Misinformation and Trusted Voices

Abstract

This submission focuses on misinformation and trusted voices. Our answers are based on a research project on community mistrust and vaccine hesitancy, funded by the British Academy, the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) and the Science and Innovation Network in the USA (SIN USA) between 2021 and 2022. The project investigates the impact of historical marginalisation, social exclusion, official communication, and community mistrust on the discursive and social production of vaccine hesitancy on both social media platforms and in physical spaces in the United Kingdom and United States of America (see Ozduzen et al. 2022). We conducted in-depth interviews, focus groups, and systematic social media data analysis to uncover the experiences, beliefs and opinions of our research participants. Although our focus was on vaccine engagement of minoritised communities, we also investigated the ways that vaccine hesitant individuals in the UK consume information and misinformation content and engage with their respective sources. We finally analysed their reaction to official governmental information on vaccines and other health information, scientific advice, and health initiatives