The role of emotions in electoral disinformation: a multidimensional approach

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21142/DES-1704-2025-%25p

Keywords:

disinformation, elections, emotions, negativity, social media

Abstract

This study analyses the use of emotions in disinformation about the 2024 US elections (n=374). To this end, a content análisis was carried out. The findings confirm a strong emotional presence in electoral disinformation (80.7%), particularly in content related to the campaign (56.7%). This strategy is highly prevalent on social media (76.2%), where the main disseminators are anonymous citizens (42.7%). Emotional patterns tend to be predominantly negative (55.9%) and frequently focus on the candidates (36.8%). The Republican Party emerges as the primary disseminator, making greater use of emotional content to attack (72.8%) and to praise its leader (25.6%). Given the central role of these elections, the disinformation strategies observed may be replicated in other contexts. Understanding how these dynamics operate offers valuable insights for analyzing similar cases in other countries, anticipating future trends, and designing mechanisms to counter this phenomenon, which poses a threat to democratic health.

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Author Biographies

  • Alba Córdoba-Cabús, Universitat Jaume I de Castelló. Castelló de la Plana, España

    Investigadora  posdoctoral  Juan  de  la  Cierva  en  la  Universitat  Jaume  I  de  Castelló  (España). Contratada  posdoctoral  en  la  UMA  y  beneficiaria  de  una  ayuda  FPU  concedida  por  el  Gobierno  de  España.  Doctora  en  Educación  y  Comunicación  Social  (2023),  con  menciones cum laude e internacional. Graduada en Periodismo y máster en   Investigación,   ambos   con   premio   extraordinario.   Investiga   sobre   desinformación, periodismo de datos y hábitos de consumo informativo.

  • Andreu Casero-Ripollés, Universitat Jaume I de Castelló. Castelló de la Plana, España

    Catedrático  de  Periodismo  de  la  Universitat  Jaume  I  de  Castelló  (España),  donde  ha  sido  decano.  Es  presidente  de  la  Sociedad  Española  de  Periodística  y  vicepresidente  primero  de  la  Asociación Española de Investigación de la Comunicación (AE-IC). Durante los  últimos  cinco  años,  ha  sido  incluido  dentro  del  2  %  de  los  científicos  más citados del mundo en su disciplina según el ranking de la Universidad de Stanford.

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Published

2025-12-22

How to Cite

The role of emotions in electoral disinformation: a multidimensional approach. (2025). Desde El Sur, 17(4), e0083. https://doi.org/10.21142/DES-1704-2025-%p

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