Online and Social Media News Usage, Conspiratorial Attitudes and Fear of Terrorism

Are individuals who obtain their news from online news sources or from social media more likely to fear terrorism? If so, why is this the case? Based on the 2021 Chapman Survey of American Fears, this study draws two key conclusions. First, subjects who more frequently use online and social media news sources exhibit higher levels of fear of terrorism. Second, the relationship between online and social media news reliance and fear of terrorism is mediated through conspiratorial attitudes. These findings are robust to the inclusion of a host of demographic and attitudinal control variables.