⬇️ Prefer to listen instead? ⬇️
- Radical-right populist parties share significantly more misinformation than any other political group.
- Misinformation strategies by far-right parties are deliberate, not accidental.
- Analytical thinking reduces susceptibility to fake news more than political alignment does.
- Emotionally charged, fear-based messaging strengthens false beliefs and social division.
- Social media platforms amplify radical-right misinformation through engagement-focused algorithms.
Now, trust in institutions has gone down, and digital media has changed how we get and use information. Because of this, political lies are not just rare problems anymore, but basic ways to divide, manipulate, and change public talk. Misinformation, especially from radical-right populist groups, is now a tool used to do these things. It’s not just mistakes. But why is this happening? And why are far-right parties so likely to spread political misinformation? Let’s look at what new research says and how psychology, ideology, and digital systems work together to make a dangerous situation.
What the Latest Research Tells Us
A new study from The International Journal of Press/Politics looked at 32 million tweets from 8,198 officials. These officials were from 267 political parties in 26 democracies between 2017 and 2022 (Törnberg & Chueri, 2025). The study used a “factuality score” based on reliable databases to see how often politicians shared links to misinformation.
The researchers found something surprising. Misinformation is everywhere in politics, but radical-right populist parties did it the most. They shared links from unreliable sources much more often. These sources included fake news websites and places that spread disinformation. This wasn’t just a few times—it happened again and again in different countries and elections. It’s important to note, this wasn’t just about populism in general. Left-wing populist parties, which also don’t like elites, didn’t share misinformation as much.
This shows that there is a real connection between radical-right ideas and using misinformation on purpose.
Lies Aren’t Accidental—They’re Tactical
One very important thing we learn from this research is that political lies are not just mistakes. They are used as tools. Radical-right populist parties use misinformation to reach their political goals. They want to do a few things: make people distrust the media, weaken trust in institutions, make cultural divides worse, and most importantly, get more support.
Why does this work? Because lies, especially those that make people feel emotional or touch on identity, get more attention than boring facts. Social media sites, which use algorithms that like emotional content, make this worse. Radical-right people know this, so they create and share misleading information that is meant to make people angry, scared, or outraged.
By doing this, they get people involved, make discussions more extreme, and change what is seen as normal political talk to be more extreme.
No, It’s Not “Both Sides”
People often say that misinformation is a problem on both sides of politics. They say all political extremes are just as bad. But, the data says something different.
Both far-left and far-right populist parties don’t trust the establishment. However, the study found that radical left parties tend to share content that is as factual as what centrist or mainstream conservative parties share. This difference shows something important: spreading misinformation is not just about populism, it’s about ideology.
Radical-right populist parties are unique because they mix anti-establishment feelings with stories based on fear, identity politics, and the idea that culture is getting worse. This mix of populism and wanting to exclude people makes them likely to share low-fact information.
How Your Brain Plays Into It
Psychology can also explain why misinformation spreads and sticks. A study by Pennycook and Rand (2019) shows that the main thing that makes people believe fake news is not their political beliefs, but if they don’t think analytically (Pennycook & Rand, 2019). Simply put, it’s more about how you think than what you believe politically.
People who think based on intuition and emotion – called “System 1 thinking” by researchers – are more likely to believe false information without question. But people who stop and think, using “System 2 thinking,” are usually better at seeing through lies.
This is especially important when emotions are high, like in political debates. In these situations, our first emotional reactions can stop us from thinking clearly. Radical-right stories often use this, trying to make people feel emotional instead of persuading them logically.
Authoritarian Beliefs and Cognitive Rigidity
Authoritarian beliefs are a way of thinking where people like order, doing what they are told, and hierarchy. People who are more authoritarian tend to like clear rules, dislike uncertainty, and want to punish people to control society.
This matters because these people are more open to simple, black and white stories. Misinformation is good at giving these kinds of stories. When radical-right populists spread political lies that are simple, like “us vs. them,” law vs. chaos, or native vs. foreigner, they are appealing to these authoritarian ways of thinking.
Also, people who are authoritarian often think the world is dangerous. This makes them more likely to believe scary stories about threats to safety or culture, even if there is no proof.
Identity, Fear, and the Emotional Pull of Lies
Fear based on identity is key to many misinformation campaigns by radical-right populists. Research shows that when people think their identity, culture, or community is threatened, they are more likely to believe messages that promise to protect them—even if those messages are false.
Far-right misinformation often focuses on emotional topics like immigration, religious division, and national security. These topics really affect certain groups of people, especially those who already tend to be authoritarian or nationalist.
This emotional effect not only helps misinformation spread, but also makes it hard to get rid of. When a lie fits with how someone sees themselves or what they think is right, they will believe it even when they are given facts that prove it wrong.
Social Media’s Role in Amplifying the Echo
Digital communication is not neutral. Social media algorithms on platforms like Facebook, X, and TikTok are made to get people to interact, not to show the truth. Studies show that shocking or extreme content gets more interaction. This means it gets seen more, clicked on more, and shared more.
Radical-right populist parties are good at using this. Their messages – shocking headlines, moral scares, and scandalous claims – are perfect for going viral. Even if it’s false, this content can stay at the top of feeds because social media favors emotional material.
Also, the echo chambers created by these platforms keep users away from different views. Over time, this can make people more set in their beliefs, think in conspiracy theories, and become more likely to have authoritarian beliefs.
Populism Alone Isn’t the Problem
People who criticize populism often try to say it is always bad or dishonest. But it’s more complex than that. Populism as a way of talking is not always about lies. Research shows it becomes dangerous when it is combined with right-wing ideology that excludes people.
This combination—anti-establishment talk with nationalism, nativism, or xenophobia—creates a certain kind of political person: the radical-right populist. This person does not just doubt elites. They see institutions, expert opinions, and even scientific research as part of a corrupt establishment.
In this view, misinformation is not a mistake. It’s a way to “show the truth” that elites have been hiding. That’s why giving facts to prove them wrong rarely changes their minds. It goes against their whole way of seeing the world.
Patterns Across the Globe
It is important to know that the study looked at more than one country. From Trump’s GOP in the US to AfD in Germany, and Vox in Spain to the People’s Party of Canada, the result was the same: radical-right populists were the least factual.
On the other hand, mainstream conservative parties had average or even better factuality scores. This suggests that the problem is not just being conservative, but mixing authoritarian ideas with populist methods. Left-leaning and centrist parties, including those for environmentalism, liberal democracy, and social justice, generally shared information that was more factual.
This worldwide pattern shows that political lies from radical-right people are not just local issues. They are part of a bigger global trend.
It’s Not Just About Individuals
The old excuse of “a few bad people” is not right here. To make sure it wasn’t just about certain personalities, the study looked at leadership styles, how united parties were, and if a party was in power or not. But the pattern was still there: radical-right populist parties as groups shared misinformation more than anyone else.
This tells us that using lies is not random. It’s built-in. It’s part of how radical-right populism works in the digital world. They use it on purpose to weaken shared reality and get people who are unhappy to join them.
Why This Erodes Democracy
Liberal democracy is based on everyone agreeing on what is real. Facts are the base for discussions, policies, and finding common ground. Misinformation attacks this base. It stops reasonable democratic discussion from working.
When voters can’t agree on basic truths – like if an election was fair, a pandemic was real, or a school curriculum is correct – it’s almost impossible to govern together. So, political lies are not just dishonest, they are harmful. They attack democracy at its core.
Also, when lies are repeated again and again and never corrected in certain groups, they create different realities. In these situations, political loyalty can become like following a cult. This makes it easy for authoritarian beliefs to grow.
Mental Health Impacts You Might Be Overlooking
We often talk about misinformation as a problem for society, but it can also really affect individual mental health. Research in psychology suggests that living where there is a lot of disinformation can make people more anxious, distrustful, and isolated.
Therapists say that clients who constantly see fear-based or conspiracy content feel more stressed, can’t sleep well, and feel helpless. Over time, this can change how people see society, making them more pessimistic or even depressed.
Fighting this starts with learning about media, but it needs to go deeper. Helping people become more psychologically strong – by managing emotions, connecting with others, and having good conversations – is important for well-being in a time of misinformation.
Tools to Break the Cycle
To fight political lies, we need to do more than just correct them after they spread. We can also use ways to prevent them, like “prebunking.” This teaches people to see manipulative methods before they are exposed to them. This really lowers their chance of being fooled.
Also, learning to think critically – like questioning sources, thinking of other options, or just pausing before sharing – can protect us all. Schools, media sites, and community groups can help by teaching these skills in education and community programs.
It’s important to get information from different places, look for different views, and understand our own biases. Democracy works best when people can check facts for themselves.
The Battle for Truth Runs Through the Brain
Political misinformation is not just a communication problem—it’s a fight for our minds. Far-right parties know that causing confusion, using fear, and manipulating trust can be more effective than having good policies. That’s why their lies are so focused, so planned, and so emotionally strong.
As this research from around the world and across different fields shows, fighting back needs more than just quick fact-checks. We need to consciously rethink how we think, what we trust, and who we let shape how we see reality. Our brains are now the main battleground. And informed, strong minds are the best defense for healthy, diverse democracies.
Citations
- Törnberg, P., & Chueri, J. (2025). When do parties lie? Misinformation and radical-right populism across 26 countries. The International Journal of Press/Politics. https://doi.org/10.1177/19401612241311886
- Pennycook, G., & Rand, D. G. (2019). Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning. Cognition, 188, 39–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2018.06.011
