Fighting Misinformation Locally: Initiatives Making an Impact Across the U.S.
The decline of local news outlets has left a gaping hole in communities across the United States, paving the way for the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms. Recognizing the critical need for accurate and reliable information, several organizations have stepped up to combat falsehoods and restore trust within their communities.
One such initiative is the Center for Media Engagement at The University of Texas at Austin. Led by director Natalie Jomini Stroud, the center has identified a significant challenge facing newsrooms in detecting and refuting locally circulating misinformation.
“If I think about our vulnerabilities in the United States going into 2024, I really think we need to be thinking locally,” said Stroud in an interview with the International Journalists’ Network (IJNET). “We did a couple of interviews with newsrooms to try and understand what their current practices were, to find out something that's going to be helpful.”
To address this issue, Stroud and her team are collaborating with news organizations and researchers to develop a tool aimed at tackling local misinformation. Community members will be able to report suspected misinformation via a website or mobile app, enabling newsrooms to address and debunk false claims effectively.
City Bureau's Documenters Network is another initiative dedicated to countering the spread of false information. The network empowers community members to attend and cover public meetings, filling the gap left by the absence of local reporters. These "Documenters" provide firsthand accounts of public proceedings, which are made accessible to the public on the Documenters Network website. By recruiting Documenters from the communities they cover, City Bureau has established a trusted link between newsrooms and their audiences, fostering greater transparency and accountability in local governance.
The Detroit Free Press has also taken proactive steps to combat misinformation. In response to the spread of false information ahead of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, the publication hired a mis- and disinformation reporter to engage directly with local communities and online groups where false content was circulating. Through extensive monitoring of messaging apps and social media platforms, the reporter identified topics of concern and collaborated with the Free Press to publish informative articles and videos debunking false claims. By actively engaging users on social media, the Free Press aimed to counter misinformation and promote factual information.
The work is difficult but more vital than ever; this commitment to empowering communities with accurate information while fostering greater transparency is imperative to the fight against misinformation and disinformation, particularly during an election year.
