Politics & Non-news Media

Question 1

Two myths about fake news viewers?

Answer 1

1. Audience is monolithic
   - -Actually, audience is generally younger, but there is variation.
2. Youth are leaving traditional news in favor of fake news
   - -Actually, people who watch fake news are more likely to watch real news.

Question 2

Gateway Hypothesis

Answer 2

People who watch fake news are compelled to watch real news. Fake news prompts interest in hard news in order to get the joke.

Question 3

Two Characteristics of fake news jokes

Answer 3

1. More about personality and not issues

2. Have a negative tone.

Question 4

Political Knowledge & Fake News

Answer 4

1. Self-Reported Learning: 12% say they learn from late night shows.
2. Actual learning: people learn more from traditional news than entertainment news.

Question 5

Kim & Vishak: Study Design & Condition

Answer 5

1. Experimental design using 20 minute collections of real news & entertainment news.
2. Conditions: news condition, entertainment condition, controlled condition (science documentary).

Question 6

Kim & Vishak: Internal & External Validity

Answer 6

1. High degree of internal validity due to random assignment.
2. Low degree of external validity as you can’t really generalize 85 people.

Question 7

Kim & Vishak: Hypothesis

Answer 7

Entertainment media will facilitate more online-based learning while news media will trigger memory based information processing.

Question 8

Kim & Vishak: Results: Learning

Answer 8

News media yielded higher political acquisition, higher degrees of accuracy and procedural knowledge when compared to fake news.

Question 9

Kim & Vishak: Results: Online Learning v. Memory-Based Information Processing

Answer 9

News media triggers memory based processing while entertainment media triggers online learning .

Question 10

Political Attitudes arising from fake news

Answer 10

1. Cynicism
2. Internal Efficacy
3. Less trust in the media
4. Negative perceptions of candidate

Question 11

Moderator of Fake News

Answer 11

Political knowledge. Those with a higher degree of political knowledge were less likely to adopt fake news perspectives.

Question 12

Cognitive Explanations of Fake News Effects:

Answer 12

1. Incongruency Theory of Humor:
   - - After viewing fake news, we are required to watch real news in order to get the joke.
2. Disrupting Argument Scrutiny
   - - After getting the joke, we have no more cognitive power
   - -Argument scrutiny would decrease enjoyment
   - -We think argument scrutiny is not necessary for entertainment
3. Sleeper Effect: We discount fake news, but over time, it affects us.