The Web of Conspiracies: How Misinformation Fuels Beliefs

In recent years, the internet has become a hotbed for conspiracy theories. Some of these beliefs have led to real-world harm, like the January 6th Capitol attack, where many participants were driven by the QAnon conspiracy. This study looks at five major conspiracy theories—QAnon, COVID, UFOs/Aliens, 9/11, and Flat-Earth—and their connection to news media, both trustworthy and misleading. Researchers identified 755 websites dedicated to these theories, finding that QAnon and COVID-related sites shared the most links.

Misinformation outlets are more likely to link to these conspiracy sites than credible news sources. This trend spiked between 2018 and 2021, coinciding with the rise of QAnon and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a statistical method called partial Granger-causality, researchers discovered that links from misinformation sites often boost the popularity of conspiracy theories. This highlights the significant role misinformation plays in spreading and popularizing conspiracy beliefs.

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