Dis-/Misinformation Practices & Case Studies

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Dynamics and contours of online disinformation based on perspectives from Nigerian internet users

Jude Nwakpoke Ogbodo, Agatha Obiageri Orji-Egwu, Emmanuel Ogbonna Njoku, Ogonnaya Lynda Ngwu

Discover Global Society, volume 4 (2026), 20 pp.

“This study examined how Nigerian social media and internet users experience, interpret, and respond to online disinformation. The study was guided by the Uses and Gratifications and Social Cognitive theories. It explored four interrelated research questions. A qualitative design was adopted, usin ... more

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Disinformation Campaigns in Africa: Actors, Consequences, and Responses

Admire Mare, Allen Munoriyarwa

New York: Bloomsbury Publishing (2026), 262 pp.

"Centering disinformation campaigns in Africa, this book examines typologies of false and misleading information and assesses the devastating consequences of disinformation. Admire Mare and Allen Munoriyarwa cover the key actors, consequences of, and responses to combat disinformation campaigns th ... more

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Detecting and Countering AI-Enabled Disinformation

Emmanuel Bahindi, Antonio Kisembo, Echeru Rodney Oluma

Kampala: AI Media Lab, Media Challenge Initiative (2026), 18 pp.

"This paper follows AI-enabled disinformation from production through distribution and monetisation. It considers what detection tools can and cannot establish and places verification within the wider work of journalism and public communication. The practical value lies in helping readers recognise ... more

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Disinformation in Migration Reporting

Emmanuel Bahindi, Antonio Kisembo, Echeru Rodney Oluma

Kampala: AI Media Lab, Media Challenge Initiative (2026), 31 pp.

"This paper explores the production and spread of false narratives about migrants and refugees and the consequences for public understanding and safety. It places migration reporting within wider patterns of disinformation, including the use of emotionally charged claims and amplification. The discu ... more

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Deciphering authenticity in the age of AI: how AI-generated disinformation images and AI detection tools influence judgements of authenticity
Deep Insights

Key Guides

Aqsa Farooq, Claes de Vreese

AI & SOCIETY, volume 41 (2025), pp. 493–504

"An ongoing surge of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled false content has been spreading its way through the information ecosystem, including AI-generated images, which have been used as part of political disinformation campaigns. Thus, there remains a pressing need to understand which factors ind ... more

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Examining How Fact-checking Hubs Counter Information Disorder in Africa

Isiaka Zubair Aliagan, Habeeb Opeyemi Daranijo

Komunikator, volume 17, issue 1 (2025), pp. 52–62

“As fake news, misinformation, and communication disorders continue to raise societal concerns, several countermeasures are emerging to combat this growing challenge. This study examines the role of social media in the spread of information disorder in Africa and evaluates how effectively three pr ... more

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How Strategic Information Operations Affect Peacekeeping: Two Case Studies from the Central African Republic

Naomi Miyashita, Zarine Kharazian, Laura De Backer, Kate Starbird

International Peacekeeping, volume 32, issue 3 (2025), pp. 414-456

"Strategic information operations – efforts by individuals or groups to shape public opinion using propaganda, rumors and facts – pose significant challenges to peacekeeping missions. These operations undermine trust, hinder communication with the public and complicate the implementation of peac ... more

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AI-Generated Disinformation in Europe and Africa: Use Cases, Solutions and Transnational Learning
Deep Insights

Karen Allen, Christopher Nehring

Johannesburg: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), Media Programme Sub-Sahara Africa (2025), xii, 158 pp.

"While there are already several analyses and studies of AI disinformation in 2024 (particularly relating to elections), there are few transnational and transcontinental comparative studies of AI disinformation. The aim of this study is to fill this gap by providing a comparative analysis of AI disi ... more

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Mapping the information integrity landscape in West Africa: An annotated bibliography

Zara Schoeder, Liz Orembo, Marie Batista

Cape Town: Research ICT Africa (2025), 26 pp.

"This annotated bibliography is organised into four sections. Section 1 demonstrates how disinformation emerges as the most prominent topic in the literature on information integrity. Several different kinds of agents of disinformation operate within West Africaʼs information sphere. These range fr ... om political actors and interest groups to foreign entities and social media influencers. Each exploits social fault lines to sway public opinion, particularly in the lead-up to elections and during conflicts. An organised network of influence narratives – which can sometimes be complex and include both local and foreign disinformation-for-hire merchants complemented by a network of informed but polarised citizens – forms part of the machinery of political campaigns. This machinery transcends elections to become a way of governance as governments continue to rely on it to deflect accountability and manipulate public discourse. Section 2 describes the events around which information disorders are promoted. During periods of political instability, elections, or armed conflicts, information disorders often emerge as key drivers of mass action. In these contexts, disinformation and hate speech are weaponised to incite violence, manipulate public sentiment, and deepen ethnic and religious divisions. Ethnicity and religion frequently become fault lines that disinformation campaigns exploit to divide communities and trigger mass actions such as violent protests, or for widespread voter manipulation. In the case of elections, disinformation is used to sway voter opinions by distorting candidatesʼ positions or spreading fabricated narratives about political opponents. Likewise, in conflict situations, armed groups and militant organisations may use information disorders to recruit new members by promoting extremist ideologies, spreading fear, or creating a sense of urgency. Politicians and conflict groups alike have learned to manipulate these divisions for their agendas, making information integrity a critical issue for social cohesion, democratic stability, and peacebuilding in the region. Section 3 covers literature on fact-checking as one of the measures to mitigate information disorders. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can scale up fact-checking efforts by detecting and scaling up the distribution of correct information. However, even using AI for fact-checking experiences significant limitations. For example, local languages make it hard for AI to detect disinformation and hate speech in all instances. When misinformation is shared on instant messaging platforms like Telegram channels it is also difficult for an ordinary user to detect. Section 4 covers media literacy as an antidote to information disorders, especially disinformation. UNESCO has been at the forefront of addressing information integrity issues in West Africa through its research and media literacy programmes. Recognising the role of accurate and reliable information in fostering peace, democracy, and development, UNESCO has sought to promote the importance of information integrity by partnering with governments, civil society organisations, and media outlets to combat disinformation. Additionally, UNESCOʼs media literacy programmes aim to empower citizens with the skills to critically evaluate and engage with information, fostering a more informed and resilient public.8 These initiatives are particularly important in an era where digital media plays such a significant role in shaping opinions and driving political discourse." (Introduction, pages 3-4) more

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WhatsApp in the World: Disinformation, Encryption, and Extreme Speech
Deep Insights

Sahana Udupa, Herman Wasserman (eds.)

New York: New York University Press (2025), vii, 375 pp.

"Known by the popular nickname “ZapZap” in Brazil and synonymous with the Internet across Africa and South Asia, WhatsApp has emerged as a major means of communication for millions of people around the world. Unlike social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, WhatsApp offers a closed, e ... more

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Digital Disinformation in Africa: Hashtag Politics, Power and Propaganda

Tony Roberts, George Hamandishe Karekwaivanane (ed.)

London: Zed Books (2024), xiv, 242 pp.

"In an era when hashtag campaigns like #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter capture global attention for victims of injustice, politicians and corporations are now spending billions employing Cambridge Analytica-type consultancies to manufacture disinformation - employing trolls, cyborgs and bots to disrupt ... more

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Mapping a Surge of Disinformation in Africa

Africa Center for Strategic Studies (corporate author)

Online: Africa Center for Strategic Studies (2024), 8 pp.

"This publication maps documented disinformation campaigns across Africa, grouping them by region and sponsor and describing their political and security consequences. It highlights foreign state-sponsored operations, domestic political actors, militant groups and military actors, with examples invo ... more

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Disinformation and Peacebuilding in Sub-Saharan Africa: Security Implications of AI-Altered Information Environments

Eduardo Albrecht, Eleonore Fournier-Tombs, Rebecca Brubaker

New York, Geneva: United Nations University (UNU) (2024), 39 pp.

"[...] this report aims to further explore the way in which AI technologies as they currently stand impact peace and conflict, and what methods might be used to mitigate their adverse effects - through the development of better tools and the inclusion of peace and conflict considerations in AI gover ... nance frameworks. The report presents the following findings: 1. AI is a driver of disinformation which adversely impacts peacebuilding efforts. 2. There are several ways to mitigate AI-powered disinformation. 3. AI can also be used to promote peacebuilding, although these mechanisms are still in their early stages. In relation to these findings, the report proposes the following recommendations: 1. More funding and support should be provided to civil society organizations’ efforts to expand media literacy and fact-checking initiatives using AI tools to enhance capabilities. 2. Governments need to work with civil society to develop and implement comprehensive, transparent legal frameworks combating disinformation. These legislative measures need to support digital and media literacy campaigns and fact-checking organizations. 3. Social media companies need to expand investment and research into understanding local information environments, so they can better identify and respond to instances of disinformation in all contexts in which they operate and enhance transparency. 4. Peacebuilding organizations need to carefully consider local media ecosystems and information environments when conducting conflict analyses, and factor these dynamics into their projects’ frameworks. Currently, disinformation exacerbates existing grievances and polarization, can act as a trigger for violence, leads individuals to make decisions based on false information, and creates or intensifies mistrust of institutions and international peacebuilding efforts. The efforts of journalists and civil society organizations to combat these effects, primarily through media literacy initiatives and factchecking, cannot keep up with the scope and scale of ‘fake news.’ Generative AI will increase the rate at which false content is produced and disseminated, and the quality or ‘believability’ of such content. Governments, civil society, and social media companies must work in tandem to combat the spread of disinformation and the impact it can have on peacebuilding efforts and security in sub-Saharan Africa." (Executive summary) more

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Artificial Intelligence in Newsrooms: Ethical Challenges Facing Journalists

Omar Al-Zoubi, Normahfuzah Ahmad, Norsiah Abdul Hamid

Studies in Media and Communication, volume 12, issue 1 (2024), pp. 401–409

"Artificial intelligence has started to expand in journalism, especially in advanced news organisations. It is evident that journalists are beginning to realise the importance of AI and that it will be a partner to human journalists in their work inside newsrooms. Despite the numerous benefits that ... more

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Is ChatGPT a Friend or Foe in the War on Misinformation? A South African Perspective

Burgert Senekal, Susan Brokensha

Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa, volume 42, issue 2 (2023), pp. 3-16

"The release of ChatGPT at the end of 2022 met with fears and optimism. One particularly important avenue of research that is emerging revolves around ChatGPT's ability to provide accurate and unbiased information on a variety of topics. Given the interest that Google and Microsoft have shown in sim ... more

Deciphering authenticity in the age of AI: how AI-generated disinformation images and AI detection tools influence judgements of authenticity Deep Insights Key Guides

AI-Generated Disinformation in Europe and Africa: Use Cases, Solutions and Transnational Learning Deep Insights

WhatsApp in the World: Disinformation, Encryption, and Extreme Speech Deep Insights

Deciphering authenticity in the age of AI: how AI-generated disinformation images and AI detection tools influence judgements of authenticity
Deep Insights

Key Guides

AI-Generated Disinformation in Europe and Africa: Use Cases, Solutions and Transnational Learning
Deep Insights

WhatsApp in the World: Disinformation, Encryption, and Extreme Speech
Deep Insights