Misled From Within: Domestic Origin Attributions of Fake News Rise With Media- disinformation Beliefs and Perceived Exposure in Hungary

Abstract Although disinformation attitudes are widely studied, we know far less about whether citizens see fake news as spread mainly by domestic or foreign actors. Drawing on cultivation theory, we test whether media-disinformation beliefs and perceived exposure to fake news predict domestic–foreign origin judgments, and whether perceived exposure moderates the association between disinformation beliefs and origin attributions. We analyze a quota-based CATI survey of Hungarian adults (November 2025; N = 1,006) in a polarized media and political environment. Across OLS models, stronger media-disinformation beliefs and higher perceived exposure were each independently associated with more domestic origin attributions. Crucially, perceived exposure amplified this association: disinformation beliefs predicted domestic blame primarily at moderate-to-high exposure levels. A complementary logistic model showed that stronger disinformation beliefs and greater perceived exposure were associated with higher certainty in origin judgments, whereas age was associated with greater indecision. Together, the findings suggest that perceived exposure conditions when media-related disinformation beliefs translate into domestically anchored blame attributions.