Does length matter? The impact of fact-check length in reducing COVID-19 vaccine misinformation

• Main Authors: Tandoc, Edson C., Lee, James Chong Boi, Lee, Sangwon, Quek, Pei Jun
• Other Authors: Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Social sciences::Communication; Vaccine Misinformation; COVID-19
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/170141
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This study examines the impact of message length and audience’s perceived information overload on the effectiveness of a fact-check in reducing belief in fake news within the COVID-19 vaccination context. Through an online experiment (N = 374) conducted in Singapore, we found an interaction effect between one’s level of information overload and the type of fact-check that was being shown (short, medium, or long). The findings from this study help to extend the literature on the effectiveness of fact-checks in reducing general public’s belief in fake news.