Influencers Share First, Fact-Check Never

By /
influencers share first, fact check never
Influencer Andrew Tate. Photo: The Atlantic

Oxfords Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism has found that social media has replaced TV news and news websites as the top way Americans get their news. This includes right wing influencers like Joe Rogan, who endorsed Trump. One-fifth of Americans said they had come over “news and commentary” from Joe Rogan in the week after the inauguration. Thereof a disproportionate number of young men.

Influencers who have supported Trump campaigns have been able to spread their stories to millions of people:

2/3 of influencers do not fact check before they share stories. This means that they can spread the most dramatic stories, and very fast. The study showed that influencers “have difficulty with determining the best criteria for assessing the credibility of information they find online. 42% of respondents said they used “the number of ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ a post had received” on social media as the main indicator. 21% were happy to share content with their audiences if it had been shared with them “by friends they trusted”, and 19% said they relied “on the reputation” of the original author or publisher of content.”

According to a survey from the PRRI institute, Gen Z adults consistently say social media platforms sets them apart from older generations in democracy. They say social media platforms help them to connect with larger issues around the globe and develop political identities separate from the influence of their parents. Others say social media platforms also presents challenges by spreading disinformation.

Right wing infuencers push conspiracy theories and other urban legends

“Deep state” conspiracy theory

  • Politico and The Guardian mentions Steve Bannon and Breitbart News as one of the promotors of the “Deep state” conspiracy theory.
  • The Guardian has stated that Andrew Tate has pushed the “Deep state” conspiracy theory.
  • Southern Poverty Law Center Identifies Alex Jones as a figure whose platform has “popularized antigovernment conspiracies including the “deep state””.
  • Le Monde quotes Laura Loomer saying “All of the Democrat and Deep State moles are getting rooted out”.
  • Axios writes that Dan Bongino arguing that USAID is “about deep state pockets of money used to infiltrate governments… it’s probably the single greatest slush fund for the deep state you’ve ever seen.”
  • Jack Posobiec is by BBC claimed to have said that the MAGA base sees Epstein as “shorthand for the thorough rot of the so-called ‘deep state’.”

“Stop the steal” conspiracy theory

  • Forbes quotes Alex Jones saying ““You ain’t stealing s***” and “Our incredible president needs our support… I’m going to Washington, D.C. myself to defend the president.” at a protest in Phoenix. He has also said “”The system is publicly stealing this election from the biggest landslide and the biggest political realignment since 1776”, as referred by Southern Poverty Law Center.
  • Jack “Posobiec and other extremists pushed #StoptheSteal to plant doubts about the integrity of U.S. elections and spread lies about widespread voting irregularities that never actually occurred, according to Southern Poverty Law Center. He amplified #StoptheSteal in 2016 through his work with the 501(c)4 group Citizens for Trump.” Just Security refers that Posobiec tweeted “#StopTheSteal 2020 is coming 7 september 2020.
  • Roger Stone has claimed he made the “stop the steal” conspiracy theory in 2016, 4 years before the Capitol siege. Southern Poverty Law Center writes that Roger Stone promoted the phrase in 2016.
  • Media Matters cites Benny Johnson, calling Biden’s 2020 victory “the most rigged election in American history” and implying Democrats are “importing 30 million voters” to steal future elections. The Atlantic cites Johnson “claimed that Maduro “is in possession” of evidence against election-equipment companies. “Maduro might be Trump’s final revenge for the election theft of 2020,” Johnson told his audience. “If he begins to sing like a canary—which he will; they always do—then who will he give up?” Johnson added: “This is why they took him alive.”“

“Pizzagate” conspiracy theory

  • Alex Jones have pushed at least 5 conspiracy theories including “Pizzagate”, according to CNBC.
  • The “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory is reportedly also pushed by Jack Posobiec.
  • Steve Bannons Breitbart News” have pushed the “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory, as reported by Süddeutsche Zeitung.
  • Montclair State University found a 9 501 % spike in “Pizzagate” posts, to 375 140 posts on X after Musk boosting the conspiracy theory. 81,536,652 total impressions generated by original posts referencing “Pizzagate”

Who are the influencers ?

In a survey about politics from November 18. 2024, PEW Research Senter found that 37 % Americans had regularly get news from influencers on social media. A clear majority of news influencers (63 %) are men, and most (77 %) have no background from a news organisation.

Many influencers also promote right wing content and politicians and deliver a biased selection of stories. The influencers basically make money on number of their public. There is little incentive for fact check because:

  • Reality checks often kills a story, because you simply discover there was nothing in it.
  • Dramatic stories spread faster-fact check can take out the drama.
  • Algorithms favour speed, engagement and conflict—truth slows them down.
  • Misinformation spreads faster = more views and money.
  • Brands care about reach, not accuracy—unless it backfires.
  • Audiences rarely punish lies—fans often ignore/dismiss corrections.
  • Fact-checking takes effort—most prioritize content volume.
  • Exception: Credibility-focused niches (news, science) face backlash for errors, but they are the minority.
  • The lack of industry-wide ethical standards for influencers creates a vacuum in which misinformation can spread unchecked, particularly when financial incentives are tied to virality.

Most of the influencers are on the mainstream Big Tech platforms. 85 % are found on the Elon Musk owned X platform, 50 % on Instagram, 32 % on Facebook, 27 % on Threads and 27 % on TikTok.

A clear majority of users of Donald Trump owned Truth Social and Elon Musk owned X, get their news there.

Commercial success

Many of the right wing influencers have great commercial success. Joe Rogans deal with Spotify is reportedly worth up to $250 milion. £2,9 million was seized from Andrew and Tristan Tate after an UK court found they ad not paid tax on £29 million revenue. The money will be used to combat violence against women and girls. Dan Bongino´s shares in the video platform Rumble is worth nearly $160 million.

False stories spread more quickly

A study from MIT shows that false news travel faster than true stories on Twitter. For instance, false news stories are 70 percent more likely to be retweeted than true stories are. It takes true stories about six times as long to reach 1,500 people as it does for false stories to reach the same number of people.

Disinformation about election irregularities and Haitians eating cats have been widespread widely on X, TikTok and Facebook prior of the presidential election in 2024. Still, Facebook Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Zuckerberg after a CEO’s dinner at Trumps Mar-a-lago said that his company «overdid a bit» on moderation. Meta’s president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, said as reported by The Guardian that Zuckerberg wants to play an “active role” in the administration’s tech policy decisions and wanted to participate in “the debate that any administration needs to have about maintaining America’s leadership in the technological sphere,” particularly on artificial intelligence.

Misogyny

The rise of Incel ideology must be understood against the backdrop of social media’s role as a primary social forum for young people. The “manosphere” is a network of communities based on the pseudoscientific theory claiming the 80/20 rule, that 80 percent of women are attracted to 20 % of men. The Incel ideology is strictly hierarchical and based on physical appearance.

The male ideal in the Incel ideology is the “Chad”, which is not a deeply developed character, but the stereotypical archetype as opposed to the “Incel”. Incel means “involuntary celibate”. The “Chad” has masculine physical traits, and is highly confident, selfish, unemphatic and potentially aggressive.

The notion that women in general are more attracted to aggressive men is false. It is simply not true that only the most aggressive men can be loved. For a fleeting moment, the harsh glare of an aggressive person’s interest can feel like a flattering and self-reinforcing spotlight. Still, researchers who have investigated the question has claimed that while some women are allured by “bad boys”, most women are attracted to kind men in the long term.

Britannica defines misogyny as, hatred or prejudice against women, typically exhibited by men. The lack of natural socialisation, especially between the sexes, might be what have led a large part of young men into mysogenistic views. Among young men, a lack of experience with love and sex—a common consequence of their age—can be a contributing factor to the prevalence of misogynistic views.

The term toxic masculinity refers to harmful expectations on men to act aggressive, emotionless, and dominant. It discourages vulnerability. A survey from Kings College states that 37 % of men 16-29 say «toxic masculinity» is an unhelpful term, while 19 % of young women feel this way. One of five men in the age of 16-29 who have heard about the self-proclaimed misogynist influencer Andrew Tate, say they have a positive view of him. This is three times the share of women in the same age group (7 %).

The incel ideology is defined by four core beliefs:

  • The Blackpill: A fatalistic belief that life and attraction are determined solely by genetics, making their situation hopeless.
  • A Rigid Hierarchy: They see a social pyramid with “Chads” (alpha males) at the top, “Stacys” (desirable women) seeking them, and themselves (“Incels”) at the bottom.
  • Misogyny & Victimhood: They harbour a deep-seated hatred for women, blaming them as shallow and cruel for their perceived rejection, casting themselves as the ultimate victims.
  • A Sense of Entitlement: Underlying their self-pity is a powerful belief that they are owed sex and female attention.

These memes and racist or sexually derogatory “dark emojis” are frequently used in online bullying of individuals or groups of people.

Scroll to Top