Avoiding real news, believing in fake news? Investigating pathways from information overload to misbelief.

Published in: Journalism (London, England) (2022)

This study sought to examine the potential role of news avoidance in belief in COVID-19 misinformation. Using two-wave panel survey data in Singapore, we found that information overload is associated with news fatigue as well as with difficulty in analyzing information. News fatigue and analysis paralysis also subsequently led to news avoidance, which increased belief in COVID-19 misinformation. However, this link is present only among those who are frequently exposed to misinformation about COVID-19.

Keyphrases

coronavirus disease
sars cov
social media
health information
respiratory syndrome coronavirus
cross sectional
healthcare
machine learning
big data
deep learning