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Paper short abstract

The study analyses Bulgarian “truth defenders” who counter conspiracy theories. Interviews reveal their profiles, motivations, credibility strategies, and responses such as education, policy, and media literacy, highlighting their role in contested information environments.

Paper long abstract

In recent years conspiracy theories have gained unprecedented visibility and popularity on a global level, circulating on social media platforms and eroding trust in public institutions, expertise and democracy. While there is a solid body of scholarship that has investigated the development and the role of conspiracy beliefs and narratives, less attention has been paid to those social actors that counteract such narratives – the so-called “truth defenders”. This paper aims to contribute to this expanding body of scholarship by investigating how Bulgarian truth defenders articulate their motivation to counteract conspiracy theories, position themselves in the contested field of information and conceptualise recommendations in response to conspiracy theories.

Based on in-depth interviews, the study identifies four main interrelated dimensions. First, the analysis pays attention to the socio-demographic profile of the truth defenders within the Bulgarian context. Second, it examines the motivations outlining personal, civic, and moral reasons that lead truth defenders to counteract conspiracy narratives. Third, it investigates how truth defenders negotiate their authority and credibility within contested information environments. Fourth, it explores the recommendations truth defenders suggest to counteract conspiracy narratives, ranging from educational reforms and public policies to media literacy and civic dialogue. By situating these perspectives within the global contestation over truth and authority, the study illuminates the lived experiences and negotiations of truth defenders as crucial and yet underexplored aspects of the counteractions against conspiracy narratives and campaigns.