(Media Attention to) Misinformation Can Undermine Trust in Scientists

Abstract Could news coverage of misinformation be harmful? Across two studies on U.S. citizens, we examine whether news coverage of misinformation generates misperceptions and decreases levels of trust in information institutions (i.e., media, professors, and scientists) and whether its effects can be comparable to those of exposure to untrustworthy content. We rely on an online experiment using mock social media posts (Study 1, N = 1,670) and also on online behavioral tracking data paired with over-time survey self-reports (Study 2, N = 804). Study 1 finds that exposure to both actual misinformation and the coverage of misinformation affect misperceptions, but does not decrease trust. Study 2 presents evidence that behaviorally tracked visits to untrustworthy sites and exposure to news coverage of misinformation—although relatively rare—do not affect misperceptions, but both predict lower levels of trust in scientists, with less consistent effects for media and university professors. These results support concerns that not only misinformation but also its coverage contribute to epistemic uncertainty by eroding confidence in credible sources of knowledge, and warrant further inquiry into the potential harms of news media’s attention to misinformation.