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World Disasters Report 2026: Truth, Trust and Humanitarian Action in the Age of Harmful Information
Deep Insights

Charlotte Lindsey Curtet (ed.)

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (ICRC) (2026), 372 pp.

"The World Disasters Report 2026 calls on governments, humanitarian actors, media, technology companies and communities, to recognise that the trustworthiness of information is a matter of life and death. Just as we plan for logistics, shelter and health care in emergencies, we must also plan for th ... e information environment. This requires investing in community engagement, prioritizing listening over speaking, building resilience against harmful narratives and consistently upholding humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence in every interaction and message. In 2024, 32 Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers and staff were killed while on duty; in 2025, a further 27 lives were lost. This is a painful reminder of the risks borne by those who put humanity first, often in the most dangerous circumstances. Their deaths underscore the urgent need to protect humanitarian staff and volunteers, and to safeguard the space they need to save lives. Anything that deepens mistrust, fuels hostility or turns the emblem of protection into a target must be confronted with urgency. Honouring their memory compels us to meet this crisis with urgency and resolve. Hope must also be part of our response. Harmful information thrives on fear and confusion, but hope – rooted in trust, solidarity and human dignity – can be just as contagious. Balancing threats with hope and fostering narratives of agency and possibility offers a vital counterforce. Around the world, communities respond to crises not only with resilience but also with creativity and compassion, often leading the way in finding solutions. By amplifying authentic stories and voices, we do more than counter falsehoods: we inspire action, strengthen trust and remind people that even in the darkest moments, there are paths forward. The IFRC and its member Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have always worked at the heart of communities, earning trust through presence, transparency and respect. In today’s information crisis, this role matters more than ever. Our commitment is clear and unwavering: act with humanity and based on evidence, uphold trust and put people in need first – so that in moments of fear and uncertainty, the voices that carry furthest are those that heal, aid and protect. Each of us has a role to play. By staying informed, questioning, verifying and amplifying only what is trustworthy and constructive, we strengthen the information environment and ensure that hope speaks louder than harm." (Foreword) 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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Disinformation: A Multi-Disciplinary Analysis
Deep Insights

Lisa Ginsborg, Paula Gori (eds.)

Cham: Springer (2026), xvi, 654 pp.

"This volume provides a multidisciplinary analysis of disinformation and strategies for tackling it. Authored by a diverse group of scholars and experts, chapters in this volume are divided into three thematic sections. The first section delves into disinformation from various disciplinary perspecti ... more

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Information Disorder and Resilience in the Global South: Structural Drivers, Governance, Media Literacy, and Fact-Checking

Meli M. Ncube, Herman Wasserman, Ruhiya Kristine Seward (eds.)

Stellenbosch: Center for Information Integrity in Africa (CINIA) (2026), 123 pp.

"This book illustrates the reality that information disorder is not solely a problem of untrue news or toxic speech; it is structural, entwined intrinsically with politics, economics, technology, and culture. The same pattern-including a weak media system with consolidated ownership, fragile regulat ... ion, and global platforms orientated toward engagement rather than truth-stands out from Africa through to Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. These conditions create societies that are ripe for misinformation and disinformation. Solutions, therefore, must reach beyond technical fixes and get to the deeper structures that dictate how information flows. WHY THE PROBLEM IS STRUCTURAL. The information disorder framework of Wardle and Derakhshan (2017) helps us to understand the various ways harmful content can manifest. However, intent is difficult to prove, and harm usually depends on context. In the Global South, information disorder proliferates in conditions where media operate on shoestring budgets, governments systematically limit access to information, and platforms capture advertising markets. These structural weaknesses set up an environment in which false content can spread easily and trust declines. MEDIA CONCENTRATION AND PLATFORM DOMINANCE. Latin America provides an example of how the old patterns of media concentration are merged with new digital disruptions. The old oligopolies of traditional media still dominate, but now platforms like WhatsApp, YouTube, and Facebook oversee the traffic and revenue that flow to them. Algorithms reward sensational content, while programmatic advertising siphons money away from independent journalism. This is what is currently called ‘digital colonialism’ in Africa: foreign platforms set the rules while local languages and contexts are ignored. Infrastructure projects expand connectivity but deepen dependency when ownership remains offshore. REGULATION: BALANCING INTEGRITY AND RIGHTS. Meanwhile, governments have introduced laws against so-called ‘fake news’, but many are based on vaguely worded provisions that have been used to silence critics. Inconsistency and bias towards Global North languages in platform self-regulation persist. Co-regulation, where responsibility is shared by states and companies under independent oversight, is preferable, but Information Disorder and Resilience in the Global South requires robust institutions and civil society participation. Transparency of algorithms, data portability, and competition measures will be necessary to check the power of platforms. JOURNALISM UNDER PRESSURE. The collapse of the old revenue models and the capture of advertising by platforms have done much to make journalism economically fragile. But this is more than a business problem; it is, importantly, a democratic one. When newsrooms are starved of resources, quality suffers and trust erodes. Hybrid funding models-subscriptions, donations, and philanthropy-help, but these have their limits. Journalism should be considered akin to public infrastructure and supported as such by fair taxation levied on digital platforms, alongside policies to ensure media diversity. FACT CHECKING, MEDIA LITERACY. Fact-checking is indispensable, but it cannot be the sole panacea. It is fraught with political risks, underfunding problems, and maintaining pace with AI-generated output. Programs on media and information literacy show promise, particularly for children, but their effects quickly fade without reinforcement. The Sri Lanka case study further established that practical skills, such as keeping passwords safe, are retained, while habits for verification involving more complexity slowly deteriorate over time. Media and information literacy must be embedded within school curricula and championed through parenting; it must be placed in a local context. SIX PRIORITIES FOR ACTION. To construct resilient information ecosystems, what is required is effort at six points: 1. Support independent journalism with sustainable funding and fair regulation. 2. Incentivize platforms, not just their content, to reduce the spread of harmful material. 3. Localize moderation and infrastructure to counter digital colonialism. 4. Integrate MIL into education and assess long-term impacts. 5. Strengthen networks of fact-checking and connect them with literacy programs. 6. Encourage epistemic diversity through promoting local languages and knowledge systems." (Conclusion, pages 121-122) more

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Disinformation in Georgia

Koba Turmanidze (ed.)

Caucasus Analytical Digest, issue 145 (2026), 24 pp.

"One highly at-risk cluster is defined by socio-economic and geographic disadvantages. Vulnerability is greater among women, rural residents, and those with lower education and income, according to Bandzeladze and Chkhetiani. The authors further highlight that women living in rural areas with lower ... levels of education and income are collectively most at risk, as assessed by their ability to recognize information correctly. Similarly, Atchaidze and Fabos found that individuals living in rural settlements and those with lower reported income were most likely to receive low scores on the media literacy index, often inaccurately identifying answers as true or false, particularly on themes related to EU integration. A critical finding regarding vulnerability relates to ethnic minorities. The study by Atchaidze and Fabos demonstrated a clear media literacy divide, reporting that ethnic Azerbaijanis and ethnic Armenians scored far lower on the media literacy index compared to ethnic Georgians. These groups’ struggle to accurately assess politically relevant information makes them prime targets for false narratives. Political and ideological factors are also strong predictors of susceptibility. Crucially, politically unaffiliated individuals (nonpartisans or those declining to disclose party affiliation) are the most vulnerable group, reporting the lowest rates of fact-checking and the lowest accuracy in evaluating information, as demonstrated by Bandzeladze and Chkhetiani. Conversely, Bandzeladze and Chkhetiani note that partisan attachment, particularly among opposition supporters, can foster heightened vigilance, leading to greater skepticism and accuracy. Furthermore, subscription to conspiratorial beliefs significantly increases susceptibility to manipulation. Bandzeladze and Chkhetiani found that belief in narratives, such as the state-sponsored “Global War Party,” substantially undermines the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood. The analysis by Chkhetiani delves deeper into the profile of believers in this specific state-driven narrative, noting that men, older citizens (aged 55 and older), the unemployed or self-employed, pro-government TV consumers, and especially supporters of the Georgian Dream party are consistently more receptive to these conspiratorial narratives. This belief system is potent because the state-sponsored Global War Party theory channels diffuse suspicion into a coherent, anti-Western geopolitical attitude. The work of Kobaladze and Gagunashvili explains the mechanism by which such narratives are strategically constructed and disseminated through a “pre-suasion” strategy—framing the West as an enemy and discrediting civil society organizations months in advance—thereby preparing these vulnerable segments of the public to accept controversial legislation, such as the Law on the Transparency of Foreign Influence. These intersecting vulnerabilities—where low objective media literacy meets political disengagement and the acceptance of state-sponsored conspiracy theories—create a fertile environment for manipulation. This collective insight underscores the critical gap between public awareness of disinformation as a threat and the actual media literacy skills necessary to resist it effectively." (Page 2) more

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Human rights in the digital domain: core questions

Tiina Pajuste (ed.)

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2026), xix, 471 pp.

"This book is essential for scholars, policymakers, and professionals navigating human rights in the digital age. It explores core questions on digital governance, AI regulation, platform accountability, and freedom of expression, offering interdisciplinary perspectives. This title is also available ... more

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The Routledge Companion to Digital Media and Democracy

Zizi Papacharissi (ed.)

New York; London: Routledge (2026), xxii, 475 pp.

"A comprehensive collection that offers an overview of digital technologies and democratic practice, this Companion explores the topic of digital media and democracy from a historically rich and socio-culturally broad perspective. Edited by one of the foremost leaders in the field, Zizi Papacharissi ... more

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Threats, Disinformation, and Regulations in the European Digital Environment

Katerina Turková, Veronika Macková (eds.)

New York: Bloomsbury Academic (2026), xii, 252 pp.

"In this edited volume, contributors explore the various threats-both security- and (dis)information-related-that are present within the European digital environment, along with the subsequent regulations imposed across the region in response to these threats. Due to the fluctuating evolution of EU- ... more

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Ethik der Digitalisierung

Hauke Behrendt

Bielefeld: transcript Verlag (2026), 347 pp.

"Künstliche Intelligenz, Big Data und die zunehmende Vernetzung stellen uns vor zahlreiche Herausforderungen. Hauke Behrendt wirft einen moralphilosophischen Blick auf den digitalen Wandel und diskutiert unter anderem die Risiken algorithmengestützter Prognose- und Entscheidungssysteme in Bezug au ... more

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Information Manipulation in Sudan: A Baseline Assessment of Actors, Narratives and Tactics

Aida Al-Kaisy, Amal Hamdan

Thomson Foundation (2026), 81 pp.

"The destruction of Sudan’s established information infrastructure at the outset of the conflict in April 2023 has created an environment where systematic information manipulation and disinformation campaigns now flourish unchecked. This has intersected with increasing systematic information manip ... more

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

Karen Allen, Christopher Nehring

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

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State of the Media: Vanuatu

ABC International Development; University of Adelaide; Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS) (2025), 33 pp.

"The findings in this report foreground the importance of improving access to rural communities, so media can adequately represent issues relevant to Vanuatu’s geographically dispersed audiences. The report also identified opportunities for media to increase awareness of gender, disability and soc ... more

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Determinants of fake news diffusion on social media: A systematic literature review

Khurram Shahzad, Shakeel Ahmad Khan, Abid Iqbal, Omar Shabbir, Mujahid Latif

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication (GKMC), volume 74, issue 7-8 (2025), pp. 2069-2092

"This paper aims to explore the determinants causing fake information proliferation on social media platforms and the challenges to control the diffusion of fake news phenomena. The authors applied the systematic review methodology to conduct a synthetic analysis of 37 articles published in peer-rev ... more

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Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025
Deep Insights

Nic Newman, Richard Fletcher, Craig T. Robertson, Amy Ross Arguedas, Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (eds.)

Oxford: Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (2025), 170 pp.

"• Engagement with traditional media sources such as TV, print, and news websites continues to fall, while dependence on social media, video platforms, and online aggregators grows. This is particularly the case in the United States where polling overlapped with the first few weeks of the new Trum ... p administration. Social media news use was sharply up (+6pp) but there was no ‘Trump bump’ for traditional sources. • Personalities and influencers are, in some countries, playing a significant role in shaping public debates. One-fifth (22%) of our United States sample says they came across news or commentary from popular podcaster Joe Rogan in the week after the inauguration, including a disproportionate number of young men. In France, young news creator Hugo Travers (HugoDécrypte) reaches 22% of under-35s with content distributed mainly via YouTube and TikTok. Young influencers also play a significant role in many Asian countries, including Thailand. • News use across online platforms continues to fragment, with six online networks now reaching more than 10% weekly with news content, compared with just two a decade ago. Around a third of our global sample use Facebook (36%) and YouTube (30%) for news each week. Instagram (19%) and WhatsApp (19%) are used by around a fifth, while TikTok (16%) remains ahead of X at 12%. • Data show that usage of X for news is stable or increasing across many markets, with the biggest uplift in the United States (+8pp), Australia (+6pp), and Poland (+6pp). Since Elon Musk took over the network in 2022 many more right-leaning people, notably young men, have flocked to the network, while some progressive audiences have left or are using it less frequently. Rival networks like Threads, Bluesky, and Mastodon are making little impact globally, with reach of 2% or less for news. • Changing platform strategies mean that video continues to grow in importance as a source of news. Across all markets the proportion consuming social video has grown from 52% in 2020 to 65% in 2025 and any video from 67% to 75%. In the Philippines, Thailand, Kenya, and India more people now say they prefer to watch the news rather than read it, further encouraging the shift to personality-led news creators. • Our survey also shows the importance of news podcasting in reaching younger, better-educated audiences. The United States has among the highest proportion (15%) accessing one or more podcasts in the last week, with many of these now filmed and distributed via video platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. By contrast, many northern European podcast markets remain dominated by public broadcasters or big legacy media companies and have been slower to adopt video versions. • TikTok is the fastest growing social and video network, adding a further 4pp across markets for news and reaching 49% of our online sample in Thailand (+10pp) and 40% in Malaysia (+9pp). But at the same time people in those markets see the network as one of the biggest threats when it comes to false or misleading information, along with Facebook. • Overall, over half our sample (58%) say they remain concerned about their ability to tell what is true from what is false when it comes to news online, a similar proportion to last year. Concern is highest in Africa (73%) and the United States (73%), with lowest levels in Western Europe (46%). • When it comes to underlying sources of false or misleading information, online influencers and personalities are seen as the biggest threat worldwide (47%), along with national politicians (47%). Concern about influencers is highest in African countries such as Nigeria (58%) and Kenya (59%), while politicians are considered the biggest threat in the United States (57%), Spain (57%), and much of Eastern Europe." (Executive summary, page 10-11) more

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State of the Media: Solomon Islands

ABC International Development; University of Adelaide; Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS) (2025), 43 pp.

"The Solomon Islands media continues to undergo significant developments as it adjusts to increased digitalisation and the use of social media. However, the findings in this report highlight the continuing importance of radio and print media as a trusted source of information for Solomon Islanders." ... more

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Psychological Defence and Information Influence: A Textbook on Theory and Practice

Jesper Falkheimer, James Pamment (eds.)

Karlstad: Psychological Defence Agency (2025), 257 pp.

"In an age defined by rapid information flows and shifting security landscapes, the resilience of societies rests not only on military strength or technological capacity, but equally on the ability of individuals and institutions to withstand psychological influence and manipulation. Psychological d ... more

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The Role of Trust and Attitudes toward Democracy in the Dissemination of Disinformation: A Comparative Analysis of Six Democracies

Edda Humprecht

Digital Journalism, volume 13, issue 5 (2025), pp. 931-948

"Trust lies at the heart of the disinformation crisis, as citizens must decide which narratives to follow and whether to accept “alternative truths.” Therefore, trust in institutions that publish reliable information can act as a shield against disinformation. This comparative study investigates ... more

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Address of Pope Leo XIV to Participants in the MINDS International Association Conference

Leo XIV (Pope)

Vatican City: Holy See, October 9 (2025)

"[...] The world needs free, rigorous and objective information. In this context, it is worth remembering Hannah Arendt’s warning that “the ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and th ... more

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State of the Media: Niue

ABC International Development; University of Adelaide; Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS) (2025), 37 pp.

"The findings from this report highlight the importance of social media and online content as the primary sources of information for Niueans, especially the significant diaspora communities that reside abroad. It also highlights the important role that the small Niuean media sector plays in cultural ... more

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Governing Misinformation in Everyday Knowledge Commons

Madelyn Sanfilippo, Melissa G. Ocepek (eds.)

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2025), xiv, 278 pp.

"Governing Misinformation in Everyday Knowledge Commons delves into the complex issue of misinformation in our daily lives. The book synthesizes three scholarly traditions - everyday life, misinformation, and governing knowledge commons - to present 10 case studies of online and offline communities ... more

World Disasters Report 2026: Truth, Trust and Humanitarian Action in the Age of Harmful Information Deep Insights

Disinformation: A Multi-Disciplinary Analysis Deep Insights

Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025 Deep Insights

World Disasters Report 2026: Truth, Trust and Humanitarian Action in the Age of Harmful Information
Deep Insights

Disinformation: A Multi-Disciplinary Analysis
Deep Insights

Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025
Deep Insights