Alejandro Fernández-Roldán: Biases, perceived biases, and selective sharing of political fact-checks and election polls: mixed-methods evaluations

Tuesday February 20 2024 @12:00 (CEST)
Sala B, Edificio de Humanidades, UNED & online

Abstract
This talk integrates insights from various studies addressing crucial aspects of political discourse through fact-checks and election polls. The first part critically examines the potential differential treatment of political parties by fact-checkers, employing an innovative mixed-methods approach. The second study delves into the intricate dynamics surrounding subjective perceptions of bias in political fact-checking. Utilising a factorial survey experiment, the research explores the multifaceted elements influencing individual perceptions of bias and the subsequent decision-making processes behind sharing fact-checks on social media.  Complementing these perspectives and acting as a benchmark, the third study focuses on pre-election polls, emphasizing their role in shaping public opinion through reposting. Considering real and hypothetical scenarios, this experimental research explores factors influencing individuals’ willingness to share polls on social media. Collectively, these mixed-methods evaluations provide a comprehensive understanding of biases, perceived biases, and selective sharing dynamics in the realms of political fact-checking and election polls. The findings underscore the importance of refining protocols, addressing biases, and recognizing the nuanced factors influencing public engagement with political information. The presentation concludes with implications for enhancing the integrity of information dissemination in the context of political communication.

Bio
Alejandro Fernández-Roldán is a predoctoral research fellow at Metis-UNED and PhD candidate in political communications at UC3M.