Matanji, F. orcid.org/0000-0003-1603-0194, Tully, M. orcid.org/0000-0003-1850-3477, Mudavadi, K.C. orcid.org/0000-0003-2083-4785 et al. (2 more authors) (2024) Media literacy and fact-checking as proactive and reactive responses to misinformation in Kenya and Senegal. African Journalism Studies. ISSN 2374-3670
Abstract
This study examines how media professionals in Kenya and Senegal respond to misinformation using fact-checking and media literacy strategies and how they perceive these strategies for mitigating the spread of misinformation. We conducted 42 semi-structured in-depth interviews with people belonging to one of the following three groups: individuals employed in the news media such as journalists, reporters and editors; individuals working for either independent fact-checking organisations or doing fact-checking within the newsrooms of online and offline media; and individuals engaged in media policymaking. Findings indicate that media professionals in both Senegal and Kenya employ fact-checking strategies such as cross-checking information from primary, secondary and expert sources and verifying images and videos using reverse image search as reactive strategies. Consistent with inoculation theory, participants also promote media literacy as a proactive strategy to equip media producers and consumers with the knowledge and skills to critically engage with media content. Lastly, journalists, fact-checkers and policymakers lauded fact-checking and media literacy as effective strategies for mitigating the spread of misinformation, suggesting that both strategies should be used simultaneously to empower both media consumers and producers against misinformation.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 The Authors. Except as otherwise noted, this author-accepted version of a journal article published in African Journalism Studies is made available via the University of Sheffield Research Publications and Copyright Policy under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
Keywords: | Fact-checking; media literacy; misinformation; Kenya; Senegal |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Department of Journalism Studies (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 07 Oct 2024 14:11 |
Last Modified: | 07 Oct 2024 20:10 |
Status: | Published online |
Publisher: | Informa UK Limited |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1080/23743670.2024.2401782 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:217977 |
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Filename: Manuscript_with author details AJS Misinformation Final Paper.pdf
Licence: CC-BY 4.0