“They have us. They control us! They are our masters!”: the roles of media use and trust in development of COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs among Americans over 50

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic brought conspiracy theories to mainstream news networks at an unprecedented volume. To this end, clear understanding of the ways in which news media consumption and partisan selective exposure are associated with conspiracism is essential to producing effective interventions and targeting misinformation correction efforts. My research provides some evidence of media trust amplifying media use and strong evidence of media trust as factors associated with conspiratorial COVID-19 beliefs. However, my model provided no evidence that media use in and of itself contributes to conspiracism. I conclude by discussing directions for further research that may benefit from a clearer understanding of the ways in which media use and trust interact in a partisan environment.