From True Believers to Institutional Skeptics: Classifying conspiracy theory supporters and their media consumption

<ns3:p>As the role of social media and the internet as key sources of daily news grows, more and more people are exposed to conspiracy theories. Yet despite increasing similarities in exposure, there is considerable variation in what people take from the conspiracy theories that they hear. When it comes to supporters of conspiracy theories, this article suggests that significant differences in conspiratorial belief are not ones of degree but of kind. Rather than putting individuals on a continuum, this article argues that a categorical approach of conspiracy theory belief is more fruitful for understanding how distinct types of conspiracy theory supporters come to embrace—and potentially reject—conspiracy theories. Drawing on original, in-depth interviews, I construct a typology of conspiracy theory supporters that is rooted in consequential differences in how they approach conspiracy theories. To demonstrate the analytic relevance of the three categories of conspiratorial belief, I assess their patterns of media consumption. Lastly, by highlighting significant differences in media consumption of distinct types of conspiratorial supporters, I argue for targeted strategies for countering conspiratorial belief and mitigating its negative social and political consequences.</ns3:p>