Unveiling misinformation on YouTube: examining the content of COVID-19 vaccination misinformation videos in Switzerland

Resumo

Social media platforms like YouTube can exacerbate the challenge of ensuring public adherence to health advisories during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily due to the spread of misinformation. This study delves into the propagation of antivaccination sentiment on YouTube in Switzerland, examining how different forms of misinformation contribute to this phenomenon. Through content analysis of 450 German- and French-language YouTube videos, we investigated the prevalence and characteristics of completely and partially false information regarding COVID-19 vaccination within the Swiss context. Our findings show that completely false videos were more prevalent, often embedded with conspiracy theories and skepticism toward authorities. Notably, over one-third of the videos featured partially false information that masquerades as scientifically substantiated, associated with higher view counts and greater user engagement. Videos reaching the widest audiences were marked by strategies of commercialization and emotionalization. The study highlights the insidious nature of partially false information in Switzerland and its potential for greater impact due to its seemingly credible presentation. These findings underscore the need for a multifaceted response to misinformation, including enhancing digital literacy among the public, promoting accurate content creation, and fostering collaborations between health authorities and social media platforms to ensure that evidence-b

Tipo

Artigo

Área

Comunicação

Ano

2024

Idioma

Inglês

Páginas

11

Licença

CC BY

DOI

10.3389/fcomm.2024.1250024

Como citar (ABNT)

HUMPRECHT, Edda; KESSLER, Sabrina Heike. Unveiling misinformation on YouTube: examining the content of COVID-19 vaccination misinformation videos in Switzerland. Frontiers in Communication, v. 9, 2024. DOI: 10.3389/fcomm.2024.1250024.