Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/235436 
Year of Publication: 
2021
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 9066
Publisher: 
Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute (CESifo), Munich
Abstract: 
By conducting large-scale surveys in four European countries, we investigate the determinants of right- and left-wing misperceptions as well as fake news exposure and sharing. We also shed light on how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced both misperceptions and fake news. Our results indicate that people substantially overestimate the share of immigrants, Muslims, people under the poverty line, and the income share of the richest. Female, lower-income, and lower-educated respondents have higher misperceptions, whereas the higher-educated, male, married, right-wing and, younger respondents share fake news more often, both intentionally and unintentionally. The COVID-19 pandemic increased fake news sharing and amplified right-wing misperceptions.
Subjects: 
Covid-19
lockdown
misperceptions
fake news
JEL: 
D70
H11
H12
H41
I18
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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