Weaving the Fringe Core: How the Constitution of Relational Publics Explains Engagement on Social Media

• In Event: Communication, Information Technologies, and Media Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): 13. Health

Abstract

This article examines the media co-consumption networks during the early wave of COVID-19 vaccination as an instance of the constitution of relational publics in unsettled times. I develop a relational theory to explain an empirical puzzle: how a relatively small volume of misinformation can nonetheless position misinformation, such as conspiracy theories, as a prominent social and political issue. Using blockmodeling techniques, the analysis reveals a structural asymmetry: specific misinformation outlets are highly integrated with conservative mainstream and official sources, effectively occupying the core of the media network. By contrast, the liberal mainstream—despite supporting official government policy—is relegated to the periphery, exhibiting a structural isolation comparable to radical fringe outlets. Negative binomial regression models confirm that structural positions drive impact: only misinformation outlets occupying a core position achieve significant social media engagement. These findings support that audiences act as bricoleurs, integrating disparate news sources into a radically restructured media landscape, while extending our understanding of polarization by demonstrating that the architecture of the relational public, not just the content of the news, determines the boundaries of legitimate knowledge.

Author

• Chen-Shuo Hong, National Taiwan University