Study shows 78% of participants believe emotional fake news

A study conducted by the Laboratory of Intelligence on Narratives and Algorithms (LINA) at the Oyá Institute reveals that 78% of participants in a credibility test were convinced by fake news driven by strong emotional appeal. In the experiment, participants were presented with two stories regarding extreme weather events; the false narrative, which compared floods in Rio Grande do Sul to Hurricane Katrina, achieved higher credibility than a true report containing technical data from Cemaden and INPE.

Researchers noted that emotional narratives are currently overriding scientific evidence and fact-checking, posing a critical risk to the information environment ahead of the 2026 elections. Additionally, the study found that 81% of Brazilians are aware of the risks posed by artificial intelligence, specifically the ability to create deepfakes. Experts suggest that low institutional trust combined with advanced AI tools increases vulnerability to persuasive disinformation.