Truth under fire: A functional narrative typology of wartime fake news in digital media

In the midst of armed conflict, fake news spreads rapidly across digital platforms, shaping not only what people know but also how they interpret and respond to unfolding events. Prior research has paid limited attention to how fake news is structured as narrative content in crisis contexts characterized by uncertainty and emotional strain. Addressing this gap, this study reconceptualizes wartime fake news as a form of functionally structured narrative communication. Drawing on Uses and Gratifications Theory as an analytic lens, this study develops a Functional Narrative Typology (FNT). The typology is based on a thematic analysis of 163 verified Hebrew-language posts collected from social media platforms during the first three months of the 2023 Israel–Gaza war. The data, sourced from FakeReporter, an Israeli civil initiative dedicated to identifying and debunking fake news, capture instances of false content circulating during the early stages of the conflict. This analysis identifies six recurring narrative types: cognitive clarity, dramatization and arousal, emotional coping, identity reinforcement, behavioral guidance, and erosion of institutional trust. Rather than representing fixed content categories, these narrative forms reflect recurring patterns in wartime fake news. By shifting the analytical focus from content accuracy and producer motivations to the functional orientations reflected in fake news narratives, this study extends existing research that has primarily focused on diffusion, belief, and sharing behavior. It offers a theoretically grounded framework for understanding how fake news operates as narrative content in high-uncertainty crisis contexts.