Julien Labonne
(University of Oxford)
«From Correction to Connection: Relational Approaches to Countering Misinformation (with Cesi Cruz)»
Abstract: As social media becomes an important source of political information in many democracies, citizens are increasingly exposed to misleading content that distorts public discourse and weakens trust in institutions. While most current initiatives assume that misinformation persists because citizens lack the skills, motivation, or attention needed to evaluate information accurately, we argue that it is a feature of relational information environments. This reframing motivates a different approach: using in-person workshops to bring communities together to reflect collectively on how information circulates, is shared, and shapes public life. Using media literacy as a vehicle for discussion, these sessions encouraged participants to navigate disagreement and develop shared norms around information integrity. We present findings from a randomized controlled trial in 160 villages across the Philippines, a country often cited as an early case of social media-driven democratic backsliding. Treated individuals perceived less political polarization and reported greater interest in politics. They relied less on Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok for political news and engaged more frequently in offline discussion through civic and religious networks. Comparable effects among untreated peers indicate meaningful community-level spillovers. Effects also extended to electoral outcomes: using official electoral results, we find that, in treatment villages, candidates who relied heavily on Facebook advertising underperformed and voters were less responsive to false online rumors about local candidates. In-person, community-based interventions can change how people engage with political information, strengthening both informational integrity and democratic accountability.