Deceit between Falsehood and Morality: Unpacking Audience Engagement with Disinformation

Sabina Mihelj, Stefan Janjić, Hanna Orsolya Vincze, & Andreea Alina Mogoş (2026). Deceit between Falsehood and Morality: Unpacking Audience Engagement with Disinformation. The International Journal of Press/Politics.

This article examines how audiences interpret and engage with disinformation beyond assessments of factual accuracy and credibility. Drawing on 18 focus groups conducted in 2025 in Poland, Romania, and Serbia, it explores audience responses to pro-Russian disinformation concerning the Russia–Ukraine war and LGBTQ+ rights. The analysis demonstrates that participants evaluate claims not only in terms of whether they are factually credible, but also whether they are morally right or wrong. It further identifies how audiences negotiate the boundaries of legitimate public debate, distinguishing between claims that can be disputed and issues they consider morally non-negotiable. The article conceptualises disinformation as a communicative practice that combines epistemic and moral dimensions, shaping not only uncertainty about how the world is but also disagreements over how the world should be. It argues that understanding audience engagement requires moving beyond an exclusively epistemic approach to disinformation and paying closer attention to moral judgments, cultural contexts, and processes of interpretation.

Link to the online open-access article: https://doi.org/10.1177/19401612261491061