Publikacja:

Online conspiracy theories and perceptions of institutional power: a study of the Flat Earth Society's Forum

Data

2025
Artykuł
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dc.abstract.enPurpose: This study explores the interplay between institutional distrust and political narratives within the Flat Earth Society's online forum. Specifically, it investigates how institutional authority is challenged and how former US President Donald Trump is portrayed by users in relation to conspiratorial discourse. Design/methodology/approach: Using data scraped from the forum spanning 2005--2024, a mixed-method analysis was conducted on over 2.5 m comments. Natural language processing (NLP) techniques were employed to identify common themes, bigrams and trigrams, providing a comprehensive understanding of the community's discourse. Findings: Results indicate a strong anti-institutional sentiment, with users frequently rejecting mainstream scientific knowledge and promoting their own "research." The forum also exhibits clear support for Trump, linking his rhetoric to broader conspiratorial worldviews. Originality/value: This research provides critical insights into how online conspiracy communities frame institutional authority, use political figures to legitimize their beliefs and influence discourse on trust, democracy and social cohesion in the digital age. By integrating computational and qualitative approaches, this study contributes to the understanding of the socio-political dynamics of digital conspiracy spaces.
dc.abstract.plPurpose: This study explores the interplay between institutional distrust and political narratives within the Flat Earth Society's online forum. Specifically, it investigates how institutional authority is challenged and how former US President Donald Trump is portrayed by users in relation to conspiratorial discourse. Design/methodology/approach: Using data scraped from the forum spanning 2005--2024, a mixed-method analysis was conducted on over 2.5 m comments. Natural language processing (NLP) techniques were employed to identify common themes, bigrams and trigrams, providing a comprehensive understanding of the community's discourse. Findings: Results indicate a strong anti-institutional sentiment, with users frequently rejecting mainstream scientific knowledge and promoting their own "research." The forum also exhibits clear support for Trump, linking his rhetoric to broader conspiratorial worldviews. Originality/value: This research provides critical insights into how online conspiracy communities frame institutional authority, use political figures to legitimize their beliefs and influence discourse on trust, democracy and social cohesion in the digital age. By integrating computational and qualitative approaches, this study contributes to the understanding of the socio-political dynamics of digital conspiracy spaces.
dc.contributor.authorMaria Lipińska
dc.contributor.authorDariusz Jemielniak
dc.date.accessioned2026-03-30T10:11:08Z
dc.date.available2026-03-30T10:11:08Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.versionAAM
dc.identifier.affiliationDepartment of Management In Digital and Networked Societies (MINDS), Kozminski University, Warszawa, Poland
dc.identifier.affiliationDepartment of Management In Digital and Networked Societies (MINDS), Kozminski University, Warszawa, Poland and Berkman Klein Center - arvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
dc.identifier.orcid0000-0003-4068-7348
dc.identifier.orcid0000-0002-3745-7931
dc.identifier.urihttps://repozytorium.kozminski.edu.pl/handle/item/3879
dc.languageen
dc.pbn.affiliationmanagement and quality studies
dc.publisherOnline Information Review
dc.relation.ispartofOnline Information Review
dc.rightsCC-BY-NC-4.0
dc.subject.enFlat Earth
dc.subject.enConspiracy theories
dc.subject.enAnti-science
dc.subject.enInstitutional power
dc.subject.plFlat Earth
dc.subject.plConspiracy theories
dc.subject.plAnti-science
dc.subject.plInstitutional power
dc.subtypeOriginal
dc.title

Online conspiracy theories and perceptions of institutional power: a study of the Flat Earth Society's Forum

dc.typeArticle
dspace.entity.typePublication