Each day, we face an information overload with claims, facts and figures flowing across screens faster than we can check them. This is fertile ground for inaccurate reports and “fake news” to abound. When presented with seemingly limitless sources and channels of information, it’s hard to know who and what to trust in relation to our health or our governments. Never has the ability to critically assess and communicate information been more important. So, what can universities to do equip students, staff and the wider public with the tools and knowledge they need to understand the complex nature of evidence, invite varied perspectives and seek the truth?
From the COVID-19 pandemic to the war in Ukraine, misinformation is rife worldwide. Many tools have been designed to help people spot misinformation. The problem with most of them is how hard they are to deliver at scale.
But we may have found a solution. In our new study we designed and tested five short videos that “prebunk” viewers, in order to inoculate them from the deceptive and manipulative techniques often used online to mislead people. Our study is the largest of its kind and the first to test this kind of intervention on YouTube. Five million people were shown the videos, of which one million watched them.
The Debunking Handbook, a guide to debunking misinformation, is now freely available to download. Although there is a great deal of psychological research on misinformation, there's no summary of the literature that offers practical guidelines on the most effective ways of reducing the influence of myths. The Debunking Handbook boils the research down into a short, simple summary, intended as a guide for communicators in all areas (not just climate) who encounter misinformation.