This article analyzes the information exchange networks developed within Facebook by the main French political communities during the 2017 presidential election. It shows that the degree of exposure to homophilic sources of information, in terms of political ideologies, is similar from one political community to another. Only extreme right-wing groups appropriate Facebook by aiming to polarize opinions and strengthen convictions. They develop information practices that create a misinformation bubble in which content produced by unreliable sources of information circulates. We interpret these results by arguing that political groups tend to use these processes of polarization and misinformation when they use Facebook to share criticism of the mainstream opinion to promote their own ideas, thereby skirting the mainstream media.
- journalism
- press
- social media
- political participation
- ideological polarization
- misinformation