Risk perception of disinformation in Sweden: exploring the influence of trust, social position, and previous experience of risk

Disinformation has become an increasingly researched and debated phenomenon in recent years. While the dissemination of disinformation is not a new phenomenon, the digitalized and globalized information flows have transformed the communication environment. Consequently, there has been a significant rise in scholarly studies on disinformation. However, most studies on disinformation focus on North America, and empirical data from countries such as Sweden is lacking. This study consequently examines perceptions of disinformation in Sweden considering social position, trust, and previous experiences with risk and crises. Analysing data from a national representative survey conducted in Sweden 2023 (n = 2480), we use multiple regression analysis to explore individual risk perception of disinformation as well as its classification as a societal threat. This study demonstrates that disinformation is a risk that is perceived differently compared to other risks, particularly in relation to social position. We thus advance current knowledge on disinformation by expanding available empirical data in the field, and in so doing, offer insights on risk perception and disinformation in a Swedish context.