Emotions, Engagement, and Trust: Rethinking News Credibility and Misinformation Sharing on Social Media in India

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@article{1718541,
      author = {Arpita Mohanty, Dr. Jesus Milton Rousseau S.},
      title = {Emotions, Engagement, and Trust: Rethinking News Credibility and Misinformation Sharing on Social Media in India},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2026},
      volume = {9},
      number = {12},
      pages = {108-124},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1718541.pdf},
      abstract = {The study offers a comprehensive analysis of how emotions, engagement, and trust influence news credibility and misinformation sharing among social media users in India. As digital platforms continue to dominate news consumption, social media users are increasingly exposed to emotionally driven and highly engaging content, making misinformation a growing concern in online communication. This research examines how factors such as emotional reactions, repeated exposure, social validation, and trust in online sources shape users’ belief in and sharing of news content. A mixed method research design was employed for the study, combining both quantitative and qualitative approaches to understand user behaviour in greater depth. Data was collected through a structured survey questionnaire distributed using non probability sampling techniques, generating a total of 123 valid responses for analysis. Statistical tools such as percentage analysis were used to interpret the quantitative findings, while qualitative interpretation helped explain behavioural patterns and user perceptions. The findings reveal that emotions, viral engagement, and social influence significantly affect news credibility and increase the likelihood of misinformation sharing on social media platforms.},
      keywords = {Social Media, Misinformation, News Credibility, Digital Trust, Emotional Influence, User Engagement, Information Sharing},
      month = {June},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I12-1718541}
  }