illustration: DALL-EThe researchers presented their findings at the American Academy of Paediatrics conference in Denver. More than half of the videos contained information that contradicts medical knowledge. They assessed the creators’ identities, video topics, presence of false claims, and engagement metrics. Disinformation was defined as content that opposes recommendations from the American Academy of Paediatrics and the CDC. It turned out that 61% of the videos included medically inaccurate information. Furthermore:
- 80% of disinformation videos were created by parents and influencers, not medical professionals.
- False content gained significantly more attention, with an average of 583,000 views per video, compared to 214,000 for accurate ones.
The study revealed the most common myths being spread:
- questioning vaccine safety (36%).
- promoting "natural" therapies instead of proven treatments (29%).
- spreading misinformation about breastfeeding and infant nutrition (18%).
- rejecting paediatric care (17%).
According to Dr Maria A. Canas-Galvis, lead author of the study, doctors must now not only provide treatment but also educate parents and help them interpret online content. What families see on TikTok increasingly shapes their health decisions.
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New articles in section Media industry
Why do we believe fakes? Science reveals the psychology of virals
KFi
Why do emotions grab more attention than evidence, and why can a fake authority overshadow scientific data? Researchers from Warsaw University of Technology, Jagiellonian University, and SWPS University in Poland sought the answers. Here are their findings.
Investigative journalism in Europe. Newsrooms face pressure
KFi, Newseria
Media and political representatives point to the difficult situation of investigative journalism in Europe. Newsrooms are reluctant to invest in this segment due to high costs and the large amount of time and effort required. Most of all, however, they fear legal proceedings.
Energy under attack. Disinformation threatens Poland’s power transition
KFi
One in five online messages about energy may be fake. Between 2022 and 2025 nearly 70,000 publications warning and condemning disinformation in this strategic sector were recorded in Polish media. They generated a reach of 1.19 billion impressions.
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Milgram Experiment 2023. AI Can Encourage Violence
KrzysztoF
Researchers from SWPS University replicated the famous Milgram experiment, in which participants were instructed to inflict pain on another person under the authority’s command. This time, the authority was a robot. It’s the first study showing that people are willing to harm another person when a robot commands them to do so.
Russian Propaganda. Debunk.org Report on Moscow's Disinformation Scale
BARD, PAP Mediaroom
In 2022, the Russian Federation allocated approximately 143 billion rubles to mass media (equivalent to 1.9 billion US dollars), exceeding the planned budget by 25%. For the current year, the Kremlin's budget for this sector is set at 119.2 billion rubles (1.6 billion dollars).
Mass Media in Poland
Agnieszka Osińska
Into the decade of years 90. Poland entered with media national, subjected to the political control. Starting from the half of 1989 our media market underwent transformations, biggest probably from the time of the World War II.
How Journalists Use Social Media
Bartłomiej Dwornik
Primarily, they seek inspiration from blogs and, less frequently, from Facebook. They rarely trust what they find, often approaching it with caution. Credibility does not necessarily correlate with attractiveness.




























