The impact of presentation modalities on perceived accuracy and sharing of fake news: the role of perceived diagnosticity and involvement

Purpose This study investigates how different presentation modalities (text-only, image with text and video with text) influence the perceived accuracy and sharing intentions of climate change-related fake news, examining the mediating role of perceived diagnosticity and the moderating effect of personal involvement. Design/methodology/approach An online experiment was conducted with 456 participants, who were presented with fake climate change news stories in various formats through Facebook posts. The study measured perceived accuracy, sharing intentions, perceived diagnosticity and personal involvement. Findings The experimental outcomes reveal the following: (1) Video with text significantly increased perceived accuracy compared to text-only modality, while the image with text modality had no significant effect; (2) The effect of presentation modality on perceived accuracy is mediated by perceived diagnosticity; (3) Personal involvement moderates these relationships, with highly involved individuals being less influenced by presentation modality and (4) Perceived accuracy positively correlates with sharing intentions across all presentation modalities. Practical implications Media literacy programs should emphasize the critical evaluation of multimedia content, particularly video, to mitigate the influence of fake news. Policymakers and platform developers should implement robust video content verification tools and tailored interventions to support users based on their involvement levels. Originality/value This research offers novel insights into the psychological mechanisms behind the believability of fake news across various presentation modalities. These findings have significant implications for researchers, practitioners and policymakers aiming to improve digital literacy in an increasingly AI-driven media landscape.