University at Albany, State University of New YorkFollow
Mariah Kelly, University at Albany, State University of New YorkFollow
Christopher Pouch, University at Albany, State University of New YorkFollow

Panel Name

The Press: Freedom, Bias, Ethics II

Location

Lecture Center 22

Start Date

3-5-2019 3:15 PM

End Date

3-5-2019 4:15 PM

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Academic Major

Communication, Psychology

Abstract

Media coverage, political leaders, and social platforms shape public attitude toward conspiracy theories via underlying biases and psychological tendencies, allowing these conspiracies, in some cases, to gain mainstream attention in various regions of the world. The United States, Israel, and Russia provide examples of this effect. Despite having very different media environments, these countries have generated conspiracy theories whose origins share certain characteristics. These theories take off, in many cases, after public acknowledgement by well-known individuals or organizations. While they tend to originate amongst innominate social media groups, the following of these theories only gains critical mass after being legitimized by someone with an audience. Journalists and media outlets, though not always intentionally, provide platforms, and subsequently legitimacy, to conspiracy theorists. Such coverage, and subsequent coverage from other media outlets, has a great deal to do with how easily conspiracy theories spread.

Select Where This Work Originated From

Course assignment/project

First Faculty Advisor

Chang Sup Park

First Advisor Email

cpark2@albany.edu

First Advisor Department

Journalism

The work you will be presenting can best be described as

Finished or mostly finished by conference date