Mainstream Media's Misleading COVID-19 Headlines Had Greater Impact Than Fake News, Study Reveals

Research shows mainstream vaccine-skeptical content on Facebook significantly hindered vaccination efforts more than flagged misinformation.

Study analyzed 13,206 vaccine-related headlines viewed by 233 million US Facebook users.
Misleading mainstream headlines reduced vaccination intentions 46 times more than flagged misinformation.
A small group of 'supersharers' were responsible for spreading 80% of fake news during the 2020 election.
Unflagged vaccine-skeptical content from reputable sources reached hundreds of millions of views.
Researchers call for nuanced content moderation and responsible headline writing to mitigate public health impacts.