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Debunking “fake news” on social media: Immediate and short-term effects of fact-checking and media literacy interventions

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  • Berger, Lara Marie
  • Kerkhof, Anna
  • Mindl, Felix
  • Münster, Johannes

Abstract

We conduct a randomized survey experiment to compare the immediate and short-term effects of fact-checking to a brief media literacy intervention. We show that fact-checking primarily affects the specific fake news it directly addresses, whereas media literacy helps to distinguish between false and correct information more generally, both immediately and around two weeks after the intervention. A plausible mechanism is that media literacy enables participants to critically evaluate social media postings, while fact-checking fails to enhance their skills as much. Our results promote media literacy as an effective tool to fight fake news, that is cheap, scalable, and easy-to-implement.

Suggested Citation

  • Berger, Lara Marie & Kerkhof, Anna & Mindl, Felix & Münster, Johannes, 2025. "Debunking “fake news” on social media: Immediate and short-term effects of fact-checking and media literacy interventions," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:245:y:2025:i:c:s004727272500043x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2025.105345
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    JEL classification:

    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • L82 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Entertainment; Media
    • Z18 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Public Policy

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