Factors of fake news sharing in the context of the Ukraine–Russia conflict: the effect of suspicions about European Unions’ intentions

This study examines the separate and joint effects of potential factors of fake news dissemination. A sample of 359 Romanian participants (61.3% female), aged between 18-79 years (M = 45.01; SD = 15.69) filled questionnaires assessing their perceptions of conflict between European Union (EU) and Ukraine; fake news sharing, and various socio-demographic data. Our results revealed that the behaviour of sharing fake news is positively associated with age and more prevalent in men. Also, people who perceive a conflict between EU and Ukraine and thus suspect that behind the EU’s consistent support for Ukraine lies a hidden interest are more inclined to spread fake news. In the female group, age was found to moderate the relationship between perceptions of conflict between EU and Ukraine and fake news sharing. We also discuss the relevance of our findings for public communication efforts aiming to mitigate the dissemination of fake news.