Health-related mis- and disinformation: Why it matters for public health and what we can do about it

Abstract This presentation will set the scene for the workshop by proving an introduction to the topic of mis- and disinformation research and presenting the state of the art of this interdisciplinary research field. Drawing on research from psychology, communication science, and science and technology studies, it will, firstly, provide an overview of common definitions of mis- and disinformation. Second, it will review the evidence regarding the prevalence and public health impact of health-related mis- and disinformation, drawing on recent empirical evidence including modelling studies. Third, it will review the evidence regarding sociodemographic factors that are related to higher mis- and disinformation susceptibility, including age and education. Fourth, it will present taxonomies of interventions developed and tested to tackle mis- and disinformation and review their effectiveness. Specifically, it will present both pre- and debunking approaches, discuss their respective advantages and disadvantages, and for which context they might be most suitable. The talk will conclude by narrowing the focus on the digital context, by highlighting how digital media including social media contributes to the spread of mis- and disinformation, but also by outlining how digital media can be leveraged to counteract mis- and disinformation at scale.