Tailored and trust-based: strategies of information intermediaries countering health misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic

Underserved populations face unique challenges in accessing accurate health information and are typically not well reached by mainstream public health communication via government channels and news media. Following the two-step-flow of communication theory, our research focuses on the strategies of information intermediaries, ranging from community leaders to NGOs, to address health misinformation among these populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. This focus on intermediaries fills a gap in the literature by underscoring their critical role in mitigating misinformation and ensuring marginalized communities receive reliable, comprehensible information. Using reconstruction interviews with 15 intermediaries, we examine the strategies adopted and the challenges faced when countering misinformation during the health crisis. The findings highlight the importance of adapting and delivering accurate information tailored to the needs and specificities of each target group, for which intermediaries are better equipped than mainstream communicators given their understanding of these groups. The provision of easy-to-access information is preferred, rather than directly challenging or correcting false beliefs, which could lead to trust issues. By prioritizing trust-building and non-confrontational approaches, intermediaries sought to avoid potential amplification effects and reduce resistance and mistrust. The study provides insights in the unique process of communication with such groups, while also offering recommendations for improving communication strategies and fostering institutional trust during future health crises, such as consistency in official communications, and a stronger collaboration between official institutions and intermediaries for specific groups.