Identification and Analysis of Factors Influencing the Dissemination of Fake News in Iraqi Digital Journalism Using the DEMATEL Method

Hayder Abbas Hussein ALmahdi; Manouchehr Ansari

Authors

Hayder Abbas Hussein ALmahdi PhD Student, Department of Media Management and Business Communication, Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3666-8199
Manouchehr Ansari Associate Professor, Department of Media Management and Business Communication, Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5066-2147

Keywords:

Fake news, Digital journalism, Iraq, DEMATEL, Social media, Political polarization, Fact, checking, Media literacy

Abstract

This study aimed to identify, prioritize, and analyze the causal relationships among the factors influencing the dissemination of fake news in Iraqi digital journalism using the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method. This applied descriptive-analytical study was conducted using a DEMATEL-based expert judgment approach. The study population consisted of specialists in journalism, digital media, communication studies, media management, political communication, and fact-checking in Iraq. Using purposive and criterion-based sampling, 18 experts with at least five years of relevant academic or professional experience were selected. Following a review of the literature and expert consultation, 12 factors affecting fake-news dissemination were identified. Participants evaluated the direct influence of each factor on the others using a five-point scale ranging from 0 to 4. The initial direct-relation matrix was aggregated and normalized, after which the total-relation matrix and the D, R, D+R, and D−R indices were calculated to determine factor prominence and causal position. DEMATEL analysis showed that social media amplification had the highest prominence within the causal system (D+R=2.503), followed by political influence and polarization (D+R=2.484) and algorithmic recommendation and platform dynamics (D+R=2.468). Political influence and polarization showed the strongest positive net causal effect (D−R=0.118), while anonymous and unreliable information sources (D−R=0.089), weak verification and fact-checking mechanisms (D−R=0.088), social media amplification (D−R=0.067), and algorithmic recommendation mechanisms (D−R=0.058) were also identified as causal drivers. Low media literacy among audiences showed the strongest negative net effect (D−R=−0.285), indicating a predominantly dependent position. Speed-oriented production, economic competition, regulatory weakness, technological accessibility, and limited institutional cooperation were likewise classified mainly as effect factors. Fake-news dissemination in Iraqi digital journalism is driven by an interconnected system in which political, technological, and professional factors exert the strongest upstream influence; therefore, interventions should prioritize political independence, verification quality, editorial gatekeeping, source reliability, and platform-level amplification mechanisms rather than focusing only on downstream audience-related consequences.

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