Pengaruh Berita Palsu Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-14 (PRU-14) di Media Sosial Terhadap Landskap Politik Malaysia

The 14th General Election (GE-14) marked a significant shift in Malaysian politics when the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, which had ruled since 1957, suffered an unexpected defeat to Pakatan Harapan (PH). One of the key factors contributing to this political transition was the spread of fake news on social media, which played a crucial role in shaping public perception and influencing voter behaviour. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, news portals, and blogs became the primary channels through which politically motivated fake news was disseminated to gain public attention and electoral support. This study aims to analyse the impact of fake news during GE-14 on Malaysia’s political landscape using Framing Theory, particularly the Media Framing concept introduced by McCombs and Shaw (1972). Content analysis was conducted to identify fake news themes and examine their dissemination trends on social media, with references from Sebenarnya.my. Additionally, in-depth interviews were conducted with selected informants, including government officials, law enforcement officers, academics, voters, and cyber troopers, to support the findings. The collected data was analysed using thematic analysis. Findings identified four key themes in fake news dissemination: public safety and security, political stability, economic stability, and governance. Fake news during GE-14 primarily framed political crises, social provocations, and economic misperceptions, ultimately influencing public distrust in the ruling government and reshaping the nation’s political landscape. Keywords: Fake news, general election, social media, political landscape, framing theory.