Mobilization, Mass Perceptions, and (Dis)information: “New” and “Old” Media Consumption Patterns and Protest

When people join in moments of mass protest, what role do different media sources play in their mobilization? Do the same media sources align with positive views of mass mobilizations among the public in their aftermath? And, what is the relationship between media consumption patterns and believing...

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Main Authors: Olga Onuch, Emma Mateo, Julian G. Waller
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2021-04-01
Series:Social Media + Society
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305121999656
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spelling doaj-106347f4dbab435481c7de31397d90a52021-04-20T22:03:25ZengSAGE PublishingSocial Media + Society2056-30512021-04-01710.1177/2056305121999656Mobilization, Mass Perceptions, and (Dis)information: “New” and “Old” Media Consumption Patterns and ProtestOlga Onuch0Emma Mateo1Julian G. Waller2The University of Manchester, UKUniversity of Oxford, UKThe George Washington University, USAWhen people join in moments of mass protest, what role do different media sources play in their mobilization? Do the same media sources align with positive views of mass mobilizations among the public in their aftermath? And, what is the relationship between media consumption patterns and believing disinformation about protest events? Addressing these questions helps us to better understand not only what brings crowds onto the streets, but also what shapes perceptions of, and disinformation about mass mobilization among the wider population. Employing original data from a nationally representative panel survey in Ukraine ( Hale, Colton, Onuch, & Kravets, 2014 ) conducted shortly after the 2013–2014 EuroMaidan mobilization, we examine patterns of media consumption among both participants and non-participants, as well as protest supporters and non-supporters. We also explore variation in media consumption among those who believe and reject disinformation about the EuroMaidan. We test hypotheses, prominent in current protest literature, related to the influence of “new” (social media and online news) and “old” media (television) on protest behavior and attitudes. Making use of the significance of 2014 Ukraine as a testing ground for Russian disinformation tactics, we also specifically test for consumption of Russian-owned television. Our findings indicate that frequent consumption of “old” media, specifically Russian-owned television, is significantly associated with both mobilization in and positive perceptions of protest and is a better predictor of believing “fake news” than consuming “new” media sources.https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305121999656
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Olga Onuch
Emma Mateo
Julian G. Waller
spellingShingle Olga Onuch
Emma Mateo
Julian G. Waller
Mobilization, Mass Perceptions, and (Dis)information: “New” and “Old” Media Consumption Patterns and Protest
Social Media + Society
author_facet Olga Onuch
Emma Mateo
Julian G. Waller
author_sort Olga Onuch
title Mobilization, Mass Perceptions, and (Dis)information: “New” and “Old” Media Consumption Patterns and Protest
title_short Mobilization, Mass Perceptions, and (Dis)information: “New” and “Old” Media Consumption Patterns and Protest
title_full Mobilization, Mass Perceptions, and (Dis)information: “New” and “Old” Media Consumption Patterns and Protest
title_fullStr Mobilization, Mass Perceptions, and (Dis)information: “New” and “Old” Media Consumption Patterns and Protest
title_full_unstemmed Mobilization, Mass Perceptions, and (Dis)information: “New” and “Old” Media Consumption Patterns and Protest
title_sort mobilization, mass perceptions, and (dis)information: “new” and “old” media consumption patterns and protest
publisher SAGE Publishing
series Social Media + Society
issn 2056-3051
publishDate 2021-04-01
description When people join in moments of mass protest, what role do different media sources play in their mobilization? Do the same media sources align with positive views of mass mobilizations among the public in their aftermath? And, what is the relationship between media consumption patterns and believing disinformation about protest events? Addressing these questions helps us to better understand not only what brings crowds onto the streets, but also what shapes perceptions of, and disinformation about mass mobilization among the wider population. Employing original data from a nationally representative panel survey in Ukraine ( Hale, Colton, Onuch, & Kravets, 2014 ) conducted shortly after the 2013–2014 EuroMaidan mobilization, we examine patterns of media consumption among both participants and non-participants, as well as protest supporters and non-supporters. We also explore variation in media consumption among those who believe and reject disinformation about the EuroMaidan. We test hypotheses, prominent in current protest literature, related to the influence of “new” (social media and online news) and “old” media (television) on protest behavior and attitudes. Making use of the significance of 2014 Ukraine as a testing ground for Russian disinformation tactics, we also specifically test for consumption of Russian-owned television. Our findings indicate that frequent consumption of “old” media, specifically Russian-owned television, is significantly associated with both mobilization in and positive perceptions of protest and is a better predictor of believing “fake news” than consuming “new” media sources.
url https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305121999656
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AT juliangwaller mobilizationmassperceptionsanddisinformationnewandoldmediaconsumptionpatternsandprotest
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