Generational differences in responses to disinformation: from ‘vulnerability’ to interpretive strategies

Stefan Janjić, Sabina Mihelj, & Hanna Orsolya Vincze (2026). Generational differences in responses to disinformation: from ‘vulnerability’ to interpretive strategies. Information, Communication & Society, 1–18.

This article examines generational differences in how audiences interpret and negotiate disinformation across Serbia, Poland, and Romania. Drawing on 18 focus groups conducted in 2025, it conceptualises disinformation not simply as false information to be corrected, but as a communicative practice through which meaning and credibility are constructed in interaction. The analysis identifies three interpretive strategies: close arguments, which focus on textual and presentational cues; prior-knowledge arguments, which draw on existing knowledge and contextual information; and distant arguments, which connect specific claims to broader political, moral, and social narratives. The findings show a consistent generational pattern across the three countries: younger participants relied more heavily on close textual scrutiny, older participants more frequently mobilised broader associative narratives, while middle-aged participants occupied an intermediate position. The article argues that these differences should not be understood simply in terms of generational vulnerability or resilience to disinformation, but as distinct modes of interpretation shaped by social location, historical experience, and different forms of meaning-making.

Link to the online open-access article: https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2026.2733515