Truths and Tales: Understanding Online Fake News Networks in South Korea

This study investigates the features of fake news networks and how they spread during the 2020 South Korean election. Using Actor-Network Theory (ANT), we assessed the network's central players and how they are connected. Results reveal the characteristics of the videoclips and channel networks responsible for the propagation of fake news. Analysis of the videoclip network reveals a high number of detected fake news videos and a high density of connections among users. Assessment of news videoclips on both actual and fake news networks reveals that the real news network is more concentrated. However, the scale of the network may play a role in these variations. Statistics for network centralization reveal that users are spread out over the network, pointing to its decentralized character. A closer look at the real and fake news networks inside videos and channels reveals similar trends. We find that the density of the real news videoclip network is higher than that of the fake news network, whereas the fake news channel networks are denser than their real news counterparts, which may indicate greater activity and interconnectedness in their transmission. We also found that fake news videoclips had more likes than real news videoclips, whereas real news videoclips had more dislikes than fake news videoclips. These findings strongly suggest that fake news videoclips are more accepted when people watch them on YouTube. In addition, we used semantic networks and automated content analysis to uncover common language patterns in fake news which helps us better understand the structure and dynamics of the networks involved in the dissemination of fake news. The findings reported here provide important insights on how fake news spread via social networks during the South Korean election of 2020. The results of this study have important implications for the campaign against fake news and ensuring factual coverage.本研究聚焦2020年韩国大选期间虚假新闻网络的特征及其传播路径。本研究借助行动者网络理论（Actor-Network Theory, ANT），对该网络中的核心参与者及其联结方式展开评估。研究结果揭示了负责虚假新闻传播的视频短片与频道网络的特征。对视频短片网络的分析显示，检测到的虚假新闻视频数量众多，且用户间的连接密度较高。针对真实与虚假新闻网络中的新闻视频短片开展评估后发现，真实新闻网络的集中度更高；不过，网络规模或许是造成这些差异的影响因素之一。网络中心化统计数据显示，用户在网络中分布较为分散，体现出该网络的去中心化特征。进一步剖析视频与频道内的真实及虚假新闻网络后，可观察到相似的趋势。研究发现，真实新闻视频短片网络的连接密度高于虚假新闻视频短片网络；而虚假新闻频道网络的连接密度则高于其对应的真实新闻频道网络，这或许意味着虚假新闻在传播过程中活跃度更高、互联性更强。此外，研究还发现虚假新闻视频短片的点赞量高于真实新闻视频短片，而真实新闻视频短片的点踩量则多于虚假新闻视频短片。上述结论充分表明，人们在YouTube上观看虚假新闻视频短片时，对其接受度更高。除此之外，本研究还借助语义网络与自动化内容分析技术，挖掘出虚假新闻中常见的语言模式，有助于我们更深入地理解虚假新闻传播所涉及网络的结构与动态演化规律。本研究的相关发现，为揭示2020年韩国大选期间虚假新闻通过社交网络的传播机制提供了重要参考。本研究成果对于开展虚假新闻治理工作、保障新闻报道的真实性具有重要的实践意义。