Operation Warped Speed: Exploring how Black Audience Health News Consumption Influences COVID-19 and HIV Conspiracy and Intentions to Receive COVID-19 Vaccinations and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)

This study examines how media consumption influences susceptibility to COVID-19 and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) conspiracy theories among Black individuals in the United States. Utilizing data from a nationwide online survey (N= 1,505; 23.3% Black/African American) We employed a moderated mediation model to explore the relationships between media types (Mainstream, Liberal, Conservative, and Social Media), conspiracy beliefs, and health-related hesitancy and intentions. Results indicate that social media use among Black individuals is associated with increased belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories, while conservative media use is linked to higher belief in HIV conspiracy theories. Greater COVID-19 knowledge reduces belief in COVID-19 conspiracies, whereas HIV PrEP knowledge does not impact HIV conspiracy beliefs. Additionally, conspiracy beliefs predict higher vaccine and PrEP hesitancy and lower uptake, while knowledge levels do not impact these outcomes. Our findings highlight the critical role of media consumption and conspiracy beliefs in shaping health-related attitudes and behaviors among Black individuals.