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This research evaluates the effectiveness of media competition and fact-checking policies in reducing misinformation on social media.

April 8, 2026Experimental EconomicsOpen Access

Reducing misinformation on social media: an experimental evaluation of two policy interventions

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An experimental evaluation shows that media competition reduces misinformation, while fact-checking has mixed effects.

This research evaluates the effectiveness of media competition and fact-checking policies in reducing misinformation on social media.
Developed a theoretical model predicting the effects of policies on misinformation sharing.
Conducted a behavioral experiment to test predictions regarding media competition and fact-checking.
Assessed the outcomes of both policy interventions on news accuracy and quality.
Media competition significantly enhances the accuracy of news by incentivizing firms to invest more resources.
Fact-checking improves news quality but does not motivate media firms to ensure their own accuracy.
Under competitive conditions, fact-checking can negatively impact firms' investment in improving news accuracy.

Rentschler et al. (2026) studied this question.

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