Undermining Credibility: The Limited Influence of Online Comments to Vaccine-related News Stories

J Health Commun. 2020 Dec 1;25(12):943-950. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2020.1865485. Epub 2021 Jan 6.

Abstract

State-sponsored disinformation campaigns increasingly use anti-vaccine comments to not only undermine public health but to also reduce confidence and participation in a democratic society. Despite these dangers, research has not fully explored whether anti-vaccine comments can achieve these effects. To address this gap, an online survey experiment was conducted using a national sample of 1010 U.S. adults. Participants read a mainstream news article discussing the flu vaccine that included random variations of user comments adapted from a documented state-sponsored disinformation campaign. While exposure to anti-vaccine comments did not affect participants' views of vaccines or their willingness to discuss vaccines, participants holding pro-vaccine views reported lower confidence in news organizations and viewed the journalist who authored their article as less credible. These results suggest that anti-vaccine comments may produce effects that align with the goals of state-sponsored disinformation campaigns.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-Vaccination Movement
  • Communications Media / standards*
  • Communications Media / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Influenza Vaccines*
  • Internet*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Trust
  • United States

Substances

  • Influenza Vaccines