Fighting cheapfakes: using a digital media literacy intervention to motivate reverse search of out-of-context visual misinformation

As a significant source of misinformation, out-of-context visual misinformation refers to visuals presented in an unrelated context. This study explores whether a digital media literacy intervention that features reverse image search tools has significant effects on participants' message credibility judgment, discernment of visual misinformation, and intention of using reverse image search tools. Data were collected from a pre-registered, web-based, between-subjects experiment (N = 905). Results revealed a significant difference on intention of using reverse search tools among three experimental conditions: active intervention that involved both knowledge and behavior, passive intervention that involved knowledge only, and a control condition. Specifically, active intervention significantly increased intention of using reverse search tools, compared to the passive intervention and the control. Neither active nor passive intervention had an effect on credibility judgment or misinformation discernment. We discuss the implications for future digital media intervention designs and journalism practice that aim to combat visual misinformation. Lay Summary Social media platforms have become a fertile ground for producing and disseminating visual misinformation. One specific form of visual misinformation involves images that are presented in a false context. We designed a digital media literacy intervention that motivates and teaches users to reverse search news images when they encounter news posts on social media. We ran an online experiment comparing three groups, namely active intervention that involved providing information and instructing a reverse search practice, passive intervention that only involved providing information, and a control group where participants read irrelevant information. We found that active intervention increased individuals' motivation to use reverse image search in the future compared to passive intervention and the control group. The intervention did not have an impact on the evaluation of message credibility and misinformation discernment. Our findings suggest the potential of using a brief digital media literacy intervention to motivate future image verification practices among social media users. Social media platforms are recommended to empower users with digital literacy interventions to foster critical media consumption habits.