Is this legit? A viral video verification project created by and for teenagers

Abstract

Teenagers are particularly vulnerable to disinformation strategies. For this reason, more and more organisations and media outlets are committed to media literacy projects aimed at fostering critical thinking among the new generations. This research analyses “Is this legit?” by MediaWise (Poynter), a viral video verification project created by and for teenagers. Specifically, an analysis of the content published from its creation in January 2021 to January 2022 is carried out in order to identify: (1) the subject matter and focus of the videos, (2) the information disorders analysed and (3) the verification techniques used. The results show that, in general terms, the videos focus on reverse image search techniques, keyword search, confrontation with reliable sources and general indicators such as date, location or source of origin. In terms of information disruption, misleading, false and fabricated content stand out. In addition, all the videos share a number of common characteristics: they are short videos, use short shots looking at the camera and include screenshots to illustrate the techniques used in the verification processes.