Satirical Fake News and Political Attitudes in Students: Efficacy, Alienation, and Cynicism

What is this article about?

This article investigates how satirical and humorous fake news influences the political attitudes of communication students in Spain, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. Using a probabilistic cluster sampling of 682 undergraduate and graduate students, Romero-Rodríguez, Valle Razo, and Castillo-Abdul examine how perceived realism of fake news correlates with political efficacy, alienation, and cynicism.

Why is it important?

This article explains that the more real satirical fake news seems, the more it undermines political engagement. It reveals that students heavily exposed to fake news tend to mistrust politics, feel alienated, and develop cynical attitudes. These findings are critical in understanding the impact of digital content on democratic participation.

Key Findings

1. Perceived realism drives political impact

• High perceived realism of fake news correlates with:

  • Lower political efficacy

  • Higher alienation

  • Higher cynicism

2. Formal news consumption moderates fake news impact

• The less students consume formal news, the more real fake news appears to them.

• Countries with lower media trust, like Venezuela and Mexico, showed higher realism perception of fake news.

3. Ideological spectrum affects realism perception

• Students identifying with left or far-left ideologies perceived higher realism in fake news than those in the center or right.

Methodology Summary

• Sample: 682 Communication students across four countries.

• Instrument: Survey with Likert-scale questions on news habits, fake news realism, and political sentiments.

• Variables: Political efficacy, alienation, cynicism, realism perception.

• Validation: Kendall’s W = 0.808

FAQs

Q: What kind of fake news was analyzed?
A: Humor and satire-based fake news from outlets like El Mundo Today, El Deforma, El Chigüire Bipolar, and El Panfleto.

Q: What is political efficacy?
A: A belief in one’s ability to influence political processes. It decreases when fake news is perceived as real.

Q: What are the study’s implications?
A: Media literacy and critical news consumption must be strengthened in academic curricula to prevent political disengagement.

Q: Which country had the highest realism perception?
A: Venezuela, likely due to censorship and media distrust.