COVID-19 pandemic reshaped American political discourse through partisan lenses, but a less examined force—populism—also influenced public attitudes. This worldview positions average citizens against elites and often distrusts experts.
Populism's anti-intellectual stance is central to understanding COVID conspiracies.
Conservative media consumption interacts differently with this predisposition than partisanship alone.
We show empirically that populism correlates strongly with conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19, independently of partisanship.
Among high-populism individuals, conservative media is a stronger driver of these theories.
Conspiracy belief directly reduces compliance with public health recommendations.
These findings suggest political communication strategies must address both partisan and populist dynamics to effectively shape pandemic-related behaviors.
| How Populism and Conservative Media Fuel Conspiracy Beliefs about COVID-19 and What It Means for COVID-19 Behaviors was authored by Dominik Stecula. It was published by Sage in R&P in 2021. |
