"Background: During the early phases of Covid-19, social media platforms became a significant source of misinformation, and India emerged as a global hotspot. Studies show that ‘miracle cure’ for preventing and treating Covid-19 infection has been a prominent topic of misinformation. This study
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explores the extent to which beliefs in cure for Covid-19 in three prominent medical traditions popular in India are associated. Methods: We conducted an online structured questionnaire survey of 500 respondents in August 2020 in four major cities of India. Results: Despite the scientific consensus at that time that there was no cure for Covid-19, close to three-quarters of our respondents believe that there was a cure in at least one of the three popular medical traditions in India: Allopathy, Homeopathy, and Ayurveda. We find that exposure to and trust in WhatsApp are associated with false beliefs regarding the existence of a cure for Covid-19 (p = 0.001 and p = 0.014, respectively). While trust in science is associated with correct beliefs (p = 0.025), there is evidence that trust in government information may foster incorrect beliefs (p = 0.031). Conclusions: The high trust in scientific research and its potential ability to instill correct beliefs could be exploited to combat Covid-19 misinformation in India. Potential interventions such as awareness campaigns to increase digital media literacy, regulating social media platforms, and voluntary content regulation by social media platforms – might help policymakers tackle Covid-19 related misinformation effectively." (Abstract)
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"Europaweit haben 52 Prozent derjenigen, die bereits einen Account gemeldet haben, häufig oder sehr häufig Desinformation wahrgenommen. Von denen, die dies nicht getan haben, sagen das nur 36 Prozent. Hingegen geben die beiden Gruppen in etwa gleichem Umfang (58 beziehungsweise 53 Prozent) an, hä
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ufig oder sehr häufig unsicher bei Informationen im Internet zu sein. Eine größere Unsicherheit führt also nicht automatisch zu einer aktiveren Reaktion auf falsche Informationen, wie melden oder hinweisen. Jedoch überprüfen unsichere Befragte häufiger Informationen: 62 Prozent gaben an, dies bereits getan zu haben. Jüngere und Menschen mit höherer Bildung gehen aktiver mit (falschen) Internetinformationen um. Die Bereitschaft, Informationen zu melden, andere darauf hinzuweisen und Informationen nachzurecherchieren, nimmt mit dem Alter ab. Personen mit höherer Bildung recherchieren selbst aktiv Informationen, während Personen mit geringerer Bildung häufiger angeben falsche Informationen zu teilen oder zu liken." (Zentrale Ergebnisse, Seite 4)
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"Las conclusiones generales y aplicables a toda la muestra, independientemente de su edad, sexo y comunidad autónoma, son: 1. TikTok se posiciona como la red social en donde los menores siguen a más influencers, seguida de YouTube e Instagram. 2. El tipo de influencer más seguido son los gamers,
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y aquellos que hacen contenido de entretenimiento y humor. 3. El 70 % es consciente de que la publicidad de los influencers tienen como finalidad que ellos compren el producto anunciado. 4. El 42,4 % de los menores declara recibir publicidad sobre alimentación y aspecto físico a través del móvil. 5. El 44,5 % de los entrevistados afirma que recibe publicidad de alimentos poco saludables. 6. La publicidad sobre cuidado del cuerpo que los menores reciben con mayor frecuencia es: moda (48,7 %), cosmética y belleza (33,1 %), fitness y gimnasio (23,2 %) y procedimientos estéticos (13,5 %). 7. Cuando los adolescentes ven publicaciones de influencers colaborando con productos de alimentación y aspecto físico: el 27,8 % siente frecuente o muy frecuentemente que un cuerpo bello es un cuerpo delgado y tonificado; el 26,2 % siente frecuente o muy frecuentemente que el aspecto físico determina mucho cómo te valoras a ti mismo; el 13,9 % de los menores siente frecuente o muy frecuentemente que no está a la altura y que su presencia física no cumple con el estándar; el 13,8 % establece metas para conseguir un cuerpo perfecto frecuente o muy frecuentemente. 8. El aspecto físico figura como un indicador importante para la socialización en los menores: alrededor del 50 % de los menores señala que tener un buen físico ayuda a ser más aceptado/a." (Conclusiones)
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"On average in the 16 countries surveyed, 56% of internet users frequently use social media to stay informed about current events, far ahead of television (44%). However, it is worth noting that differences exist among population groups: television is the primary source in the most developed countri
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es (55% compared to 37% for social media), while it lags significantly in countries with high (42% vs 63%) or medium/low levels of Human Development Index (HDI) (37% vs 68%) [...] The significance of social media as a source of information, especially during election campaigns, is even more crucial given that citizens believe disinformation is highly prevalent there. Across all 16 countries, 68% of internet users told us that social media is the place where disinformation is most widespread, far ahead of groups on online messaging apps (38%) and media websites/apps (20%). This sentiment is overwhelmingly prevalent in all countries, age groups, social backgrounds, and political preferences. This is even more important and citizens feel that the issue of disinformation is a real threat: 85% express concern about the impact and influence of disinformation on their fellow citizens." (Analysis of key results)
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"The key findings suggest that Syrians continue to adopt social media and social messaging apps as the primary channels through which they access news. They appreciate the privacy of messaging apps for communication with friends and family, and check the credibility of news stories with friends, fam
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ily and other sources through these apps. In 2023, Syrians required news content about local issues, economic news and updates regarding basic services, all of which differed from the 2020 findings. Respondents also told us that they prioritise breaking news, and have minimal dependency on radio or print. They are adept at recognising partisan media and prefer news from familiar, credible media that are free from political bias. They have average levels of trust in most local, regional and international media, with very little differentiation between the most trusted and least trusted (only 10% difference). Residents of Ar-Raqqa have some of the lowest levels of trust across media providers. Syrians have medium/mixed levels of trust in a wide range of online and offline news and information sources, including independent media Over 74% of the survey respondents reported that they trust news that they receive on social media from friends and family." (Executive summary, page 1-2)
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"This article examines the reception and dissemination of ‘malign information influence’ (MII) in a liberal democracy; information sponsored by authoritarian regimes or other hostile actors and projected through international broadcasting outlets across borders. The study contributes to the scar
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ce research on the reception of narratives transmitted by the Russian statesupported media platforms RT and Sputnik, exposingcharacteristics, political attitudes, and sharing behaviors of RT/ Sputnik consumers. A nationwide, representative survey (n: 3033) from November 2020 revealed a surprisingly high number of Swedish RT/Sputnik consumers (7%), with an overrepresentation of young, men and supports of non-parliamentarian parties and the right wing, nationalist Sweden Democratic Party. These consumers are somewhat more willing than non-consumers to disseminate news on social media and in real life despite being distrustful of the sources. The findings strengthen previous research in demonstrating the attractiveness of identity grievance narratives among alternative media consumers, yet the results show that RT/Sputnik consumers also aligned with narratives that contrasts with national security policy. They state less trust in politicians, institutions, the media, news, and journalism, yet are comparatively prone to share unreliable or untrue news content on social media and in real life. The analysis thus identified a section of media consumers who can function as vehicles for the dissemination of MII. The article contributes to the underresearched problem of the potential of MII to take root and provides a basis for future qualitative research that can refine and provide nuance to the knowledge of reception of MII." (Abstract)
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"Fifty-four percent of EU citizens reported being “often” or “very often” unsure whether a piece of information they saw on the internet in recent months was true. Only 4 % reported never being unsure of information they saw. Thirty-nine percent of respondents reported consciously encounteri
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ng disinformation, while only ten percent said they did not encounter any disinformation at all. Respondents with a university-level degree are more likely to report being unsure and encountering disinformation than respondents with no formal education. Younger respondents tend to feel unsure less often than older respondents, but these young people also report encountering disinformation more often. Respondents in Spain and Italy show a comparatively higher frequency of uncertainty and reported encounters with disinformation, while respondents in the Netherlands show the lowest values in both cases [...] The study allows us to infer the following four recommendations for action: (1) establish an effective system for monitoring disinformation both in Germany and across Europe; (2) raise public awareness about the issue of disinformation; (3) promote media literacy among people of all age groups; (4) ensure consistent and transparent content creation on digital platforms." (Key findings, page 4-5)
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"This study examines to what extent Arab audiences are willing to support these strategies, and what factors influence their willingness to pay (WTP) for online news, using a survey of 530 adults. The study found most of the public is not willing to pay for online newspapers, but are willing to pay
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for entertainment services. Most of them are not subscribing to printed or online newspapers. They do not have a real intent to help the newspapers in their digital transformation. Most of the public did not experience the paywall yet. Age and income influence the likelihood of paying for online news and to a lesser extent, gender and education. Age and income were predictors for WTP for entertainment services. Age and education were predictors for using online sources." (Abstract)
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"Medien sind aus dem Alltag von Heranwachsenden nicht mehr wegzudenken. Kinder sind von zahlreichen Medien umgeben und wachsen in Haushalten mit einem breiten Medienrepertoire auf. Fernsehgeräte, Smartphones, Computer/Laptops und ein Zugang ins Internet sind in nahezu allen Familien vorhanden. Auch
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Radiogeräte, Drucker, DVD- und CDPlayer, Streaming-Dienste, Digitalkameras, Tablets und Spielkonsolen sind weit verbreitet. Im Vergleich zu 2020 sind insbesondere bei Smart-TVs (+15 PP), Streaming-Diensten (+14 PP), Pay-TV-Abonnements (+12 PP) und Tablets (+9 PP) deutliche Anstiege zu sehen. Damit setzt sich der starke Zuwachs, welcher bereits in den letzten Jahren zu beobachten war, weiter fort. Kinder besitzen selbst noch vergleichsweise wenig eigene Geräte. Am häufigsten sind mit 44 Prozent Smartphones im eigenen Besitz der Kinder. Jeweils etwa ein Drittel hat einen CD-Player und ein Fernsehgerät im Kinderzimmer, eine tragbare Spielkonsole ist bei 28 Prozent vorhanden (feste Spielkonsole 19 %). Mit zunehmendem Alter nimmt der Gerätebesitz deutlich zu. Insbesondere der Anteil an Kindern, die ein eigenes Mobiltelefon haben, steigt an (6-7 Jahre: 9 %, 8-9 Jahre: 27 %, 10-11 Jahre: 58 %, 12-13 Jahre: 81 %). In der Freizeit der Kinder nehmen das Treffen mit Freunden, Fernsehen, Hausaufgabe/Lernen und das Spielen den größten Platz bei den häufigsten Aktivitäten ein. Über 85 Prozent gehen diesen Tätigkeiten mindestens wöchentlich nach. Knapp drei Viertel der Kinder unternehmen ein-/bis mehrmals in der Woche etwas mit der Familie. Etwa jeweils zwei Drittel hören regelmäßig Musik, nutzen ein Handy/Smartphone und betätigen sich sportlich. Jeweils drei von fünf Kindern sehen sich mindestens wöchentlich online Bewegtbild an oder spielen digitale Spiele. Jeweils etwa jedes zweite Kind liest in der Freizeit Bücher, hört Radio oder wird beim Malen/Basteln kreativ. Die Beschäftigung mit Tieren folgt mit 45 Prozent. Mit zunehmendem Alter verändert sich die Freizeitgestaltung der Kinder in einigen Bereichen. Ab einem Alter von zehn Jahren spielen Kinder weniger, Unternehmungen mit der Familie werden seltener, ebenso wie das Malen/Basteln, das Anhören von Hörspielen/Hörbüchern sowie die Beschäftigung mit analogen Spielen. Dafür nehmen Hausaufgaben und Lernen mehr Freizeit der Kinder ein. Der stärkste Anstieg im Altersverlauf ist bei der Nutzung von Mobiltelefonen (6-7 Jahre: 28 %, 12-13 Jahre: 96 %) sowie bei der Internetnutzung (6-7 Jahre: 21 %, 12-13 Jahre: 92 %) zu sehen. Auch digitale Spiele, die Nutzung von Computer/Laptops und die online-basierte Bewegtbildnutzung nehmen mit steigendem Alter zu. Das Aufnehmen von eigenen Fotos/Videos wird ebenfalls im Altersverlauf bedeutender. Mädchen betätigen sich häufiger kreativ, lesen Bücher und beschäftigen sich mit Tieren, während Jungen eine stärkere Affinität zu Sport und digitalen Spielen zeigen." (Zusammenfassung, Seite 82-83)
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"This report provides an assessment of the media landscape in Jordan from the perspective of its audiences. Based on audience research, it examines the key issues emerging around media usage, trust, content, and literacy. It is based on data that was collected throughout June and July 2023; the medi
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a landscape may have changed since the war in Gaza began." (Abstract)
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"In a reality that combines the virtual with the physical and in a context of information saturation, there are consumers who are more critical, demanding, and less loyal. In this context, it is timely to know the new habits of the Centennials, so as to understand their behaviors and consumption tre
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nds, aligning future communication strategies to their personality and interests. The Centennials or Generation Z are digital natives, concerned with technology, and complex to understand (Alonso-López; Terol-Bolinches, 2020). Generation Z –analyzed in this study– is composed of those born between 2000 and 2008, which corresponds to the youth currently between 14 and 22 years old (Vilanova; Ortega, 2017; Hernández; Andrade-del-Cid, 2020). The main objective of this research is to determine the patterns of consumption and online behavior exhibited by this generation in Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Panama, with a focus on the characteristics of communication processes, online consumption patterns, and the cultural traits they possess. To achieve this, a mixed method is proposed consisting of a Twitter conversation analysis, survey application (n=550), in-depth interviews (n=36), and focus groups (n=2); all of which have been applied in the four selected countries. The main conclusions are that the preferred content of Centennials is humor (75%), with Instagram and TikTok being the most used networks. For they, the most important thing is to take care of their image and 40% are not interested in technological topics. Furthermore, cultural characteristics are shared among countries; however, language is the main difference between countries." (Abstract)
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"Die Generation der ab 60-Jährigen weist eine sehr heterogene Mediennutzung auf. Höchste Alltagsrelevanz besitzt das lineare Fernsehen. Während ein Großteil der Senioren regelmäßig online ist, zählt rund jeder Fünfte zu den Offlinern. Es zeigen sich starke Zusammenhänge zwischen soziodemogr
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afischen Merkmalen und medialer Teilhabe." (Kurz und kanpp, Seite 389)
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"[...] Government and media fuel a cycle of distrust: Nearly one out of every two respondents view government and media as divisive forces in society—48% and 46%, respectively. Furthermore, government leaders and journalists are seen as the least trusted societal leaders today, with less than half
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of respondents trusting either (government leaders at 42% and journalists at 46%) [...] News sources fail to fix their Trust problem: None of the major information sources are trusted as a source of general news and information, with trust in search engines at 59%, followed by traditional media at 57%, owned media at 43% and social media at only 37% [...] Fake news concerns are at an all-time high: Concerns over fake news or false information being used as a weapon is now at an all-time high of 76%." (The Trust 10 at www.edelman.com)
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"An international survey reveals that Internet users' trust on the Internet has dropped significantly since 2019. That is among the key findings of a 20-country Ipsos survey released by The New Institute in Hamburg, Germany. Only six in ten (63%) Internet users on average across the 20 countries sai
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d they trust the Internet. That is down 11 points since a similar survey was conducted in 2019. The singular exception is Japan, which showed a 7 percentage-point increase in trust. But Japan is the rare exception, as the findings reveal that Internet trust shrunk by double-digits in India (-10 points), Kenya (-11), Sweden (-10), Brazil (-18), Canada (-14), the United States (-12), and Poland (-26)." (Publisher description)
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