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Disinformation, Fact-Checking and Civic Responsibility
  • ISSN: 1757-1898
  • E-ISSN: 1757-1901

Abstract

Misinformation via instant messaging apps in electoral times has grown to be a problem in Latin America lately. Doing a content analysis on most circulated messages on 300 WhatsApp and 42 Telegram chats two months before an electoral process in Chile, we explore an initial approach to a comparative study on the patterns of political information interchange with a particular focus on the magnitude, types and content of misinformation circulated on both platforms in Chile within politically oriented right-leaning groups on both platforms. Among the differences between platforms, we find that while WhatsApp is being used by the groups aligned with more extreme right-wing positions to coordinate campaigns, debate the contingency and spread both info and misinformation, Telegram is centred on deeper conspiratorial groups that merge national and international contingency, UN rejection and anti-vaccine, anticommunist discourse and radical calls for action such as the mobilization for a military coup.

Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo (ANID) (Award 11230980)
  • Fondo de Financiamiento de Centros de Investigación en Áreas Prioritarias (Award NCS2021_063)
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/content/journals/10.1386/cjcs_00109_1
2024-12-10
2025-06-20
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