Information consumption and misinformation perceptions in Spain during crisis situations: Legacy and social media

Abstract

Understanding how people obtain information is crucial for public communications to respond to crises and emergencies. We conducted a YouGov Spain survey (N = 1,006) on 12-13 May 2021 to analyse the information consumption habits of the Spanish population in crisis situations and to evaluate perceptions of crisis management by legacy media and public institutions. Our results point to the emerging role of social media (especially among younger citizens). Moreover, they reveal that more than two thirds of the respondents report encountering misinformation during a crisis (especially on Facebook), and they show that the detection of misinformation is influenced by age and size of municipality. Lastly, the results indicate that, despite public approval of institutional and media communications during crisis situations, there remains room for improvement.