Disinformation spreads through more than coordinated campaigns

Strategic disinformation on social media is not spread solely through planned and coordinated efforts. Ordinary users can also contribute to its dissemination without being part of an influence campaign. This is one of the findings of a new doctoral thesis from the Swedish Defence University.

In her thesis, Beyond Orchestration: A practice-based study of state-linked disinformation on social media, Johanna Muhrbeck examines how state-linked disinformation spreads on social media.

A key finding is that its dissemination is not solely directed from above. Strategic actors, such as state actors, can disseminate misleading information with the aim of exerting influence. However, the content can then spread further through users who have no connection to the original actor.

“To understand how strategic disinformation spreads, we need to look both at strategic and coordinated activity and at how other users contribute to its dissemination”, says Johanna Muhrbeck, doctoral student at the Department of War Studies at the Swedish Defence University.

Users’ actions influence dissemination

Social media platforms are designed to encourage people to react to, comment on and share content. This makes users’ actions an important part of how disinformation spreads.

The thesis shows that it is not enough to examine who is behind disinformation and what their purpose is. To understand how content gains traction, researchers also need to study how users receive and interact with it.

The study combines qualitative and quantitative methods.

“I have analysed the content and extent of the disinformation, the types of actors involved in its dissemination, and the purposes, ideas and emotions that shape it”, says Johanna Muhrbeck.

Knowledge that can strengthen resilience

The findings can contribute to a stronger knowledge base for public authorities and organisations working to prevent and counter disinformation. Understanding both deliberate influence efforts and the subsequent dissemination of content among users can provide a more comprehensive picture of how disinformation circulates on social media.

“A better understanding of how and why disinformation spreads can provide a stronger basis for developing measures to strengthen society’s resilience to disinformation”, says Johanna Muhrbeck.