MediaLab Director showcases strategies against health misinformation in Norway

Daniel Catalán Matamoros, Director of UC3M MediaLab, represented the lab at the SFI MediaFutures Annual Meeting at the University of Bergen, Norway on November 13. The event, titled “Navigating Uncertainty with AI: Battling Misinformation & Empowering Users”, featured keynotes from Cornelia Bjørke-Hill (Microsoft Norway) and Alex Connock (University of Oxford). Daniel Catalán spoke on “Messaging Strategies to Counter Health Misinformation.”

In his presentation, he showcased the work of MediaLab and shared insights from recent projects, including a social experiment demonstrating that narrative-based and positively framed messages are the most effective in combating health disinformation. He outlined short- and long-term strategies ranging from promoting media and digital literacy in early education to improving platform governance and fostering community-based networks. Emphasizing that uncertainty is a natural part of research, he reminded the audience: “Being 100 percent sure in science doesn’t exist and that’s okay.”

The meeting offered a platform for interdisciplinary exchange on AI, media, and communication. Daniel’s talk highlighted MediaLab’s commitment to evidence-based strategies that empower users and counter health misinformation across digital landscapes. MediaLab is currently implementing a national HealthComm Project in Spain to combat pseudoscience and conspiracy theories about health.