True Costs of Misinformation| Exploring Audience Agency in Countering Misinformation

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.