Most research has focused on textual or visual misinformation. In this article, we focus on video misinformation and combine to promising techniques for responding to it:
- Real-time observational correction from users rebutting the misinformation,
- News literacy (NL) messages that warn audiences about misleading content on social media and the need to be skeptical
Participants were randomly assigned to see one of three (seemingly) Facebook Live videos regarding sunscreen and each including four scrolling comments on the side. In the video promoting sunscreen, a doctor validated the use of sunscreen and in the other two misinformation- only and misinformation and correction conditions, a doctor claimed that sunscreen increased risk of cancer. The scrolling comments in the promotion and misinformation only comments were unrelated to the content of the video and in the video with misinformation and correction, two out of four comments directly corrected the misinformation.
Firstly, people who saw just misinformation expressed increased belief in the myth and reduced intention to wear sunscreen. Even corrections were less successful in reducing belief in sunscreen myths raised by the video. The video promoting the use had the most people believing sunscreen facts. Secondly, exposure to a NL message and misinformation video had no significant effect in reducing the belief in its effects or increasing an intention to use it.
This suggests that while textual corrections (comments) for video misinformation have merit but their effects are not a comprehensive solution. Combined with the failure of NL messages suggests the need to focus on alternative literacies like health or science literacy to make people more skeptical of misinformation.
