Abstract
AbstractResearch indicates that fact-checking has inconsistent effects on our beliefs and behavioral intentions about disinformation. But would it help if we source news from highly credible source and/or fact-check them using highly credible fact-checkers? This study explores this question by postulating the direct and interaction effects of news source credibility and fact-checker credibility on online users’ believability perceptions, reading intention, and sharing intention. These hypotheses are tested using an online experiment in a public health (COVID-19) context. Multi-level analysis of within-subject data suggest a nuanced pattern of effects, in which news source credibility has a positive main effect on believability but negative effects on reading and sharing intention. Fact-checking credibility has a positive main effect on believability, but no effects on reading or sharing intentions, but interestingly, negatively moderates the effects of source credibility on all three dependent variables. The implications of these findings for fact-checking research and practice are discussed.KeywordsDisinformationFake newsFact-checkingSource credibilityOnline experiment
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