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Fake News: Susceptibility, Awareness and Solutions

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  • Assenza, Tiziana
  • Cardaci, Alberto
  • Huber, Stefanie

Abstract

This paper quantifies the impact of a demand-side policy intervention on citizens’ willingness to pay for protection against misinformation. We find that individuals generally lack proficiency in identifying fake news and overestimate their ability to distinguish between accurate and false content. Providing information-through-experience about personal susceptibility to fake news leads to belief updating and greater awareness of detection ability. Crucially, this increased awareness significantly raises individuals’ willingness to pay for measures that protect against the harms of misinformation.

Suggested Citation

  • Assenza, Tiziana & Cardaci, Alberto & Huber, Stefanie, 2024. "Fake News: Susceptibility, Awareness and Solutions," TSE Working Papers 24-1519, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE), revised Nov 2024.
    • Handle: RePEc:tse:wpaper:129250
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    1. Fève, Patrick & Assenza, Tiziana & Collard, Fabrice & Huber, Stefanie, 2024. "From Buzz to Bust: How Fake News Shapes the Business Cycle," TSE Working Papers 24-1516, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fake news; misinformation; personal susceptibility; experience; belief updating; willingness to pay; demand-side policy intervention; RCT experiments;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C83 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Survey Methods; Sampling Methods
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • D84 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Expectations; Speculations
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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