media exposure
Definition
Media exposure refers to the degree to which individuals consume particular media outlets, with consequent effects on their susceptibility to disinformation and their political attitudes. In research on Germans of Russian descent, exposure to Russian-language media was operationalised as a measurable predictor variable and found to correlate positively with vulnerability to pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the war in Ukraine. Higher consumption of Russian media predicted a reduced ability to recognise disinformation and a lower likelihood of attributing responsibility for the war to Russia. Inoculation interventions showed no significant interaction with participants' levels of media exposure, indicating that psychological prebunking was equally effective regardless of how much Russian media a participant consumed.
Sources: Ziemer et al. (2024)
Related Terms
- inoculation (1 shared article)
- misinformation (1 shared article)
- disinformation (1 shared article)
- social identity (1 shared article)
Applications
Media Exposure and Disinformation Susceptibility
Exposure to Russian state-sponsored media outlets was a significant positive predictor of susceptibility to pro-Russian disinformation, with higher consumption associated with a reduced capacity to recognise disinformation correctly (β = -.14, p = .002). The relationship extended to attitudinal outcomes: greater Russian media consumption also predicted a lower likelihood of holding Russia responsible for the war in Ukraine (β = -.28, p < .001).
Sources: Ziemer et al. (2024)
Media Exposure and Social Identity
Germans of Russian descent were characterised by significant ongoing exposure to Russian media alongside distrust of German mainstream outlets, a combination identified as a potential contributor to identity-based vulnerability to disinformation. This pattern of media consumption intersected with the experience of dual national identity, where loyalty conflicts between Russian and German cultural belonging may amplify the persuasive reach of Kremlin-aligned media content.
Sources: Ziemer et al. (2024)
