Date of Award
Summer 8-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
International Studies
First Advisor
Andrea Molle
Second Advisor
Nancy Rios-Contreras
Third Advisor
Crystal Murphy
Abstract
In recent years, social media-driven misinformation and disinformation have helped erode public trust in democratic institutions. This thesis examines how constant exposure to false online content correlates with declining confidence in democracy and evaluates the roles of platforms, influencers, and mechanisms. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, this thesis pairs a quantitative survey with a qualitative analysis of three disinformation case studies: the 2020 U.S. election and the “Stop the Steal” movement, the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar crisis, and Russian denial of wartime atrocities in their invasion against Ukraine. Drawing on classical and modern propaganda theories (Lasswell, Herman & Chomsky, RAND’s Firehose model), the survey found only a weak, non-significant direct correlation between exposure and trust, suggesting that erosion may be indirect and cumulative and mediated by external factors.
However, analysis of the case studies showcase how platforms and influencers on social media amplify the spread of false information, fostering partisan outrage and undermining social cohesion. Survey respondents held both platforms and influencers as equally responsible for spreading misinformation and disinformation, reflecting widespread concerns over their ability to manipulate public opinion and information. Furthermore, survey respondents reported a general pessimism about democracy’s overall future as whole. Together, these findings underscore that pervasive misinformation and disinformation gradually weakens and undermines democratic legitimacy over time
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Murillo, A. (2025). Misinformation, disinformation, and the erosion of institutional trust: The role of social media in democracy [Master's thesis, Chapman University]. Chapman University Digital Commons. https://doi.org/10.36837/chapman.000699