Fake News for All: Misinformation and Polarization in Authoritarian Regimes

Shirikov, Anton

doi:10.2139/ssrn.3944011

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…First, regime critics under authoritarian regimes develop a defense mechanism against propaganda channels and any news spread by these channels. As a result, it is harder to influence political opinions of these voters through propaganda (Shirikov 2021). Given that the NDN promotes serious economic misperceptions, such as the claim that Turkey will be one of top ten economies in the world by 2023, it is probable that opposition voters will be more cautious when engaging with these claims.…”

Section: Which Voter Group Is the National Developmentalist Narrative...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Whisper Sweet Nothings to Me Erdogan: How Economic Propaganda Works Under Authoritarianism

Öztürk¹

2022

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Most authoritarian regimes justify their rule based on economic performance. Yet, scholars are skeptical that authoritarian propaganda can increase performance evaluations. Through a case study of Turkey, combining qualitative, cross-sectional, and experimental analysis, this paper demonstrates that narrative-based economic propaganda can help electoral authoritarian regimes to preserve their support base even under difficult economic conditions. A national developmentalist narrative is central to the economic propaganda of Erdogan’s regime. I demonstrate that the belief in this narrative is widespread among regime voters, and it is strongly related to watching pro-regime media. The exposure to the developmentalist narrative improves economic evaluations among regime voters while also evoking partisan emotions. However, I do not find any effect of this narrative on other voters, demonstrating that narrative-based propaganda cannot help the regime to broaden its support base. This study contributes to the development of a cultural perspective on public opinion formation under authoritarian regimes.

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Section: Which Voter Group Is the National Developmentalist Narrative...mentioning

confidence: 99%