Fiction and misinformation: evaluating anti-establishment sentiment and trust in news outlets through fictional storytelling

The growing presence of anti-establishment extremist movements online, and the offline actions that they inspire, pose a significant threat to U.S. democracy. This study evaluates the relationship between support for anti-establishment sentiment and trust in news sources; and tests whether a fictional counter-narrative story regarding an anti-government extremist group and group-related misinformation can change an individual’s support for anti-establishment beliefs, and for whom they are more effective. A total of 512 participants were surveyed before and after viewing an animated film portraying a fictional character who becomes radicalized through online misinformation. The 11-minute film follows the protagonist’s involvement in and disengagement from the Boogaloo, an extremist movement that engaged in anti-government armed protests throughout 2020. Our survey was administered between the 2020 U.S. Presidential election in November and the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack, allowing us a unique opportunity to measure anti-government extremist belief and trust in information sources during a point in time when misinformation was particularly prevalent and potent. We find that video counter-narratives using fictional stories can be effective in specific populations, and present important implications for reducing support of anti-establishment narratives. The results provide implications for P/CVE practitioners and the efficacy of fictional storytelling counter-narrative strategies generally.