This is the first study by the Ideograma–UPF Chair focused on the Latin American context, featuring a comparative analysis of perceptions of information credibility in Chile and Argentina. The objective is to identify which formats and types of content generate the greatest trust and how variables such as age, educational level, and ideology influence these perceptions.

The study is based on several hypotheses:

• Traditional formats (television and digital press) generate greater credibility than social media platforms (Facebook and WhatsApp).

• Older individuals tend to assign greater credibility to news.

• People with higher levels of education are more critical of information.

• Ideology is a statistically significant conditioning factor in processes of evaluating information credibility.

• The higher the perceived credibility, the greater the willingness to share content.

The study is based on an experimental survey designed in collaboration with YouGov, with a sample of more than 3,200 adults (1,604 in Argentina and 1,623 in Chile). Each participant was exposed to four false news stories (on health, corruption, the environment, and unemployment) presented in different formats: digital television, digital press, Facebook, and WhatsApp.

The results show that digital television is the format that generates the highest level of trust, followed by the digital press. Individuals with higher education levels are particularly distrustful of news presented on social media and are less likely to share it. At the same time, more conservative ideological segments tend to place greater trust in all formats and to share more content.

Compared with the previous study conducted in Spain, platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook, although perceived as less credible, maintain a higher level of trust in Latin America.

Access to the report here.