Journal of Information and Knowledge (Formerly SRELS Journal of Information Management)

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Misinformation and Disinformation in the Era of Social Media: The Need for Fact-Checking Skills


Affiliations
1 Department of Library and Information Technology, Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria
2 Kogi State University, Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria
3 University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


The paper explores the need for fact-checking skills in the era of misinformation and disinformation on social media. This paper employs a systematic review of literature through ResearchGate, Google Scholar and Web of Science databases to examine the need for fact-checking skills among media professionals. The paper indicates that the significance of factchecking skills among media professionals cannot be overstated in our contemporary information landscape. It is believed that media and information professionals hold a critical responsibility to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information they disseminate. Fact-checking skills, encompassing rigorous verification, source scrutiny, and a commitment to transparency, stand as a bulwark against the tide of misinformation that pervades the digital era. Given this, the paper argues that misinformation has the potential to erode trust in institutions, sow discord, and influence public opinion. By actively engaging in fact-checking, media and information professionals become agents of truth, fortifying the foundations of a well-informed and resilient society. The paper concludes that the power to combat misinformation lies in the hands of those who shape narratives and tell the stories that define our world. The commitment to fact-checking is not merely a professional obligation but a moral imperative.

Keywords

Disinformation, Fact-Checking, Information Professionals, Misinformation, Media Professionals, Skills, Social Media
User
About The Authors

Bolaji David Oladokun
Department of Library and Information Technology, Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom
Nigeria

Joel Eleojo Aruwa
Kogi State University, Anyigba, Kogi State
Nigeria

Gabriel Alhassan Ottah
Kogi State University, Anyigba, Kogi State
Nigeria

Yusuf Ayodeji Ajani
University of Ilorin, Kwara State
Nigeria


Notifications

  • Albright, J. (2020). The #Election 2016 micro-propaganda machine. https://medium.com/@d1gi/the-election2016- micro-propaganda-machine-383449cc1fba

  • Brandtzaeg, P. B., Følstad, A., & Domínguez, M. Á. C. (2018). How journalists and social media users perceive online factchecking and verification services. Journalism Practice, 12(9), 1109-1129. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2017.1363657

  • Brennen, A. J. S., Simon, F. M., Howard, P. N., & Nielsen, R. K. (2020). Types, sources, and claims of COVID-19 misinformation. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/types-sourcesand- claims-covid-19-misinformation

  • Ceron, W., de-Lima-Santos, M. F., & Quiles, M. G. (2021). Fake news agenda in the era of COVID-19: Identifying trends through fact-checking content. Online Social Networks and Media, 21, Article 100116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. osnem.2020.100116

  • Cinelli, M., Quattrociocchi, W., Galeazzi, A., Valensise, C. M., Brugnoli, E., Schmidt, A. L., ... & Scala, A. (2020). The COVID-19 social media infodemic. Scientific Reports, 10(1), Article 16598. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020- 73510-5 PMid:33024152 PMCid:PMC7538912

  • Diakopoulos, N. (2016). Algorithmic accountability: A primer. data society research institute. https://datasociety.net/ pubs/ia/DataAndSociety_Algorithmic_Accountability_ Primer_2016.pdf

  • Di Domenico, G., Nunan, D., Sit, J. & Pitardi, V. (2021). Free but fake speech: When giving primacy to the source decreases misinformation sharing on social media. Psychology and Marketing, 38(10), 1700-1711. https://doi.org/10.1002/ mar.21479

  • Erku, D. A., Belachew, S. A., Abrha, S., Sinnollareddy, M., Thomas, J., Steadman, K. J., & Tesfaye, W. H. (2021). When fear and misinformation go viral: Pharmacists’ role in deterring medication misinformation during the ‘infodemic’ surrounding COVID-19. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 17(1), 1954-1963. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.04.032 PMid:32387230 PMCid:PMC7252082

  • Fowler-Watt, K., & McDougall, J. (2019). Media literacy versus fake news: fact-checking and verification in the era of fake news and post-truths. Journalism Education: The Journal of the Association for Journalism Education, 8(1), 59-68.

  • Guarino, S., Trino, N., Chessa, A., & Riotta, G. (2020). Beyond fact-checking: Network analysis tools for monitoring disinformation in social media. Vol 1. COMPLEX NETWORKS 2019: Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Complex Networks and Their Applications VIII (pp. 436-447). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030- 36687-2_36

  • Guess, A., Nagler, J., & Tucker, J. (2020). Less than you think: Prevalence and predictors of fake news dissemination on Facebook. Science Advances, 6(14), Article eaay3539. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aay3539 PMid:32284969 PMCid:PMC7124954

  • Hall, T. E., Well, J., & Emery, E. (2021). Fact-checking in an era of fake news: A template for a lesson on lateral reading of social media posts. Connected Science Learning, 3(3), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/24758779.2021.12318692

  • Himma-Kadakas, M., & Ojamets, I. (2022). Debunking false information: investigating journalists’ fact-checking skills. Digital Journalism, 10(5), 866-887. https://doi.org/10.1080 /21670811.2022.2043173

  • Kadam, A. B., & Atre, S. R. (2020). Negative impact of social media panic during the COVID-19 outbreak in India. Journal of Travel Medicine, 27(3), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/ taaa057 PMid:32307545 PMCid:PMC7188175

  • Kuś, M., & Barczyszyn-Madziarz, P. (2020). Fact-checking initiatives as promoters of media and information literacy: The case of Poland. Central European Journal of Communication, 13(2 (26)), 249-265. https://doi. org/10.19195/1899-5101.13.2(26).6

  • López-Marcos, C., & Vicente-Fernández, P. (2021). Fact Checkers facing fake news and disinformation in the digital age: A comparative analysis between Spain and United Kingdom. Publications, 9(3), 36. https://doi.org/10.3390/ publications9030036


Abstract Views: 118

PDF Views: 1




  • Misinformation and Disinformation in the Era of Social Media: The Need for Fact-Checking Skills

Abstract Views: 118  |  PDF Views: 1

Authors

Bolaji David Oladokun
Department of Library and Information Technology, Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria
Joel Eleojo Aruwa
Kogi State University, Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria
Gabriel Alhassan Ottah
Kogi State University, Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria
Yusuf Ayodeji Ajani
University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract


The paper explores the need for fact-checking skills in the era of misinformation and disinformation on social media. This paper employs a systematic review of literature through ResearchGate, Google Scholar and Web of Science databases to examine the need for fact-checking skills among media professionals. The paper indicates that the significance of factchecking skills among media professionals cannot be overstated in our contemporary information landscape. It is believed that media and information professionals hold a critical responsibility to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information they disseminate. Fact-checking skills, encompassing rigorous verification, source scrutiny, and a commitment to transparency, stand as a bulwark against the tide of misinformation that pervades the digital era. Given this, the paper argues that misinformation has the potential to erode trust in institutions, sow discord, and influence public opinion. By actively engaging in fact-checking, media and information professionals become agents of truth, fortifying the foundations of a well-informed and resilient society. The paper concludes that the power to combat misinformation lies in the hands of those who shape narratives and tell the stories that define our world. The commitment to fact-checking is not merely a professional obligation but a moral imperative.

Keywords


Disinformation, Fact-Checking, Information Professionals, Misinformation, Media Professionals, Skills, Social Media

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.17821/srels%2F2024%2Fv61i1%2F171266