Enhanced Propaganda Detection in Public Social Media Discussions Using a Fine-Tuned Deep Learning Model: A Diffusion of Innovation Perspective

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media platforms emerged as both vital information sources and conduits for the rapid spread of propaganda and misinformation. However, existing studies often rely on single-label classification, lack contextual sensitivity, or use models that struggle to effectively capture nuanced propaganda cues across multiple categories. These limitations hinder the development of robust, generalizable detection systems in dynamic online environments. In this study, we propose a novel deep learning (DL) framework grounded in fine-tuning the RoBERTa model for a multi-label, multi-class (ML-MC) classification task, selecting RoBERTa due to its strong contextual representation capabilities and demonstrated superiority in complex NLP tasks. Our approach is rigorously benchmarked against traditional and neural methods, including, TF-IDF with n-grams, Conditional Random Fields (CRFs), and long short-term memory (LSTM) networks. While LSTM models show strong performance in capturing sequential patterns, our RoBERTa-based model achieves the highest overall accuracy at 88%, outperforming state-of-the-art baselines. Framed within the diffusion of innovations theory, the proposed model offers clear relative advantages—including accuracy, scalability, and contextual adaptability—that support its early adoption by Information Systems researchers and practitioners. This study not only contributes a high-performing detection model but also delivers methodological and theoretical insights for combating propaganda in digital discourse, enhancing resilience in online information ecosystems.