Table 1
Sample distribution by gender and age
| Age | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-30 | 37 | 40 | 77 |
| 31-45 | 51 | 27 | 78 |
| 46-60 | 52 | 64 | 116 |
| >60 | 57 | 71 | 128 |
| Total | 197 | 202 | 399 |
Table 2
Content, truth/falsity, and sequence number of selected news stories
| News Stories Content | Fake News (FN)/True News (TN) |
|---|---|
| Scientists exaggerate the severity of this pandemic | FN1 |
| Astrazeneca vaccine caused more deaths than we were told | FN2 |
| Anti-Covid measures keep “Kebabs” and “Bengalis” open, but close Italian restaurants | FN3 |
| They hide from us the negative effects of Covid vaccines | FN4 |
| A referee has been downgraded to second division after penalizing Juventus in a match against Crotone | FN5 |
| Today, politics and culture are influenced by a powerful gay lobby | FN6 |
| Murders in Italy continue to rise | FN7 |
| Without making it public, the Conte government last Christmas gave 250 euros as a “bonus” for those who stayed home responsibly | FN8 |
| The Italian government gives each immigrant at least 35 euros a day | FN9 |
| The Italian President Mattarella was used as a secret agent against Trump | FN10 |
| The Italian TV-host Amadeus didn’t want to present the Sanremo festival until the crucifix from the Ariston theatre was removed | FN11 |
| Francis is an anti-Pope; the real Pope is still Ratzinger | FN12 |
| It’s not true that the Americans landed on the moon; it’s a hoax for propaganda | FN13 |
| Official reports of the number of Jews who died in concentration camps are exaggerated | FN14 |
| Our planet’s rising temperature is also due to pollution | TN1 |
| There are contrasts and clashes within the Catholic Church about the current Pope | TN2 |
| Some scientists are planning the first cities on Mars | TN3 |
| Money from the world’s 10 richest billionaires could be used to pay for anti-Covid vaccines for all mankind | TN4 |
| Some social media, such as Twitter, have banned Trump | TN5 |
| Some nations suspended Astrazeneca vaccinations for a while because they feared thrombosis | TN6 |
Table 3
DataNews index distribution by age
| Age | R=3 | R=4 | R=3+R=4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-30 | 11,3% | 9,7% | 10,52% |
| 31-45 | 22,6% | 25,8% | 23,15% |
| 46-60 | 25,8% | 35,5% | 28,44% |
| >60 | 40,3% | 29,0% | 37,89% |
Table 4
DataNews index distribution by level of education
| Level of Education | R=3 | R=4 |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 60,80% | 61,30% |
| Medium | 19,60% | 25,80% |
| High | 19,60% | 12,90% |
| TOTAL | 100% | 100% |