Innuendo alone can fuel conspiracy theories, research shows
October 16, 2018, University of Exeter
Innuendo alone in news coverage can fuel belief in conspiracy theories, according to a new study.
Newspaper articles and TV and radio broadcasts which imply coincidences and connections are enough to lead people to believe false information, experts have found.
The University of Exeter study shows conspiracy theories can be spread unwittingly as well as deliberately—for instance by quoting people who question the motives of institutions and corporations—a finding which has implications for how news outlets cover controversial topics.
Conspiracy theories suggested implicitly are especially dangerous because they are harder to spot and challenge. The study recommends journalists should avoid including "errant data" that may be misconstrued when there is uncertainty about facts during rapidly developing news events.
Read more at:
https://phys.org/news/2018-10-innuendo-fuel-conspiracy-theories.html#jCp
