Researcher: disinformation spreads even through people who don't believe it

In an episode of the LETA news agency podcast "Kas tas vispār bija?!", in its segment "Aiz priekškara", digital media researcher Nika Aleksejeva addressed whether the fight against online disinformation still makes sense.

She points out that people often forward fake videos to friends and acquaintances even when they themselves don't believe the content — sometimes to mock it, or to show just how blatant the lie is. But such forwarding still exposes the video to new and wider audiences, who may interpret it differently. Moreover, the message embedded in a fabricated video can stick in people's minds even after the fake has been publicly exposed and debunked.

Distrust as the goal

According to Aleksejeva, part of the purpose behind disinformation isn't necessarily to make people believe a specific lie. Often the more significant effect is creating a broader impression that nothing in the information space can be trusted anymore. Such generalized distrust can be just as useful to those spreading misleading content as getting a particular false story believed as true.

The researcher also identifies another factor that helps disinformation spread: public fatigue from a flood of contradictory information. Many people no longer want to dig into details or verify every piece of news they encounter, which in turn makes it easier for misleading material to circulate without critical scrutiny.

The discussion underscores that proof a video or claim is false doesn't always change people's minds or stop further sharing, since the decision to share content is often driven by emotional or social reasons rather than genuine conviction.