Mediated Misinformation: Questions Answered, More Questions to Ask

With the rampant increase of misinformation produced and distributed online at an alarming rate, it has become more imperative than ever to understand what makes people fall for misinformation. Drawing on the literature on persuasion, credibility of online information, and digital deception, we first review a list of factors associated with the source, message, channel, and receiver that may alter the extent to which people judge information as truthful and believable. Based on critical assessments of the gaps in the literature, suggestions are offered to shape future research agendas and develop an integrative conceptual framework.

Automated summary

With the rise of misinformation online, understanding why people fall for it has become crucial. Drawing on persuasion, online credibility, and digital deception literature, factors associated with source, message, channel, and receiver that influence judgments of truth and believability are identified. Suggestions for future research and an integrated conceptual framework are proposed based on gaps in the literature.