How can we prevent fake news consumption? Exploring framing effects for fact-checking messages (2018)

The circulation and adoption of “fake news” and misinformation are detrimental to the functioning of any democratic system. In the communication ecosystem of the 20th Century, centralization in the distribution of information, and professional practices by journalists, sought to keep misinformation at bay. While media practitioners tend to think of “fake news” as that which is not aligned with facts, audiences tend to think of it as one that is not aligned with their preexisting beliefs. This research project seeks to: (1) Analyze a large body of fake news to have a better understanding of the formal characteristics of the phenomenon, (2) Based on these characteristics, conduct a series of experiments that help us understand how journalists and media companies can frame their fact checking messages to more effectively correct misperceptions among the public.