International Climate Misinformation: Characteristics, Diffusion and FactChecking
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62008/ixc/16/02DesinfKeywords:
Disinformation, Climate Change, Verification, Social Media, Scientific DenialismAbstract
Through content analysis, we explore the characteristics and architecture of climate misinformation disseminated at the European level and recorded in EuroClimateCheck during the second half of 2024. The sample (n=248) comprises false information about the climate verified by fact-checking platforms in 24 countries. There is a constant flow of disinformation, with a particular concentration in countries such as Spain (15.3%), France (13.7%) and Romania (11.7%). Looking at the anatomy of the messages, hoaxes (62.1%) and content without an identified source (64.1%) predominate, while conspiracy theories (22.6%) constitute the central theme of the disinformation narrative. Likewise, the use of audiovisual elements to bolster the narrative's credibility is commonplace. This highlights the transnational, persistent and changing nature of climate disinformation and underlines the need to strengthen verification strategies.
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