Journal article
Exploring Audience Agency in Countering Misinformation
International journal of communication, Vol.19, pp.2382-2406
2025
Abstract
Drawing on 41 in-depth interviews with media professionals, policy and media experts, and 50 social media users in Kenya and Senegal, this study uncovers conceptual gaps in how the two groups understand misinformation and reveals differences in how they view the role of “the audience” in stopping the spread of misinformation. Although media professionals and policy and media experts connect misinformation to the news, social media users relate it to “everyday” misinformation. We also find that professionals believe they have a role in stopping misinformation by creating high-quality information but are not always confident that audiences engage with their work. This is supported by interviews with social media users who say they rarely seek out fact-checks or media literacy messages. Our findings also suggest that some social media users believe they have high levels of agency in addressing misinformation, but not all exercise it.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Exploring Audience Agency in Countering Misinformation
- Creators
- Dani Madrid-Morales - University of South AfricaMelissa Tully - University of Iowa, United StatesKevin C. Mudavadi - Georgia State UniversityFrankline Matanji - University of Iowa, United StatesLayire Diop - Francis Marion University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- International journal of communication, Vol.19, pp.2382-2406
- ISSN
- 1932-8036
- eISSN
- 1932-8036
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2025
- Academic Unit
- Psychiatry; Center for Social Science Innovation; Injury Prevention Research Center; School of Journalism and Mass Communication
- Record Identifier
- 9984833630102771
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