Crowds Can Effectively Identify Misinformation at Scale

Perspectives on Psychological Science, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 19(2), С. 477 - 488

Опубликована: Авг. 18, 2023

Identifying successful approaches for reducing the belief and spread of online misinformation is great importance. Social media companies currently rely largely on professional fact-checking as their primary mechanism identifying falsehoods. However, has notable limitations regarding coverage speed. In this article, we summarize research suggesting that "wisdom crowds" can be harnessed successfully to help identify at scale. Despite potential concerns about abilities laypeople assess information quality, recent evidence demonstrates aggregating judgments groups laypeople, or crowds, effectively low-quality news sources inaccurate posts: Crowd ratings are strongly correlated with fact-checker across a variety studies using different designs, stimulus sets, subject pools. We connect these experimental findings attempts deploy crowdsourced in field, close recommendations future directions translating into effective interventions.

Язык: Английский

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Twitter flagged Donald Trump’s tweets with election misinformation: They continued to spread both on and off the platform

Опубликована: Авг. 24, 2021

We analyze the spread of Donald Trump’s tweets that were flagged by Twitter using two intervention strategies—attaching a warning label and blocking engagement with tweet entirely. find while on certain limited their diffusion, messages we examined labels further than those without labels. Additionally, had been blocked remained popular Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, being posted more often garnering visibility either labeled or received no at all. Taken together, our results emphasize importance considering content moderation ecosystem level.

Язык: Английский

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How Effective Are Interventions Against Misinformation?

Опубликована: Май 30, 2022

Efforts to combat misinformation have intensified in recent years. In parallel, our scientific understanding of and information ecosystem has improved. Here, I propose ways improve interventions against based on this growing body knowledge. First, because consumption is minimal news low, more should aim at increasing the uptake reliable information. Second, most people distrust unreliable sources but fail sufficiently trust sources, there room than reduce sources. Third, largely a symptom deeper socio-political problems, try address these root causes, such as by reducing partisan animosity. Fourth, small number powerful individuals give its visibility, target ‘superspreaders’. Fifth, false not necessarily harmful true can be used misleading ways, misleadingness take precedence over veracity defining misinformation. Policymakers, journalists, researchers would benefit from considering arguments when thinking about problem how tackle it.

Язык: Английский

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Displaying News Source Trustworthiness Ratings Reduces Sharing Intentions for False News Posts

Journal of Online Trust and Safety, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 1(5)

Опубликована: Апрель 26, 2023

Professional fact-checking of individual news headlines is an effective way to fight misinformation, but it not easily scalable, because cannot keep pace with the massive speed at which content gets posted on social media. Here we provide evidence for effectiveness ratings sources, instead articles. In a large pre-registered experiment quota-sampled Americans, find that participants are less likely share false (and more discerning true versus headlines) when 1-to-5 star trustworthiness were applied headlines. This both generated by fact-checkers and laypeople (although effect stronger using fact-checker ratings). We also observe positive spillover effect: sharing discernment increases whose source was rated, presence some prompts users reflect quality generally. study suggests displaying information regarding sources provides scalable approach reducing spread low-quality information.

Язык: Английский

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Companies inadvertently fund online misinformation despite consumer backlash

Nature, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 630(8015), С. 123 - 131

Опубликована: Июнь 5, 2024

Abstract The financial motivation to earn advertising revenue has been widely conjectured be pivotal for the production of online misinformation 1–4 . Research aimed at mitigating so far focused on interventions user level 5–8 , with little emphasis how supply can itself countered. Here we show is largely financed by advertising, examine financing affects companies involved, and outline reducing misinformation. First, find that websites publish pervasive across several industries amplified digital platforms algorithmically distribute web. Using an information-provision experiment 9 advertise face substantial backlash from their consumers. To why continues monetized despite potential advertisers survey decision-makers companies. We most are unaware companies’ appears but have a strong preference avoid doing so. Moreover, those who uncertain about company’s role in increase demand platform-based solution reduce monetizing when informed amplify placement websites. identify low-cost, scalable information-based incentive misinform counter online.

Язык: Английский

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Partisan Differences in the Sharing of Low-Quality News Sources by U.S Political Elites

Political Communication, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 41(3), С. 373 - 392

Опубликована: Фев. 11, 2024

How often do political elites in the U.S. share low-quality news sources? Are there differences between parties? While past work has investigated individuals sharing sources, are few large-scale analyses of quality information shared by elites. As rely on elite cues to inform their decision-making, officials sites may increase polarization while providing legitimacy outlets. We fill this gap collecting more than 300,000 links Facebook members Congress and measuring how each party shares from known sources. find that public, Republican considerably Democrats, increased over time. Finally, we investigate potential mechanisms underlying partisan only Republicans receive engagement when low- sites, suggesting asymmetric incentives

Язык: Английский

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Best practices for source-based research on misinformation and news trustworthiness using NewsGuard

Journal of Quantitative Description Digital Media, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 5

Опубликована: Янв. 14, 2025

Researchers need reliable and valid tools to identify cases of untrustworthy information when studying the spread misinformation on digital platforms. A common approach is assess trustworthiness sources rather than individual pieces content. One most widely used comprehensive databases for source ratings provided by NewsGuard. Since creating database in 2019, NewsGuard has continually added new reassessed existing ones. While initially focused only US, expanded include from other countries. In addition ratings, contains various contextual assessments sources, which are less often contemporary research misinformation. this work, we provide an analysis content database, focusing temporal stability completeness its across countries, as well usefulness political orientation topics studies. We find that coverage have remained relatively stable since 2022, particularly France, Italy, Germany, Canada, with US-based consistently scoring lower those Additional covered provides valuable assets characterizing beyond trustworthiness. By evaluating over time potential pitfalls compromise validity using a tool quantifying information, if dichotomous "trustworthy"/"untrustworthy" labels used. Lastly, recommendations media how avoid these discuss appropriate use source-level approaches general.

Язык: Английский

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Toxic Content and User Engagement on Social Media: Evidence from a Field Experiment

Опубликована: Янв. 1, 2025

Язык: Английский

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Prominent Misinformation Interventions Reduce Misperceptions but Increase Skepticism

Опубликована: Май 10, 2023

Current interventions to combat misinformation, including fact-checking, media literacy tips, and coverage of may have unintended democratic consequences. We propose that these increase skepticism toward all information, accurate information. Across three online survey experiments in diverse countries (the US, Poland, Hong Kong, total N = 6127), we test the consequences existing strategies compare them with alternative against misinformation. examine how exposure misinformation affects individuals' perception both factual false as well their trust key institutions. Our results show while successfully reduce belief they also negatively impact credibility This highlights need for further improved minimize harms maximize benefits

Язык: Английский

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Analysis of Web Browsing Data: A Guide

Social Science Computer Review, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 42(6), С. 1479 - 1504

Опубликована: Фев. 8, 2024

The use of individual-level browsing data, that is, the records a person’s visits to online content through desktop or mobile browser, is increasing importance for social scientists. Browsing data have characteristics raise many questions statistical analysis, yet date, little hands-on guidance on how handle them exists. Reviewing extant research, and exploring sets collected by our four research teams spanning seven countries several years, with over 14,000 participants 360 million web visits, we derive recommendations along steps: preprocessing raw data; filtering out observations; classifying visits; modelling behavior. formulate aim foster best practices in field, which so far has paid attention justifying decisions researchers need take when analyzing data.

Язык: Английский

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