Fake news on you, Not me: The Third-Person Effects of Fake News in South Korea

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study explored the perceptual components of the third-person effects of fake news during the 2017 presidential election in South Korea. Specifically, we examined self-other disparities in perceptions of the effects of fake news using data from an online panel survey. The results indicated that the participants considered the influence of fake news to be greater on others than on themselves. We also found political interest and fact-checking to be significant predictors of the self-other disparities associated with perceptions of fake news. The findings of this study offer fresh insights into third-person effects in the age of post-truth politics.