How a Small Group of “Supersharers” Spread 80% of Fake News in 2020

A recent pair of studies published in the journal Science reveals that misinformation on social media has a profound impact on people’s beliefs and behaviors, and that a small group of dedicated “supersharers” were responsible for spreading the majority of fake news in 2020.

These supersharers, predominantly older Republican women, played a significant role in shaping public opinion and spreading misinformation.

The first study, led by Jennifer Allen, examined the impact of vaccine misinformation on social media and found that exposure to false information reduced people’s intent to get vaccinated. The study also revealed that articles flagged by moderators as misinformation had a greater effect on vaccine hesitancy than non-flagged content.

However, the volume of unflagged misinformation was vastly greater, making its overall influence likely far greater in aggregate.

The second study, conducted by a multi-university group, analyzed the activity of 664,391 voters matched to active Twitter users and found that 2,107 users accounted for spreading 80% of the fake news during the 2020 election.

These supersharers were massively over-represented in terms of spreading false and misleading information, and their posts were more likely to be interacted with. The data showed that one in 20 American voters followed one of these supersharers, putting them massively out front of average users in reach.

The supersharers were found to be predominantly older, white, and Republican women, who tended to fit a particular demographic. While the demographics are revealing, it’s essential to note that even a large and highly significant majority is not all, and millions of people retweeted and shared misinformation.

The findings highlight a vulnerability of social media for democracy, where a small group of