The interplay between populist advertising and disinformation susceptibility during an election campaign: a longitudinal study

This pre-registered study examines the complex relationship between populist advertising and susceptibility to disinformation during the 2024 Belgian Federal election campaign. Using a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (N = 891), the research analyzes how exposure to populist advertisements influences susceptibility to disinformation and vice versa. The results show that exposure to populist advertisements leads to a decrease in susceptibility to disinformation over time, indicating critical engagement and reactance towards false information. Conversely, susceptibility to disinformation did not significantly influence exposure to populist advertisements. These findings highlight the potential of populist rhetoric to paradoxically serve as a form of media literacy, enabling individuals to better recognize and resist disinformation. This research contributes to the literature on political communication and digital media and provides valuable insights for strengthening democratic processes in the data-driven and post-truth era.