Media literacy, fact-checking investment needed to counter disinfo pollution [Advocacy Lab Content]

Information pollution is poisoning democracy. The proliferation of disinformation has become one of the greatest concerns of the digital age. To build defences, Europe needs to understand the scale of the problem, Euractiv takes a look.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) divides dis/misinformation trends into three main categories: a) political, including political narratives, hate speech, and gendered disinformation; b) external influence, including propaganda; c) crisis-driven, with cases such as Covid-19, violent crisis, armed conflict.

A statistics report about fake news in Europe by Statista, observes the frequency of encountering disinformation in EU member states. Almost a third of respondents to this survey reported that they came across news which misrepresented reality or was false often or very often (28 per cent). Eight per cent entirely disagreed with the statement that they regularly saw fake and suspicious content. 

Frequency of disinformation

Publishers conclude that it highlights the growing problem of misinformation and disseminating made-up, manipulated, and doctored news content.

The same report shows that among the sources for news consumption in selected major media markets worldwide, online (including social media) and TV remain some of the most used channels by citizens.

Types of news access

From the above data, consumers in Brazil were the least likely to use print media to get their news, with 12% per cent reporting consuming print news. Low levels were also observed in the United States, with 16%, while print consumption was highest in India.

The data comes as analysts have called for investing in local journalism – especially print and digital media – to counter disinformation, as cited in research from the Washington D.C.-based think tank, Carnegie Endowment For International Peace.

The picture in the European Union is different. The Flash Eurobarometer survey on Europeans’ most trusted news sources showed greater faith in the written press and lower trust in digital-native media, although there was a generational gap to behold.

Trust in news sources

According to the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, “countering disinformation requires lasting investment in building societal resilience and media and information literacy.”

A report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) called Facts not Fakes: Tackling Disinformation, Strengthening Information Integrity discusses the need to address disinformation in a coordinated and strategic manner.

Calling it a multifaceted challenge, involving multiple actors, channels, and tactics, the OECD reported the data below in its survey on institutional architecture and governance practices to strengthen information integrity.

Improving information integrity

Other data from the same survey show that conducting research on disinformation dynamics, increasing societal resilience to the spread of false and misleading information, and developing or increasing the relevance of guidelines and/or strategic documents are some of the key objectives shared by coordination mechanisms already established to combat disinformation.

Cross-government coordination

Media and information literacy initiatives, the OECD notes, should be seen as part of a wider effort to reinforce information integrity, for example by focusing on elements related to addressing how algorithm recommendation systems and generative AI work.

Media literacy curriculum

Another way of combating the proliferation of disinformation is through fact-checking projects.

A Duke Reporters’ Lab report of 2023 noted a significant growth spurt among such projects, from a mere 11 sites in 2008 to 424 in 2022. As of last year, it counted 417 active fact-checkers, verifying and debunking misinformation in more than 100 countries and 69 languages, marking a slight downgrade compared to 2022.

Fact-checking

A comprehensive list compiled by the UNDP in its Mapping and Analysis of Efforts to Counter Information Pollution in Europe and Central Asia Region report reveals the most active donors/partners supporting fact-checking projects.

Fact-checking projects and donors

[By Xhoi Zajmi I Edited by Brian Maguire | Euractiv’s Advocacy Lab ]

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