Disarming Disinformation: Research

The rise of viral disinformation intertwined with targeted attacks on journalists has become a pressing global issue in a climate of surging authoritarianism worldwide. Digital conspiracy networks, poor media and information literacy, and the facilitating role of predominantly U.S.-owned Big Tech companies and platforms are key factors. The rapid, largely unregulated development of artificial intelligence (AI) risks super-charging these threats.

The result is an erosion of democratic values, reduced trust in public interest media and facts in general, the further polarization of societies, and increased threats to journalists. 

Through its Disarming Disinformation project, ICFJ led a five-country study to understand how journalists, media outlets, and the public perceive and respond to these threats, which is crucial to fostering an informed and resilient citizenry. The field research was conducted in Brazil, Georgia, the Philippines, South Africa and the U.S. between September 2023 and September 2024. The national public opinion surveys measuring attitudes to journalists and public interest media outlets in each country were conducted in 2024. 

We adopted Participatory Action Research methods to conduct the ethnographic research, partnering with Folha de S. Paulo and Tapajós de Fato in Brazil, CodaStory in Georgia, Rappler in the Philippines, Daily Maverick in South Africa, and the Haitian Times in the U.S. Members of our research team were embedded with these outlets physically and remotely during 2023 and 2024.

About Disarming Disinformation: The initiative is a three-year global program supported by the Scripps Howard Foundation which adopts a multidisciplinary approach and seeks to surface new, practical recommendations for journalists, newsroom managers, media funders and other professionals in the journalism field. The International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) and the Gates Foundation funded the associated public opinion research.

READ THE REPORTS:

• Disarming Disinformation: Brazil, with 19 key findings and 15 recommendations for action (published March 2025)
   

In addition, through our International Journalists’ Network (IJNet), Disarming Disinformation produces and shares resources including how-to guides, case studies on the solutions revealed by the research, and lessons learned from the other tracks. These resources, produced in collaboration with partners such as the Howard Centers, provide practical guidance for journalists and journalism schools on combating mis/disinformation. You can explore existing resources here.