How Effective Are Interventions Against Misinformation?

Efforts to combat misinformation have intensified in recent years. In parallel, our scientificunderstanding of misinformation and the information ecosystem has improved. Here, I proposeways to improve interventions against misinformation based on this growing body ofknowledge. Research shows that misinformation consumption is minimal and highlyconcentrated, that interest in news is falling while news avoidance is growing, and that althoughpeople can tell the truth from falsehood, they tend to be overly skeptical of reliable informationand sources. This suggests that instead of focusing on misinformation, it would be moreproductive to increase the uptake of reliable information and trust. Still, a handful of powerfulindividuals push misinformation and give it visibility. We should target these ‘superspreaders’and strengthen norms and institutions that not only deter the sharing of false information butalso hateful, deceptive, or misleading information. Finally, we need to understand the demandfor misinformation and address the reasons why it resonates with some people but not others.Misinformation success is often a symptom of deep societal issues, such as corruption orpolarization, which require structural solutions.