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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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Living with Misinformation: A Media Literacy Approach

Tanya Notley, Michael Dezuanni, Sora Park, T. J. Thomson, Aimee Hourigan

London; New York: Routledge (2026), x, 114 pp.

"This book investigates how media literacy can be used to help people understand, identify and respond to online misinformation. Drawing on a three‑year research study that examined the everyday media experiences and abilities of more than 4,400 adults, this book presents an in‑depth look at how ... 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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Studying visual disinformation: A computational literature review of current issues, trends and research methods of a growing field

Xénia Farkas, Moa Eriksson Krutrök

Journal of Visual Political Communication, volume 12, issue 2 (2025), pp. 167-191

"The rise of visual mis/disinformation presents a significant challenge to democratic societies, as misleading visual content increasingly influences public opinion and decision-making. This study aims to comprehensively map the current state of research on visual mis/disinformation, providing insig ... more

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International Disinformation: A Handbook for Analysis and Response
Deep Insights

Robert Kupiecki, Filip Bryjka, Tomasz Chłoń

Leiden: Brill (2025), vii, 283 pp.

"Dive into the world of disinformation with this groundbreaking book. Uncover how Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) shapes modern politics and society, and how it impacts your own life. Explore answers to key questions: What are the origins and characteristics of disinformatio ... more

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Empowering Youth to Combat Malicious Deepfakes and Disinformation: An Experiential and Reflective Learning Experience Informed by Personal Construct Theory

Nadia Naffi, Mélodie Charest, Sarah Danis et al.

Journal of Constructivist Psychology, volume 38, issue 1 (2025), 22 pp.

"The potential to weaponize deepfakes is growing at an alarming rate. The study aimed to explore how education can help youth develop resilience to malicious deepfakes and the ability to counter disinformation, regardless of context. Sixteen youth between the ages of 18 and 24 participated in a 9-h, ... 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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Charitable Instruction: Towards a Catholic-Thomistic Response to Misinformation

Wesley Kim D. Soguilon

Religion and Social Communication, volume 23, issue 2 (2025), pp. 474-496

"One of the problems the Philippines faces is the plague of misinformation, and this paper provides the groundwork for a possible Catholic-Thomistic response. In this work, the researcher attempts to answer the question of why Catholics need to solve this problem and what they can do to solve it. Th ... more

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Media Literacy of the Oppressed: An Emancipatory Pedagogy for/with the Marginalized

Jad Melki

Abingdon, Oxon; New York: Routledge (2025), 238 pp.

"This book offers an alternative approach to developing media literacy pedagogies for marginalized communities and people in postcolonial countries, especially in the Global South, tackling unexplored issues such as media literacy of war, terrorism, pandemics, infodemics, populism, colonialism, geno ... more

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What makes audiences resilient to disinformation? Integrating micro, meso, and macro factors based on a systematic literature review

Jülide Kont, Wim Elving, Marcel Broersma, Çiðdem Bozdað

Communications, volume 50, issue 2 (2025), pp. 534-555

"Despite increased attention since 2015, there is little consensus on why audiences believe or share disinformation. In our study, we propose a shift in analytical perspective by applying the concept of resilience. Through a systematic literature review (n = 95), we identify factors that have been ... more

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Debunking and exposing misinformation among fringe communities: Testing source exposure and debunking anti-Ukrainian misinformation among German fringe communities

Johannes Christiern Santos Okholm, Amir Ebrahimi Fard, Marijn ten Thij

Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review, volume 5, issue 1 (2024), 13 pp.

"Through an online field experiment, we test traditional and novel counter-misinformation strategies among fringe communities. Though generally effective, traditional strategies have not been tested in fringe communities, and do not address the online infrastructure of misinformation sources support ... more

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Countering Disinformation Effectively: An Evidence-Based Policy Guide
Key Guides

Jon Bateman, Dean Jackson

Washinton, DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (2024), vii, 119 pp.

"This report offers a high-level, evidence-informed guide to some of the major proposals for how democratic governments, platforms, and others can counter disinformation. It distills core insights from empirical research and real-world data on ten diverse kinds of policy interventions, including fac ... more

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Die TikTok-Intifada – Der 7. Oktober & die Folgen im Netz: Analyse & Empfehlungen der Bildungsstätte Anne Frank

Deborah Schnabel, Eva Berendsen

Frankfurt am Main: Bildungsstätte Anne Frank (2024), 38 pp.

"Seit dem Terrorangriff der Hamas auf Israel am 7. Oktober 2023 spielen soziale Netzwerke eine bedeutende und vielfach unterschätzte Rolle bei der Verbreitung von Terrorpropaganda, Falschinformationen, Israelhass, Antisemitismus und Verschwörungsnarrativen. Die Bildungsstätte Anne Frank fasst in ... more

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Building Trusted Media in a Fragile Setting: An Evaluation of Radio Ndeke Luka in Central African Republic

Jeffrey Conroy-Krutz

Michigan State University (2024), 8 pp.

"Can the impact of a news radio station on a highly vulnerable population in a crisis-affected country be measured? The installation of new FM transmitters for Radio Ndeke Luka in Beloko, Birao, and Obo in the Central African Republic offered an opportunity to carry out a field study measuring the i ... mpact of our radio station before and after its introduction in these remote regions of the country. The results of this study reveal a tangible impact and a shift in listeners’ perceptions, particularly regarding misinformation. The Central African Republic, marked by a weak central state, widespread poverty, and recurring intercommunal conflicts, is particularly vulnerable to misinformation. Radio Ndeke Luka, a project of Fondation Hirondelle in CAR, plays a crucial role by broadcasting reliable news 24/7 in both French and Sango across the country. Thanks to funding from the European Union, new FM transmitters for RNL were installed between December 2021 and April 2022 in remote areas of the Central African Republic, specifically in Beloko, Birao, and Obo. This provided an opportunity to assess the radio’s impact on local populations before and after the installation. Investigators from the local network of IMMAR Research & Consultancy followed a protocol developed by Dr. Jeff Conroy Krutz, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University. This protocol ensured a random selection of adult participants and gender balance. In total, over 1,700 people were interviewed before the transmitters were installed, and more than 1,800 afterwards, within the same communities across the three localities. Measured Impacts Increase in Audience: RNL became the most listened-to radio station in the targeted areas within months of the new transmitters going live. Relevance and Impartiality: 52% of listeners considered RNL’s programs essential to their daily lives. Trust and impartiality scores also improved between the pre- and post-launch periods. Trust in RNL far exceeded that of other locally accessible radio stations. Combating Misinformation: Residents of the three areas reported significantly greater confidence in their ability to distinguish fact from fiction after the installation of the transmitters, which facilitated access to RNL programs." (https://www.hirondelle.org) more

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Youth Media Literacy Fact-Checking Manual

Africa Check; Internwes; Advancing Rights in Southern Africa (ARISA) (2024), 31 pp.

"This dis- and misinformation fact-checking toolkit was developed by Africa Check for young journalism students and members of NGOs and CSOs with a focus on youth-led organisations. It aims to equip members of the youth with the knowledge and practical tips to stop the spread of false information. T ... more

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Disinformation Debunked: Building Resilience Through Media and Information Literacy

Divina Frau-Meigs, Nicoleta Corbu (eds.)

London: Routledge (2024), 329 pp.

"The book highlights the underlying stakes that are involved in the fight against disinformation, from producing smart tools to generalizing their use beyond the journalistic profession. It considers the MIL theories and methodologies at work in the digital era, especially from the perspective of di ... more

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Quelle: Künstliche Intelligenz?

Sören Torrau, Florian Köhler

Bonn: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb) (2024), 13 pp.

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Hassrede im Netz: Von den Grenzen der Meinungsfreiheit. Informationen für pädagogische Fachkräfte

Klaus Beutler, Lisa Buschmann, Matthias Felling et al.

Düsseldorf: klicksafe; Landesanstalt für Medien NRW; Arbeitsgemeinschaft Kinder und Jugendschutz (2024), 39 pp.

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Navigating the Infodemic with MIL: Media and Information Literacy

Felipe Chibás Ortiz, Sebastián Novomisky (eds.)

Buenos Aires; Paris: Defensoría del Pueblo; UNESCO (2023), 284 pp.

"These book’s articles are the result of the First Conference on Digital Literacy, Citizenship and Disinformation in Times of Pandemic, jointly organised by the UNESCO Regional Office in Montevideo, Uruguay, and the Public Defender’s Office of Audience Rights. Five thousand people participated i ... more

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Misinformation Literacy of COVID-19 Digital News in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda

Karen McIntyre, Meghan Sobel Cohen, Brian Semujju, Kioko Ireri, Emmanuel Munyarukumbuzi

African Journalism Studies, volume 44, issue 2 (2023), pp. 116-133

"Amid a rise of misinformation worldwide, this paper examines digital misinformation literacy as it relates to COVID-19 news in East Africa. The study is grounded in inoculation theory and contributes to the body of scholarship examining misinformation literacy beyond the Western world. Data came fr ... more

Disinformation: A Multi-Disciplinary Analysis Deep Insights

International Disinformation: A Handbook for Analysis and Response Deep Insights

Countering Disinformation Effectively: An Evidence-Based Policy Guide Key Guides

Disinformation: A Multi-Disciplinary Analysis
Deep Insights

International Disinformation: A Handbook for Analysis and Response
Deep Insights

Countering Disinformation Effectively: An Evidence-Based Policy Guide
Key Guides