False online claims about business and the economy top the list of misinformation concerns for Australians and research indicates they are screaming out for help on how to deal with it. In some ways, it’s not surprising misinformation on the economy rates so highly during a cost-of-living crisis and with a federal election looming — finance-related scams are also a concern — but they’re just a few areas highlighted as Australians drown in a sea of questionable claims every day.
Online misinformation and disinformation have been labeled bigger short-term global threats than climate change or war; improving media literacy is a critical step in fighting it. That need is stark considering researchers — whose report, “Online misinformation in Australia,” was published late last year — found more than half of dodgy information is reported as coming from news sources, whether that be traditional or alternative forms of media.
Australians encounter hundreds of claims each day through channels that might include listening to a podcast, scrolling social media, or reading the news and when surfing the internet to shop, learn, or seek entertainment. The challenge is assessing how many of these claims are true and how confident Australians can be in their abilities to separate fact from fiction.
The researchers found that more than half of Australians encounter misinformation in a typical week and 97 percent of Australians have poor or limited ability to verify claims they encounter online. The research shone a light on the sources of everyday misinformation, the topics covered and how and where those claims are communicated. It also offers suggestions on how to respond.
Research participants were asked to document online news and information they saw each day for a week and rate its trustworthiness. More than 20 percent of the 1,600 examples provided were perceived by the participants to have false or misleading claims. Those misleading claims weren’t limited to the usual suspects such as health or political information, but ranged across other topics that included celebrity news, entertainment, and sports.
False or misleading claims about business and economics were the most prevalent. A cost-of-living crisis and heightened focus on money can attract both those who don’t have it as well as those who want to exploit the vulnerable for financial, political or other gain. It’s only logical, then, that scams feature high on the list of misinformation threats worrying Australians.
The research also examined the sources of false or misleading claims. News outlets are supposed to be sources of accurate, credible information but, surprisingly, were responsible for 58 percent of the dodgy claims. Participants were particularly critical of “spammy” and clickbait headlines. Social media accounts comprised 18 percent of the examples.
Researchers studied exactly what form misinformation took, finding written claims were the most frequent, accounting for 68 percent of all examples. Other examples such as social media posts made up 18 percent and video 11 percent, while images (3 percent) and audio (1 percent) made up much smaller proportions.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that there are fewer spoken or visual claims that are false or misleading online. It might mean people find it harder to fact check them, and don’t have the literacy to know or the opportunity to check whether what they’re seeing or hearing is true. It’s much easier to copy a written claim and see what other sources say about it compared with trying to dictate or describe a claim found in spoken or visual form to check its accuracy.
In the midst of Australia recently announcing the development of a national media literacy strategy and social media platforms rolling back or abandoning fact-checking efforts, people want access to media literacy support as a response to misinformation, this research reveals.
Media literacy refers to the ability to evaluate and ask critical questions of the different media people access, use, create, and share. Adopting a media literacy approach to misinformation can be incredibly powerful, building critical knowledge and the ability to identify, evaluate, and reflect on false or misleading claims.
Research participants’ interest in media literacy was high, and they particularly wanted to build skills to help them evaluate sources of information and claims. They wanted to know how to gauge the reliability and trustworthiness of a source, as well as being able to to identify the intent behind different claims.
One Sydney respondent described the goal as “recognizing whether a piece of information or content is just simply trying to inform you versus a piece of information that is trying to persuade you into doing something.”
Respondents also reiterated the importance of involving key public institutions, such as schools and government, to support media education. They saw the news media as having responsibilities to deliver accurate and trustworthy information.
At its core, media literacy seeks to provide individuals with the knowledge and capabilities to thrive in society — and that can only help them better navigate an untrustworthy online world.
Originally published under Creative Commons by 360info™.
