The perception of conservatives and progressives about memes that spread disinformation in the 2020 municipal election

Abstract The article aims to analyze the perception of voters in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, about two political memes containing fake data that circulated on digital networks during the 2020 election. In addition, it addresses the participants’ information consumption and fact-checking behavior. Concerning methodology, qualitative research was adopted, based on discussion groups and in-depth interviews. Through the (attitudinal) values expressed by the participants, divided into conservatives and progressives, four mechanisms that stimulated adherence to the content of the memes were identified, especially among conservatives: 1) associating it with one’s particular repertoire; 2) awakening a feeling of fear/worry; 3) having conviction about the topic; 4) lacking knowledge about the presented information.