News and Misinformation Consumption in Europe: A Longitudinal Cross-Country Perspective

TL;DR

This study analyzes cross-country Twitter news consumption in Europe, revealing dominant reliable sources, presence of misinformation, and differences in audience overlap, providing insights for targeted misinformation mitigation strategies.

Contribution

It offers a cross-country longitudinal analysis of news consumption patterns and misinformation sources across four European countries, filling a gap in comparative research.

Findings

Reliable sources dominate the information landscape.

Unreliable content is present but limited.

Few users consume both reliable and questionable news.

Abstract

The Internet and social media have transformed news availability and accessibility, reshaping information consumption and production. However, they can also facilitate the rapid spread of misinformation, posing significant societal challenges. To combat misinformation effectively, it is crucial to understand the online information environment and news consumption patterns. Most existing research has primarily focused on single topics or individual countries, lacking cross-country comparisons. This study investigated information consumption in four European countries, analyzing three years of Twitter activity from news outlet accounts in France, Germany, Italy, and the UK and focusing on the role of misinformation sources. Our work offers a perspective on how topics of European significance are interpreted across various countries. Results indicate that reliable sources dominate the information landscape, although unreliable content is still present across all countries and topics. While most users engage with reliable sources, a small percentage consume questionable content. Interestingly, few users have a mixed information diet, bridging the gap between questionable and reliable news in the similarity network. Cross-country comparisons revealed differences in audience overlap of news sources, offering valuable guidance for policymakers and scholars in developing effective and tailored solutions to combat misinformation.