Identity-Driven News Authentication Strategy in Echo Chambers

Drawing on bounded rationality theory, dual processing theory, and social identity theory, this study proposes a model of a three-stage news authentication strategy and further examines identity-driven news authentication strategy in echo chambers. Analysis of Taiwanese national survey data (N = 1,453) indicates that people tend to rely on self-based news authentication, followed by social-based news authentication, and finally fact-checking news authentication. Moreover, people in echo chambers have a higher propensity to adopt social-based and fact-checking news authentication when social context and social motivations invoke their identification needs.