Comments as Part of the Dissemination of Disinformation Discourse

Fraštíková, Simona

Comments as Part of the Dissemination of Disinformation Discourse

James Alexander Gordon on 24th October 2025

Author Information

Simona Fraštíková, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Slovakia

Abstract

The virality of conspiracy content depends not only on the activity and communicative skill of the author but also on the responsiveness of the audience. Recipients may react to conspiracy narratives critically, yet also with strong conviction about their truthfulness and a desire to share their stance further. This paper focuses on the position of the recipient and their attitude toward shared conspiracy content, particularly within the realm of comments posted under such content. It examines the character, linguistic form, and communicative functions of these comments. Based on the identification of linguistic action frameworks in the sense of speech act theory, the study distinguishes various recipient roles in the dissemination of conspiracy content – from passive recipients without emotional involvement, through active recipients and sharers of personal opinions, to agitators encouraging others to take action. The empirical analysis draws on a corpus of comments responding to conspiracy-related content in German and Slovak. It aims to identify the types of linguistic actions (*Handlungsräume*) that these comments represent and to explore the linguistic strategies employed in their formulation (neutral and expressive means across different language levels). The findings may contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of recipients in spreading conspiracy content and to revealing the motives that shape this process.