The Challenges of Studying Misinformation on Video-Sharing Platforms During Crises and Mass-Convergence Events

• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2303.14309
• Publication Date: 2023-01-01
• Authors: Sukrit Venkatagiri; Joseph S. Schafer; Stephen Prochaska
• Keywords: Misinformation; Disinformation; Affordance

Mis- and disinformation can spread rapidly on video-sharing platforms (VSPs). Despite the growing use of VSPs, there has not been a proportional increase in our ability to understand this medium messages conveyed through it. In work, we draw prior experiences outline three core challenges faced studying VSPs high-stakes fast-paced settings: (1) navigating unique affordances (2) understanding VSP content determining its authenticity, (3) novel user behaviors for spreading misinformation. By highlighting these challenges, hope that researchers reflect how adapt existing research methods tools new contexts, or develop entirely ones.