Misinformation Finds Them
In this groundbreaking study, Misinformation Finds Them unearths how the perceived threat of misinformation effects on other people is just as potent –if not more so – than the actual impact that hybrid media systems have on democracy and community in the heartland. Here, it is not that rural Americ...
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| Główni autorzy: | , |
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| Format: | Online |
| Język: | angielski |
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Peter Lang International Academic Publishers
2026
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| Hasła przedmiotowe: | |
| Dostęp online: | 1525-9730 |
| Etykiety: |
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| _version_ | 1869531312728047616 |
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| author | Vogts, Todd R. Groshek, Jacob |
| author_browse | Groshek, Jacob Vogts, Todd R. |
| author_facet | Vogts, Todd R. Groshek, Jacob |
| author_sort | Vogts, Todd R. |
| collection | Directory of Open Access Books |
| description | In this groundbreaking study, Misinformation Finds Them unearths how the perceived threat of misinformation effects on other people is just as potent –if not more so – than the actual impact that hybrid media systems have on democracy and community in the heartland. Here, it is not that rural Americans are particularly vulnerable to misinformation; they are highly active media consumers, but they generally rely on news to "find me" rather than actively critically engaging with a diverse set of sources. This passive News Finds Me approach to media engagement, coupled with their belief that others are more susceptible to receiving and spreading misleading or false narratives, gives rise to distrust and polarization. The Misinformation Finds Them (MFT) perception is particularly potent as algorithms and AI are increasingly embedded in news distribution systems that seek to maximize user engagement with personalized content. The perceived threat of misinformation can exacerbate polarization, but the notion that misinformation radicalizes rural populations simply is not accurate, and rural Americans show no meaningful differences to their more urban counterparts in terms of knowledge and media use. "Vogts and Groshek offer fascinating insights into the polarized media ecosystem of rural America, an under-researched area that is meticulously addressed in this innovative book. It empirically provides an understanding of the way many rural Americans in Kansas distrustfully view media, and the impact of social networks on them, especially their beliefs in misinformation itself. The authors cleverly attempt to go beyond the standard discussion of misinformation, offering a more nuanced view with their origination of the "Misinformation Finds Them" concept. It is a must read for any citizen or scholar interested in better understanding the contemporary media environment of rural America." – Ahmed al-Rawi, Associate Professor Simon Fraser University "A timely, unflinching investigation into how misinformation quietly radicalizes rural America. Misinformation Finds Them doesn’t just expose echo chambers. It humanizes them. Vogts and Groshek’s essential read challenges stereotypes, connects hybrid media, bonding social capital, news finds me perception, and other media theories to real lives, and urges us to rethink how truth, identity, and democracy intersect in USA’s heartland." – Homero Gil de Zúñiga, Distinguished Professor University of Salamanca and Pennsylvania State University |
| format | Online |
| id | doab-20.500.12854ir-172972 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Books |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Peter Lang International Academic Publishers |
| publisherStr | Peter Lang International Academic Publishers |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | doab-20.500.12854ir-1729722026-03-01T05:47:21Z Misinformation Finds Them Vogts, Todd R. Groshek, Jacob Disinformation Misinformation Media Rural Politics News Journalism Misinformation Finds Them Rural America Polarization Division Pathways to news News consumption Third-person effect Social capital Cultivation theory Selective exposure Spiral of silence News Finds Me thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JB Society and culture: general::JBC Cultural and media studies::JBCT Media studies::JBCT5 Disinformation and misinformation thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KN Industry and industrial studies::KNT Media, entertainment, information and communication industries::KNTP Publishing industry and journalism::KNTP2 News media and journalism thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JB Society and culture: general::JBC Cultural and media studies::JBCT Media studies::JBCT4 Media studies: journalism In this groundbreaking study, Misinformation Finds Them unearths how the perceived threat of misinformation effects on other people is just as potent –if not more so – than the actual impact that hybrid media systems have on democracy and community in the heartland. Here, it is not that rural Americans are particularly vulnerable to misinformation; they are highly active media consumers, but they generally rely on news to "find me" rather than actively critically engaging with a diverse set of sources. This passive News Finds Me approach to media engagement, coupled with their belief that others are more susceptible to receiving and spreading misleading or false narratives, gives rise to distrust and polarization. The Misinformation Finds Them (MFT) perception is particularly potent as algorithms and AI are increasingly embedded in news distribution systems that seek to maximize user engagement with personalized content. The perceived threat of misinformation can exacerbate polarization, but the notion that misinformation radicalizes rural populations simply is not accurate, and rural Americans show no meaningful differences to their more urban counterparts in terms of knowledge and media use. "Vogts and Groshek offer fascinating insights into the polarized media ecosystem of rural America, an under-researched area that is meticulously addressed in this innovative book. It empirically provides an understanding of the way many rural Americans in Kansas distrustfully view media, and the impact of social networks on them, especially their beliefs in misinformation itself. The authors cleverly attempt to go beyond the standard discussion of misinformation, offering a more nuanced view with their origination of the "Misinformation Finds Them" concept. It is a must read for any citizen or scholar interested in better understanding the contemporary media environment of rural America." – Ahmed al-Rawi, Associate Professor Simon Fraser University "A timely, unflinching investigation into how misinformation quietly radicalizes rural America. Misinformation Finds Them doesn’t just expose echo chambers. It humanizes them. Vogts and Groshek’s essential read challenges stereotypes, connects hybrid media, bonding social capital, news finds me perception, and other media theories to real lives, and urges us to rethink how truth, identity, and democracy intersect in USA’s heartland." – Homero Gil de Zúñiga, Distinguished Professor University of Salamanca and Pennsylvania State University 2026-03-01T05:47:16Z 2026-03-01T05:47:16Z 2026-02-28T19:26:47Z 2026 book 1525-9730 https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/110212 9783034355902 9783034355919 9783034355926 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/172972 eng Frontiers in Political Communication open access Peter Lang International Academic Publishers 10.3726/b21945 10.3726/b21945 44a712f0-ee17-4c08-a667-46effed595e7 9783034355902 9783034355919 9783034355926 XII, 204 New York open access |
| spellingShingle | Disinformation Misinformation Media Rural Politics News Journalism Misinformation Finds Them Rural America Polarization Division Pathways to news News consumption Third-person effect Social capital Cultivation theory Selective exposure Spiral of silence News Finds Me thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JB Society and culture: general::JBC Cultural and media studies::JBCT Media studies::JBCT5 Disinformation and misinformation thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KN Industry and industrial studies::KNT Media, entertainment, information and communication industries::KNTP Publishing industry and journalism::KNTP2 News media and journalism thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JB Society and culture: general::JBC Cultural and media studies::JBCT Media studies::JBCT4 Media studies: journalism Vogts, Todd R. Groshek, Jacob Misinformation Finds Them |
| title | Misinformation Finds Them |
| title_full | Misinformation Finds Them |
| title_fullStr | Misinformation Finds Them |
| title_full_unstemmed | Misinformation Finds Them |
| title_short | Misinformation Finds Them |
| title_sort | misinformation finds them |
| topic | Disinformation Misinformation Media Rural Politics News Journalism Misinformation Finds Them Rural America Polarization Division Pathways to news News consumption Third-person effect Social capital Cultivation theory Selective exposure Spiral of silence News Finds Me thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JB Society and culture: general::JBC Cultural and media studies::JBCT Media studies::JBCT5 Disinformation and misinformation thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KN Industry and industrial studies::KNT Media, entertainment, information and communication industries::KNTP Publishing industry and journalism::KNTP2 News media and journalism thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JB Society and culture: general::JBC Cultural and media studies::JBCT Media studies::JBCT4 Media studies: journalism |
| topic_facet | Disinformation Misinformation Media Rural Politics News Journalism Misinformation Finds Them Rural America Polarization Division Pathways to news News consumption Third-person effect Social capital Cultivation theory Selective exposure Spiral of silence News Finds Me thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JB Society and culture: general::JBC Cultural and media studies::JBCT Media studies::JBCT5 Disinformation and misinformation thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KN Industry and industrial studies::KNT Media, entertainment, information and communication industries::KNTP Publishing industry and journalism::KNTP2 News media and journalism thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JB Society and culture: general::JBC Cultural and media studies::JBCT Media studies::JBCT4 Media studies: journalism |
| url | 1525-9730 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vogtstoddr misinformationfindsthem AT groshekjacob misinformationfindsthem |