When Efforts to Combat Misinformation Can Backfire: Evidence from Brazil

• In Event: How to Counter Misinformation Online

Abstract

Brazil’s 2022 presidential election was saturated with misinformation–much of it being spread by incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro–undermining confidence in elections in a country that already struggles with institutional trust. While there have been many efforts to combat misinformation, I argue that the success of these efforts depends on partisanship and may even backfire in polarized political settings such as Brazil. I tested this hypothesis using a survey experiment conducted in Brazil prior to the 2022 election in which respondents were randomly selected to interact with information stating the election would be credible in the form of headlines and mock social media posts. I find that exposure to positive information about the election may have an unintentional backfire effect, with results split along partisan lines. Individuals who were less inclined to trust the electoral process initially were significantly less likely to believe that the election would be credible after being exposed to positive information. The findings suggest that polarization may be strengthened by efforts to combat misinformation.

Author

• Rachel Berwald, University of California, Los Angeles