Who is benefitting from fact-checking on social media – user or platform? Examining the impact of different fact-checking approaches on social media platforms on user’s perception of trust

Abstract

This thesis explores the effectiveness of fact-checking in increasing trust in social networking websites (SNS) and its effect on overall media trust. It seeks to study how fact-checking can alleviate the issue of misinformation, particularly on social media platforms. The research is motivated by the spread of fake news, which has contributed to polarization and mistrust in institutions. The study begins by discussing the problem of misinformation and how it can shape public opinion and trust. It highlights the significant role of trust in the functioning of social media sites and notes how controversies and misinformation have led to a decline in trust in these platforms. The hypothesis is that fact-checking, particularly by external, credible sources, can positively influence users' trust in the platform where it occurs, but it may also decrease trust in media at large by highlighting misinformation. An experimental design is used to test the hypothesis with simulated social media environments where participants are exposed to various fact-checking scenarios, including internal and external corrections of misinformation. The results reveal that credible external fact-checking organizations can significantly increase trust in social media platforms. However, the impact on overall media trust is complex, suggesting that fact-checking can increase awareness of misinformation, but it does not uniformly enhance trust across all media. The findings emphasize the importance of source credibility and the presentation of fact-checked information in shaping public trust. The thesis contributes to the understanding of fact-checking's potential as a tool for combating misinformation and enhancing platform trust. It calls for a multi-faceted approach to addressing misinformation, combining credible fact-checking with efforts to promote media literacy and critical information evaluation skills among the public. By highlighting the importance of source credibility and the method of information correction, the study offers insights for policymakers, social media companies, and the broader public on strategies to enhance trust and counter misinformation in the digital age.