Research and Insights: Misinformation on Instagram: The Impact of Trusted Endorsements on Message Credibility
Instagram continues to be one of the fastest growing social networks and currently has more than one billion users. While Instagram has not been a focus of investigations into misinformation, it has not been immune to bad actors. And the nature of the Instagram platform, for example the inability to link to credible sources, makes establishing authenticity problematic.
University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications alumnus Paul Mena, Ph.D. 2019, Telecommunication Professor and Trust Scholar Sylvia Chan-Olmsted, and UF Ph.D. graduate Danielle Barbe, wanted to determine what factors can influence the spread of misinformation on Instagram, focusing on two cues: consensus (judging credibility based on trustworthiness and reputation of endorser), and bandwagon (the more positive feedback, the more credible).
Posted: July 15, 2020
Category: Digest Only
