The Impact of "Manipulated News" on Student Attitudes and Perceptions and Their Participation in the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong. (May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wong, Chesca Ka Po; Zhu, Runping; Krever, Richard; Choi, Alfred Siu
• Is Part Of: Social media + society. Volume 7:Number 2(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-05
• Subjects: news framing -- animated news -- manipulated news -- news and student protests; Social media -- Periodicals; Social media -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; 302.231
• DOI: 10.1177/20563051211019715
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2056-3051

Abstract

While the impact of fake news on viewers, particularly marginalized media users, has been a cause of growing concern, there has been little attention paid to the phenomenon of deliberately "manipulated" news published on social media by mainstream news publishers. Using qualitative content analysis and quantitative survey research, this study showed that consciously biased animated news videos released in the midst of the Umbrella Movement protests in Hong Kong impacted on both the attitudes of students and their participation in the protests. The findings raise concerns over potential use of the format by media owners to promote their preferred ideologies.