Sacha Altay
@sachaltay.bsky.social
🔎 Misinformation, social media & the news 🗞️
🇨🇭 Postdoc at the University of Zurich, previously Reuters Institute & ENS 🇫🇷
🇨🇭 Postdoc at the University of Zurich, previously Reuters Institute & ENS 🇫🇷
This is good news for debriefings in misinformation research:
Debriefings that include fact-checks of the false claims used in the experiment reduce false beliefs, improve attitudes towards the study, and show no signs of negative effects.
👉 osf.io/preprints/ps...
Feedback much welcomed :)
Debriefings that include fact-checks of the false claims used in the experiment reduce false beliefs, improve attitudes towards the study, and show no signs of negative effects.
👉 osf.io/preprints/ps...
Feedback much welcomed :)
July 29, 2025 at 7:59 AM
This is good news for debriefings in misinformation research:
Debriefings that include fact-checks of the false claims used in the experiment reduce false beliefs, improve attitudes towards the study, and show no signs of negative effects.
👉 osf.io/preprints/ps...
Feedback much welcomed :)
Debriefings that include fact-checks of the false claims used in the experiment reduce false beliefs, improve attitudes towards the study, and show no signs of negative effects.
👉 osf.io/preprints/ps...
Feedback much welcomed :)
These effects are larger among participants who fully complied (by following the accounts and turning on the notifications):
June 27, 2025 at 9:58 AM
These effects are larger among participants who fully complied (by following the accounts and turning on the notifications):
We found that following two (additional) news accounts on WhatsApp or Instagram for two weeks boosted news knowledge, participants’ ability to discern true from false news stories, awareness of true news stories, and trust in the news.
June 27, 2025 at 9:58 AM
We found that following two (additional) news accounts on WhatsApp or Instagram for two weeks boosted news knowledge, participants’ ability to discern true from false news stories, awareness of true news stories, and trust in the news.
Our dependent variables were repeated across waves, and in Wave 2 we added novel news knowledge questions and new true & false news stories, that appeared between the waves – so that participants could not have possibly known them before the treatment.
June 27, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Our dependent variables were repeated across waves, and in Wave 2 we added novel news knowledge questions and new true & false news stories, that appeared between the waves – so that participants could not have possibly known them before the treatment.
Participants were asked to follow two accounts for two weeks and activate the notifications. In the treatment condition the accounts were news-related whereas in the control they were not. We measured compliance with screenshots uploaded by participants and self-reported measures.
June 27, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Participants were asked to follow two accounts for two weeks and activate the notifications. In the treatment condition the accounts were news-related whereas in the control they were not. We measured compliance with screenshots uploaded by participants and self-reported measures.
🚨 Now out in Nature Human Behaviour 🚨
We show that following the news on WhatsApp or Instagram (N = 3,395 🇫🇷🇩🇪) increases current affairs knowledge, participants’ ability to discern true from false news stories, awareness of true news stories, as well as trust in the news.
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
We show that following the news on WhatsApp or Instagram (N = 3,395 🇫🇷🇩🇪) increases current affairs knowledge, participants’ ability to discern true from false news stories, awareness of true news stories, as well as trust in the news.
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
June 27, 2025 at 9:58 AM
🚨 Now out in Nature Human Behaviour 🚨
We show that following the news on WhatsApp or Instagram (N = 3,395 🇫🇷🇩🇪) increases current affairs knowledge, participants’ ability to discern true from false news stories, awareness of true news stories, as well as trust in the news.
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
We show that following the news on WhatsApp or Instagram (N = 3,395 🇫🇷🇩🇪) increases current affairs knowledge, participants’ ability to discern true from false news stories, awareness of true news stories, as well as trust in the news.
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
More cool things in Supplement, such as a comparison with SDT analyses or a discussion on the importance of news selection: static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10...
February 21, 2025 at 3:26 PM
More cool things in Supplement, such as a comparison with SDT analyses or a discussion on the importance of news selection: static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10...
Fifth, the proportion of true news in the sets of headlines presented to participants had no clear effect on discernment or skepticism bias.
February 21, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Fifth, the proportion of true news in the sets of headlines presented to participants had no clear effect on discernment or skepticism bias.
Fourth, there were some country-level variations in terms of discernment and skepticism bias:
February 21, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Fourth, there were some country-level variations in terms of discernment and skepticism bias:
Third, the presence of a source in the headlines had no statistically significant effects on discernment or skepticism bias.
Check out all the moderators here, including news topics, news selection, or the symmetry of the scale:
Check out all the moderators here, including news topics, news selection, or the symmetry of the scale:
February 21, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Third, the presence of a source in the headlines had no statistically significant effects on discernment or skepticism bias.
Check out all the moderators here, including news topics, news selection, or the symmetry of the scale:
Check out all the moderators here, including news topics, news selection, or the symmetry of the scale:
First, the meta-analysis represents averages: a minority could be driving the effects. We re-analyzed the raw data of 22 papers and found that ~80% of individuals rate true news as more accurate than false and ~59% show a skepticism bias.
February 21, 2025 at 3:26 PM
First, the meta-analysis represents averages: a minority could be driving the effects. We re-analyzed the raw data of 22 papers and found that ~80% of individuals rate true news as more accurate than false and ~59% show a skepticism bias.
So nice, where is it again? I actually went snowboarding in Flumserberg today 🏂
November 23, 2024 at 3:03 PM
So nice, where is it again? I actually went snowboarding in Flumserberg today 🏂
For H1 of the paper above we do lose some precision/power by doing change instead of pre-post. But the estimates are also not exactly the same, and I still have the intuition that change is more appropriate given our design/DVs, but maybe I'm wrong 🙈
October 7, 2024 at 8:31 AM
For H1 of the paper above we do lose some precision/power by doing change instead of pre-post. But the estimates are also not exactly the same, and I still have the intuition that change is more appropriate given our design/DVs, but maybe I'm wrong 🙈
Now out in MCS 🎯
In two experiments (N = 2735), we show that exposure to false news erodes trust in the news and fuels overconfidence in one’s ability to discern true from false news – without affecting news discernment 📰
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... 🔓
In two experiments (N = 2735), we show that exposure to false news erodes trust in the news and fuels overconfidence in one’s ability to discern true from false news – without affecting news discernment 📰
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... 🔓
September 9, 2024 at 12:13 PM
Now out in MCS 🎯
In two experiments (N = 2735), we show that exposure to false news erodes trust in the news and fuels overconfidence in one’s ability to discern true from false news – without affecting news discernment 📰
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... 🔓
In two experiments (N = 2735), we show that exposure to false news erodes trust in the news and fuels overconfidence in one’s ability to discern true from false news – without affecting news discernment 📰
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... 🔓
At the individual level, news participation has declined more for those with lower trust in news, those without a bachelor’s degree and for women:
May 14, 2024 at 9:54 AM
At the individual level, news participation has declined more for those with lower trust in news, those without a bachelor’s degree and for women:
We observe a decline in news participation in most countries – although there is a lot of variation between countries and in some countries participation is so low that it could hardly be lower.
May 14, 2024 at 9:54 AM
We observe a decline in news participation in most countries – although there is a lot of variation between countries and in some countries participation is so low that it could hardly be lower.
The decline in news participation between 2015 and 2022 (- 12%) is not specific to social media platforms or online spaces.
For instance, talking about the news with friends or colleagues (face-to-face) has declined by ~24%
For instance, talking about the news with friends or colleagues (face-to-face) has declined by ~24%
May 14, 2024 at 9:53 AM
The decline in news participation between 2015 and 2022 (- 12%) is not specific to social media platforms or online spaces.
For instance, talking about the news with friends or colleagues (face-to-face) has declined by ~24%
For instance, talking about the news with friends or colleagues (face-to-face) has declined by ~24%
Everything is fine, ‘global leaders’ have perfectly accurate risk perceptions 🫠
Misinformation studies have a bright future ahead of them 🙌
Misinfo * generative-AI = 🤯💸
www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The...
Misinformation studies have a bright future ahead of them 🙌
Misinfo * generative-AI = 🤯💸
www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The...
January 10, 2024 at 2:00 PM
Everything is fine, ‘global leaders’ have perfectly accurate risk perceptions 🫠
Misinformation studies have a bright future ahead of them 🙌
Misinfo * generative-AI = 🤯💸
www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The...
Misinformation studies have a bright future ahead of them 🙌
Misinfo * generative-AI = 🤯💸
www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The...
Reducing multimedia (📷📽️🎙️) consumption on WhatsApp for three weeks in 🇧🇷 led to a decrease in exposure to true and false news but had no effect on belief in true and false news. It also had no effect on polarization and well-being.
ssrn.com/abstract=445...
ssrn.com/abstract=445...
December 22, 2023 at 2:01 PM
Reducing multimedia (📷📽️🎙️) consumption on WhatsApp for three weeks in 🇧🇷 led to a decrease in exposure to true and false news but had no effect on belief in true and false news. It also had no effect on polarization and well-being.
ssrn.com/abstract=445...
ssrn.com/abstract=445...
Quarantining anti-vax forums on Reddit reduces misinfo in these groups, which leads misinfo superspreaders to post misinfo elsewhere.
Yet, this spillover effect is short-lived because anti-vax misinfo does not resonate outside of the anti-vax forums.
ssrn.com/abstract=465...
Yet, this spillover effect is short-lived because anti-vax misinfo does not resonate outside of the anti-vax forums.
ssrn.com/abstract=465...
December 22, 2023 at 10:42 AM
Quarantining anti-vax forums on Reddit reduces misinfo in these groups, which leads misinfo superspreaders to post misinfo elsewhere.
Yet, this spillover effect is short-lived because anti-vax misinfo does not resonate outside of the anti-vax forums.
ssrn.com/abstract=465...
Yet, this spillover effect is short-lived because anti-vax misinfo does not resonate outside of the anti-vax forums.
ssrn.com/abstract=465...
We manipulated the proportion of true/false news and found that the Trust and Skepticism tips were most effective when participants were exposed to equal proportions of true and false news, while the Mixed tips were most effective when exposed to 75% of true news
December 13, 2023 at 3:48 PM
We manipulated the proportion of true/false news and found that the Trust and Skepticism tips were most effective when participants were exposed to equal proportions of true and false news, while the Mixed tips were most effective when exposed to 75% of true news
The tips did not affect attitudes, but the Trust-inducing tips increased trust in traditional media.
December 13, 2023 at 3:47 PM
The tips did not affect attitudes, but the Trust-inducing tips increased trust in traditional media.
The Trust-inducing tips boosted true news (but not false news), the Skepticism-enhancing tips hindered false news (but not true news), while Mixed tips did both.
December 13, 2023 at 3:47 PM
The Trust-inducing tips boosted true news (but not false news), the Skepticism-enhancing tips hindered false news (but not true news), while Mixed tips did both.
We found that the tips increased participants' ability to discern between true and false, both in terms of sharing intentions and perceived accuracy.
December 13, 2023 at 3:47 PM
We found that the tips increased participants' ability to discern between true and false, both in terms of sharing intentions and perceived accuracy.
We conducted a pre-registered online experiment (N = 3919, US) testing the effect of Skepticism-enhancing tips, Trust-inducing tips, and a mix of both.
December 13, 2023 at 3:47 PM
We conducted a pre-registered online experiment (N = 3919, US) testing the effect of Skepticism-enhancing tips, Trust-inducing tips, and a mix of both.