Fighting misinformation on social media: the role of economic research

Following the rise of social networks and the spread of dis-information and misinformation on social media, political scientists, social psychologists, and media scholars have proposed and studied several instruments to slow down propagation of false news.

In this talk, Sergei Guriev, Dean of the London Business School and leading Russian dissident, will discuss the recent research on the economics of fighting disinformation and fake news on social media. Professor Guriev will argue that the most effective interventions are simple nudges or prompts (so-called accuracy nudges), that shift attention to accuracy in a manner that raises the salience of reputational concerns. In turn, this results in reduced sharing of false news and increased sharing of true content on social media.

The insights of this talk matter for our contemporary understanding of populist politics in democratic systems as well as the rise of influential misinformation campaigns by authoritarian regimes.

The talk will be followed by a drinks reception.