Graduate Student Research

Tang, R., Burston, B., Sun, J., Vraga, E. K. & Bode, L. (forthcoming). Parental perceptions of dynamic exchanges of HPV vaccine misinformation and corrections from AI checkers on Reddit. International Journal of Communication.

Tang, R., Fang, Y., Sun, J., Bode, L., & Vraga, E. K. (forthcoming). Automating accuracy: Scalable approaches to correcting disinformation with AI on social media. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly.

This study investigates whether source expertise (expert vs. non-expert), use of AI (AI vs. non-AI), and the placement (debunking vs. prebunking) of a correction influence its effectiveness in reducing misperceptions and intentions to consume raw milk. Results of a pre-registered two-wave online experiment (N1=1785, N2=1568) suggest that debunking consistently reduces misperceptions and behavioral intentions for at least one week, while prebunking was less effective. Expert corrections only outperform non-expert corrections in reducing misperceptions in wave 1. In general, AI cues do not significantly influence the effectiveness of a correction, offering both opportunities and challenges for organizations hoping to automate corrections.

Tang, R., Tully, M., Bode, L., & Vraga, E. K. (forthcoming). Effects of a news literacy video on value for news literacy and misinformation evaluation. Media and Communication.

He, T. (2025). Paid to play: Gender, intersectionality, and labor in online game companionship. International Journal of Communication, 19, 1–20.

Armstrong, S., Neal, C., Tang, R., Rim, H., & Vraga, E. K. (2024). Bot Versus Humans: Who Can Challenge Corporate Hypocrisy on Social Media? Social Media + Society, 10(4), 20563051241292578.

Ofori, M. (2024). Doing Journalism in Times of Conflict: A Cross-National Examination of News Source Attribution and Framing in Allied Countries’ Media. Journalism Practice, 1-18.

Tang, R., Vraga, E. K., Bode, L., & Boulianne, S. (2024). Who reports witnessing and performing corrections on social media in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and France?. Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Misinformation Review.

Tang, R.*, Burley, B.*, Bode, L., & Vraga, E. K. (forthcoming). Corrective democracy? The relationship between correction of misinformation on social media and connective democracy norms. Social Media + Society.

Wang, L., Nagler, R.H., Gollust, S., Yzer, M., Vogel, R., & Rothman, A.J. (Accepted for publication, April 2024). Effects of exposure to conflicting health information on topic-specific information sharing and seeking intentions. Health Communication. DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2024.2350844

Chang, B., & Chon, M. G. (2024). Moving beyond the sector: The spillover effects of an NPO’s crisis on the same and different sectors. Public Relations Review, 50(1), 102423.

Perreault, G. P., Nölleke, D., Crawford, M., & Hackett, E. (2024). “Part of the Team”: In-House Sports Reporters Navigating the Journalistic Periphery. Journalism and Media, 5(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia5010014

Li, J., & Ma, Y. (2023). Virtual influencers in advertisements: Examining the role of authenticity and identification. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2023.2270478