The study “A systematic literature review of the motivations to share fake news on social media platforms and how to fight them” by Cristiane Melchior and Mírian Oliveira from Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) in Brazil was a systematic literature review of 64 journal articles published up to April 2022 on the topic of sharing fake news.

The various motivations of sharing fake news were summarized in the study in a table format that we recommend our readers to peruse. A distinction was made on the users who share fake news: whether they were active participants of sharing (protagonists) or victims of the fake news environment (not protagonists). The motivations were viewed through the theoretical lens of self-determination theory (SDT).

The authors note that the studies show on the macro level that the willingness to share fake news can be higher in some populations and governments. The timing also matters: for example, there was a high amount of fake news shared in the UK during Brexit. 

Numerous studies were focused on investigation of interventions to fake news. The topic of promoting education as a tool to fight fake news by the governments was also mentioned, but the authors caution that this has been present more in speeches than in real life. The interventions require collaboration of all parties involved.

The article “A systematic literature review of the motivations to share fake news on social media platforms and how to fight them” by Cristiane Melchior and Mírian Oliveira was in New Media & Society and we recommend reading the whole study if you have access to it. (free abstract).

Picture: Untitled by Brett Jordan.

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