Distinct roles of distrust, cynicism and indifference: investigating how antipathy toward news media increases misinformation belief through passive news consumption

Purpose We examined how antipathy toward mainstream news media led to citizens’ belief in misinformation through passive news consumption – the habit of not actively seeking news but waiting to encounter it incidentally. This study focused on three types of media antipathy – distrust, cynicism and indifference. Design/methodology/approach We collected three-wave panel survey data before and after the 2022 Korean presidential election. To test whether distrust, cynicism and indifference are separate dimensions, we compared two competing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models. We conducted OLS regression analyses to examine the different patterns of distrust, cynicism and indifference by individuals’ demographic and political factors and the relationship between antipathy and passive news consumption habits. To determine how antipathy toward mainstream media was associated with misinformation belief via passive news consumption habits, a bootstrapping test was conducted. Findings We found that distrust, cynicism and indifference are distinctive attitudes toward the mainstream news media, predicted by different demographic and political factors. Among them, cynicism and indifference were positively associated with passive news consumption habits, which, in turn, increased belief in misinformation. In contrast, distrust was negatively associated with passive news consumption, which, in turn, decreased belief in misinformation. Originality/value The current study adds to previous research on the public’s attitudes toward news media by elucidating how distrust, cynicism and indifference exert distinctive influences on citizens’ news consumption and belief in political misinformation. This study highlights the necessity to further explore the multi-dimensionality of media antipathy.