By Robert Preidt
HealthDay reporter
FRIDAY, March 5, 2021 (HealthDay News) – Readers watch out when social media websites flag an article as “unverified” or “suspicious,” according to a new study.
However, the appearance of an article – including the author’s credentials and writing style – does not affect readers’ views of its credibility.
The results show that big tech companies like Facebook and Twitter have a responsibility to fight the spread of misleading and dangerous information, according to researchers from the University of Kansas.
“Whenever we see information that has been flagged, we immediately become skeptical, even if we disagree. Big technology companies play a very important role in ensuring a healthy, clean information environment,” said co-study author Hong Tien Vu, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Although the study was conducted prior to the onset of COVID-19, the conclusions are particularly relevant today as “false news” can play a dangerous role amid the pandemic. Concerns that fraudulent or misleading vaccine information could hamper efforts to contain virus transmission prompted Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to join forces to combat such misinformation.
For their study, the researchers shared eight versions of a false article with 750 participants. The article falsely claimed that a lack of vitamin B17 could be a cause of cancer.
One version had a medical director and contained a brief description of their medical qualifications. Another version described the writer as a mother of two with a background in creative writing, and another script said she was a lifestyle blogger.
Some versions of the article used a journalistic style while others had more casual language.
Readers’ responses are different, the researchers said.
Participants with greater social media expertise rated the article more carefully, saying they were less likely to share the article.
People interested in or looking for health information could not determine the accuracy of the article better, but were more likely to share it even if they did not know whether it was true.
The authors’ credentials and the way the article was written did not have a material impact on how people judged its truthfulness or whether they would follow its recommendations or share it, the study authors said.
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However, any type of labeling that said the article had no verified information resulted in a lower chance that people would believe it, follow its recommendations, or pass it on, the researchers found.
The results are to be presented at the virtual conference of the International Communication Association from May 27th to 31st.
“Results suggest that relying on viewers to do the job of detecting fake news can go a long way. When people need to assess the credibility of information, mental work is required. If we in general When surfing the Internet, we usually rely on it through large tech companies to verify information, “Vu said in a university press release.
The results show that, according to the study’s authors, social media companies need to review information or flag content with incorrect, unverified, or dangerous information.
Data and conclusions presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until they are peer reviewed for publication in a medical journal.
More information
The Pew Research Center has more information on social media.
SOURCE: University of Kansas, news release, March 1, 2021
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