Explanatory factors for the dissemination and control of fake news in the Latin American context

Abstract

This article analyses the reasons why citizens are in favour of controlling the publishing of fake news even though this curtails freedom of expression, which was the dependent variable. This is the first time a study of this nature is conducted in Latin American countries as so far the only existing scientific contributions are from the Global North. Our starting hypothesis was that it is political variables that have the greatest explanatory potential for this dependent variable. In order to conduct this study, the 2023 questionnaire of the Latinobarometro for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru was used. An analysis was conducted based on inferential (six regressions) and descriptive statistics answering seven research questions. A total of 44 variables grouped into four large blocks were used for the models: social and demographic variables, political and economic situation variables, political culture and institutions variables and mass media variables. In most countries, regression models achieved high levels of explanation, over 40% in Brazil, Chile or Mexico, resulting in a common pattern in all the countries in the region. The variables of behaviour, attitudes and political culture were the ones that recurrently increased the probability of supporting news control measures: supporting the governing party or candidate, (little) satisfaction with democracy, a preference for authoritarian societies or military regimes (Chile and Argentina) or little interest in politics. But also, other sociodemographic variables or those linked to the mass media have proven significant in the models, including social class or the level of trust in these media. These results have contributed to focusing the study of misinformation, its control and its effects on circumstantial, political aspects and on the confidence citizens have in democratic institutions.