Analysis of User-Generated Comments on Rumor Correction YouTube Videos

This research investigates how Internet users comment in response to rumor corrections posted on social media. The focus is specifically on the degree to which aggressive language is used. As the test cases for investigation, the research looks into two rumor corrections on YouTube. The rumors were set in the context of the riots and protests in Jakarta following the Indonesian presidential election in 2019. A total of 1,000 comments (500 comments from each of the two cases) was admitted for content analysis. In one case, anti-correction voice was dominant, highlighting the failure of the rumor correction to refute the rumor. In the other, pro-correction voice was dominant, indicating the success of the rumor correction. Aggressive language was widely used in the latter. Implications of the findings are highlighted.