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Disinformation and freedom of opinion and expression: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
Deep Insights

Irene Khan

United Nations, General Assembly (2021), 20 pp.

"In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression examines the threats posed by disinformation to human rights, democratic institutions and development processes. While acknowledging the complexities and challenges posed ... more

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Political messaging and information disorder during the 2020 Ghanaian elections: A multi-study analysis of verified misinformation and political social media engagement

Adedeji Adekunle

Abuja: Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ) (2021), 37 pp.

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Toward a Globally Networked Counter-Disinformation Response

Kevin Sheives

Global Insights (2021), 8 pp.

"A loosely connected, constantly learning global network of counter-disinformation responders—with the benefit of greater access to platforms and additional resources from funders—can serve as a bulwark against evolving threats to the integrity of the information space. Although these threats tr ... more

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Social Media and the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Dilemma of Fake News Clutter Vs. Social Responsibility

Moez Ben Messaoud

Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research, volume 14, issue 1 (2021), pp. 25-45

"This article examines the relationship between fake news and social media as increasingly important sources of news, at a time when mainstream media no longer have exclusive control over news production and dissemination. It has been evident that few media outlets and professionals tend to draw con ... flicting news about COVID-19 from social media feeds, which are largely produced by common citizens with mostly no journalism training. This pervasive use makes social media key sources to scores of media outlets for news, whether it is related to COVID-19 or public affairs issues, even though it is susceptible to torrents of credibility and accuracy issues. As a result, of the overwhelming spread of fake news on coronavirus, which is contributing to framing events from several angles, media professionals are now obliged to track and vet information circulating on social media. Due to the scale of disinformation spreading on the Web, it has become imperative that the credibility and accuracy of news is thoroughly verified. Media organizations have already been putting in place various mechanisms to monitor false news. This article will attempt to identify and assess these monitoring efforts in the Arab world. For this purpose, I have put together a list of Arab observatories launched on the internet in order to monitor fake news circulating in relation to COVID-19, and to discuss their methods of monitoring work, in the context of mobilization carried out by governments and many organizations such as the World Health Organization. This article is pinned down on social responsibility approach which helps pave the way the differentpropositions to combat fake news and avoid abuses in social media uses. This article proposes an evaluation of the monitoring initiative viaa- vis fake news and proposes a set of guidelines for improving the work of such monitoring bodies. Hence, this research reveals that social media outlets have diversified their goals to match the power of the conventional media in disseminating information and bringing up issues for debate. However, in the light of the framework of social responsibility, social media actors have to constantly develop a set of ethical practices to be observed by users, establish codes of conduct regulating content production, and lay down a code of integrity to assure accuracy in news and information transmission." (Abstract). more

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Myths and Misconceptions on Covid-19: ‘Congo Check’ and ‘Talato’ Verification Experiences

Fabíola Ortiz dos Santos

Frontiers in Communication, volume 6, issue 627214 (2021), 21 pp.

"This paper asks: How do fact-checkers combat/halt Covid-19 myths and misconceptions in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic? How do they engage in social media networks toward sense-giving and sharing corrective information? It discusses two cases of online media projec ... more

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The Digital Enquirer Kit

Tactical Tech (2021)

"The Digital Enquirer Kit is an e-learning course that guides learners through lessons on how to prevent the spread of misinformation, available on the free platform atingi.org. The course covers topics including media literacy, verification, and how to navigate the internet safely. The first four m ... more

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The Psychology of Fake News

Gordon Pennycook, David G. Rand

Trends in Cognitive Sciences, volume 25, issue 5 (2021), pp. 388-402

"We synthesize a burgeoning literature investigating why people believe and share false or highly misleading news online. Contrary to a common narrative whereby politics drives susceptibility to fake news, people are ‘better’ at discerning truth from falsehood (despite greater overall belief) wh ... more

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Post-Mortem: Russian and Chinese Covid-19 Information Operations

Edward Lucas, Ben Dubow, James Lamond, Jake Morris, Corina Rebegea, Vera Zakem

Washington, DC: Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) (2021), 72 pp.

"Russia recycled previous narratives and exacerbated tensions in Western society while attempting some propaganda about Russian scientific prowess. Russia’s approach evolved little; it recycled previous narratives, spreading a broad range of COVID-19 disinformation. Evidence supports the theory th ... more

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The Road Ahead: Mapping Civil Society Responses to Disinformation

Samantha Bradshaw, Lisa-Maria Neudert

Washington, DC: National Endowment for Democracy (NED) (2021), 27 pp.

"Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) bring a wide range of skill sets to the problem of digital disinformation. Some organizations focus on digital media literacy and education; others engage in advocacy and policy work. Another segment has developed expertise in fact-checking and verification. Other ... organizations have developed refined technical skills for extracting and analyzing data from social media platforms. This research yielded several clear observations about the state of CSO responses to disinformation and, in turn, suggests several recommendations for paths forward. • Prioritize Skill Diffusion and Knowledge Transfer. Civil society organizations seeking funding for counter-disinformation initiatives should emphasize the importance of skill diffusion and knowledge-transfer initiatives. The siloed nature of disinformation research points to a growing need to blend technical expertise with deep cultural and political knowledge. • CSO researchers lack sufficient access to social media data. Survey respondents identified insufficient access to data as a challenge. Sometimes data are not made available to CSOs; in other instances, data are made available in formats that are not workable for meaningful research purposes. Unequal access to the data that private companies do provide can exacerbate regional inequities, and the nature of data sharing by social media platforms can unduly shape the space for inquiry by civil society and other researchers. Funders, platforms, and other key actors should develop approaches that provide more consistent, inclusive data access to CSOs. • Duplicative programming hampers innovation. CSOs drawing on similar tools, approaches, and techniques to meet similar goals pointed to three main factors preventing more specialized, innovative initiatives: lack of coordination, lack of specific expertise, and lack of flexible funding. Community building and collaboration among relevant organizations deserve more investment, as do initiatives that partner larger, established organizations with smaller or growing ones, or pool efforts, skill sets, and expertise to encourage diverse research by design rather than by coincidence. • Relationships with tech platforms vary across regions. Surveyed CSOs often held simultaneously skeptical and positive opinions about their relationships with social media companies. Some receive preferential access to data and even funding for their work (raising concerns about independence), while others report a lack of responsiveness from company representatives. In the Global South and Eastern Europe, many CSOs expressed concern that platforms failed to meaningfully engage with them on issues of critical concern. • More flexible funding and more diverse research are both necessary. To encourage greater platform accountability across varied geographic contexts, CSOs and their funders should draw on the perspectives of specific, under-analyzed communities." (Executive summary, page 3-4) more

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The Truth Gap: How Misinformation and Disinformation Online Affect the Lives, Learning and Leadership of Girls and Young Women

Sharon Goulds et al.

Surrey: Plan International (2021), 46 pp.

"We surveyed over 26,000 girls and young women in 26 countries. 91% of girls and young women surveyed are concerned about misinformation and/or disinformation online. 40% of those surveyed are extremely or very concerned. Misinformation and disinformation are having a negative impact on 87% of the g ... more

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Verschwörungstheorien, Fake News und Rassismus = Théories du complot, fake news et racisme = Teorie del complotto, fake news e razzismo

Martine Brunschwig Graf

Tangram, issue 45 (2021), 164 pp.

"Die Bekämpfung von Rassismus geht einher mit der Bekämpfung von Stereotypen und Vorurteilen, die oft über Verschwörungstheorien und Fake News verbreitet werden. Diese Nummer des Tangram befasst sich mit den Berührungspunkten von Verschwörungstheorien, Fake News und Rassismus. Warum halten sic ... more

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The Chilling: Global Trends in Online Violence Against Women Journalists. Research Discussion Paper
Deep Insights

Julie Posetti, Nabeelah Shabbir, Diana Maynard, Kalina Bontcheva, Nermine Aboulez

UNESCO (2021), 94 pp.

"Online attacks on women journalists appear to be increasing significantly, as this study demonstrates, particularly in the context of the ‘shadow pandemic’ of violence against women during COVID-19. The pandemic has changed journalists’ working conditions, making them yet more dependent on di ... more

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Antisemitism and Anti-Vax Discourse in Europe: A Report on Conspiracy Ideologies and Anti-Jewish Hatred on Facebook and Twitter

Marianna Karakoulaki, Giulia Dessi

Media Diversity Institute (2021), 57 pp.

"[...] we tried to identify the connection between anti-vax conspiracy theories and antisemitism, and the way they spread on social media. Eight media monitors from Get The Trolls Out! partner organisations in Belgium (Flanders), Belgium (Wallonia), France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, and the ... more

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The COVID-19 Story: Unmasking China's Global Strategy

Louisa Lim, Julia Bergin, Johan Lidberg

International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) (2021), 7 pp.

"China has used Covid to benefit its global image through the activation of existing media dissemination channels overseas and the use of new tactics such as disinformation and misinformation. China’s largescale medical diplomacy campaign has also provided propaganda wins in many developing countr ... ies, burnishing Beijing’s image as a reliable partner. Anecdotal reports indicate that Beijing has stepped up its content offerings, in particular by tailoring content including disinformation for specific countries and translating state-run messages into local languages. In some countries, China was also seen as the purveyor of the most accurate information about the new coronavirus, showing its growing influence over global narratives. For Beijing, Covid diplomacy clearly offers another means through which it can exert its influence. This research shows that countries that are recipients of China’s Covid vaccine clearly have more positive coverage of China, but it cannot draw conclusions as to the factors behind that. This strategy has largely been acceptable to global journalists, who — judging by the results of our focus groups in three separate countries — do not perceive China’s advances as a threat at a national level. Such views are in part due to the incremental nature of the changes, the clumsiness of China’s propaganda effort and the irrelevance of much of the material provided to local audiences. However, the survey does reveal that when viewed globally, there does appear to be more concern about China’s influence, in particular in the Asia Pacific region. The survey indicates that the overall impact of Beijing’s outreach is a redrawing of the global media landscape — one story at a time, one country at a time — shifting the China coverage in a more positive direction. China is using a multi-pronged approach to redraw the information landscape to benefit its own global image. In 2020, Beijing effectively shut down journalistic access to China, through visa denials and freezes, partly driven by international border closures. This had the effect of creating a vacuum in China coverage, creating a demand for stories from China, which could then be filled with statesponsored content already available through content-sharing agreements." (Conclusions, page 7) more

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Desinformation: Risiken, Regulierungslücken und adäquate Gegenmaßnahmen
Deep Insights

Stephan Dreyer, Elena Stanciu, Keno Potthast, Wolfgang Schulz

Düsseldorf: Landesanstalt für Medien NRW; Hans-Bredow-Institut (2021), 97 pp.

"Auf der Grundlage der identifizierten Schutzlücken erarbeitet das Gutachten mögliche Gegenmaßnahmen und beschreibt die nötigen Wirkungsvoraussetzungen. Die zentrale Frage lautet: Welche Risikopotenziale für individuelle und gesellschaftliche Interessen weist Desinformation auf und welche Gover ... nance-Maßnahmen können darauf adäquat reagieren? Die Beantwortung dieser Leitfrage erfolgt dabei in drei Schritten: Vorangestellt (Kap. 2) werden die in wissenschaftlichen und medienpolitischen Diskussionen differenzierten Erscheinungsformen von Desinformation sowie ihre jeweiligen Begriffsverständnisse zusammengefasst und auf ihre Risikopotenziale hin untersucht. Ziel ist es, die Spannweite betroffener Phänomene aufzuzeigen und sie von anderen Erscheinungsformen und Begrifflichkeiten zu differenzieren. Dabei erfolgt auch eine Bewertung der Abgrenzungsindikatoren im Hinblick auf die Nutzbarkeit für rechtliche bzw. regulatorische Anknüpfungspunkte. Zudem wird hier kurz der Stand der Forschung hinsichtlich der abträglichen Effekte von Desinformation für individuelle und gesellschaftsbezogene Schutzziele einbezogen; Kenntnisse über Wirkungen von Desinformation auf einzelne Rezipientinnen und Rezipienten liegen hier bislang nur lückenhaft vor. Dies steht in gewissem Kontrast zu den eher impliziten Unterstellungen, die den aktuellen Regulierungsforderungen zugrunde liegen. Dort, wo empirische Evidenzen vorliegen, zeigt das Gutachten jedenfalls vermutete Effekte und ihre Risikopotenziale auf. Im zweiten Schritt (Kap. 3) wird der geltende Rechtsrahmen daraufhin untersucht, welche gesetzlichen Vorkehrungen gegen eine Risikorealisierung bereits bestehen und welche untergesetzlichen Initiativen sich auf Ebene von Ko- und Selbstregulierung entwickelt haben, die als Gegenkraft wirken können. An dieser Stelle setzt die Untersuchung die Arbeit des GVK-Gutachtens von Möller, Hameleers und Ferreau fort,5 indem bestehende risikospezifische Schutzlücken mit Blick auf die identifizierten Risikopotenziale herausgearbeitet werden. Dort, wo Schutzlücken erkennbar werden, zeigt das Gutachten staatliche Handlungsmöglichkeiten und -grenzen auf. Im dritten Schritt (Kap. 4) werden regulatorische Ansatzpunkte und -instrumente, die in der Lage sind, die identifizierten Schutzlücken zu schließen, beleuchtet. Klassische Ansätze der Medienregulierung eignen sich hier meist begrenzt, da für den Bereich der öffentlichen Kommunikation der Grundsatz gilt, dass es nicht staatliche Aufgabe sein kann und darf, über die Einstufungen wahr/unwahr oder erwünschte Meinung/unerwünschte Meinung zu befinden. Hier müssen – soweit überhaupt Handeln angezeigt ist – Wege staatsferner, prozeduraler Steuerung betreten6 oder alternative Formen von inhalts- und technikbezogener Governance entwickelt werden. Alternativ oder ergänzend kommen neben Maßnahmen, die diskursermöglichend oder -unterstützend wirken, auch Gegenmaßnahmen in Betracht, die informationsintegritätssteigernde oder -integrierende Wirkungen haben können." (Seite 4-5) more

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The Sputnik V vaccine: An international success for Russia? An analysis of the way Russian state-owned media RT and Sputnik/SNA present information and use methods of disinformation in the examples of Germany, France, Great Britain, Serbia, Slovakia and Kazakhstan

Susanne Spahn

Berlin: The Greens-EFA in the European Parliament (2021), 41 pp.

"This analysis examines the methods of disinformation being used to prove Russia's scientific lead, while portraying Western compet-itors in a very negative light. Sputnik V is an instrument of "soft power" through which Russia is trying to gain influence worldwide. In order to evaluate how successf ... more

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Trends in combating fake news on social media: A survey

Botambu Collins, Dinh Tuyen Hoang, Ngoc Thanh Nguyen, Dosam Hwang

Journal of Information and Telecommunication, volume 5, issue 2 (2021), pp. 247-266

"This study explores the various methods of combating fake news on social media such as Natural Language Processing, Hybrid model. We surmised that detecting fake news is a challenging and complex issue, however, it remains a workable task. Revelation in this study holds that the application of hybr ... more

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Effective state practices against disinformation: Four country case studies

Jean-Baptiste Jeangène Vilmer

Helsinki: European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE) (2021), 30 pp.

"[...] this Research Report has selected four country case studies: Sweden, Canada, the United Kingdom, and France. Obviously, other cases would have been interesting, particularly the United States. But the United States is already at the centre of other works, including by Hybrid CoE. Being divers ... more

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Fighting Fake News: A Study of Online Misinformation Regulation in the Asia Pacific

Andrea Carson

Melbourne: La Trobe University (2021), xvi, 117 pp.

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What Works: Addressing COVID-19 Misinformation. Lessons from the Frontlines in 100 Countries

Rachael Jolley

Internews (2021), 14 pp.

"A global COVID-19 vaccine rollout must be coupled with funding and strategies to support trusted local media worldwide. The experience of communities in countries across the world demonstrates an urgent need to support groups at the local level if misinformation and mistrust is to be tackled effect ... more

Disinformation and freedom of opinion and expression: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression Deep Insights

The Chilling: Global Trends in Online Violence Against Women Journalists. Research Discussion Paper Deep Insights

Desinformation: Risiken, Regulierungslücken und adäquate Gegenmaßnahmen Deep Insights

Disinformation and freedom of opinion and expression: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
Deep Insights

The Chilling: Global Trends in Online Violence Against Women Journalists. Research Discussion Paper
Deep Insights

Desinformation: Risiken, Regulierungslücken und adäquate Gegenmaßnahmen
Deep Insights