Dissecting the Factors Behind Perceptions of Bias and Selective Sharing of Political Fact-Checks in the USA

In recent years, misinformation has become a prominent feature of political science scholarship, and so have the different approaches to counter it. Among them, political fact-checking stands out as a promising bulwark against falsehoods in public discourse. the reputation of fact-checkers has been targeted, with allegations of political bias undermining their credibility. While scholars have extensively examined potential biases across various fact-checking organizations, a gap exists in comprehending the subjective perceptions of bias held by individual voters. This paper addresses this gap through a factorial survey experiment, designed to explore the intricate relationship between different elements of political fact-checks and individual perceptions of bias. Additionally, the study investigates the elements that make individuals more prone to share these fact-checks within their social media networks. Employing hypothetical yet realistic fact-check scenarios that manipulate key attributes such as date of publication, the fact-checking outlet, the political affiliation and popularity of the subject under scrutiny, the topic of the dubious claim, the sources used for fact-checking and crucially, the assigned truth score, this research aims to illuminate the multifaceted dynamics underlying subjective perceptions of bias and the selective sharing behaviors of fact-checks in the United States. By delving into the nuanced aspects of political fact-checking, this work contributes significantly to the growing body of research in the field. It not only elucidates the elements that underpin perceptions of bias but also tries to unravel the complex decision-making processes that drive individuals to selectively share fact-checks on social media platforms.