Trolling CNN and Fox News on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Abstract

Online trolling, disinformation, and deception are posing an existential threat to democracy. Informed by the online disinhibition theory and research on the ideological asymmetry between Democrats and Republicans, we examined how the extent and style of trolling varies across social media platforms, by analyzing comments on posts by two media channels (CNN and Fox News) on three social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter). We found differences in the style and extent of trolling across platforms and between media channels, with more trolling on articles posted by Fox News than by CNN, and a different trolling style on Twitter than Facebook or Instagram. Our study demonstrates a delicate balance between the socio‐technical factors that are enabling and hindering trolling. While some platforms and government agencies believe in removing anonymity to regulate online harm, this paper makes a significant contribution against that view.