[DOWNLOAD] Network of Issues and Opportunities in East Africa’s Misinformation Landscape; A Critical Assessment of Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Gaps, Challenges and Opportunities
The proliferation of misinformation in East Africa, particularly in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania, presents significant challenges to public health, political stability, and social cohesion. The region’s information ecosystem is heavily contaminated by various forms of misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, propaganda, fake news, and hate speech, disseminated across traditional media, social media, and government channels. The behaviors of instigators, agents, intermediaries, and interpreters within this ecosystem exacerbate the spread and impact of false information.
Efforts to combat misinformation in East Africa involve collaborations among local fact-checkers, civil society organizations, academic institutions, and media platforms such as Meta. These initiatives focus on enhancing verification processes, promoting digital literacy, and developing innovative technologies to detect and counter false information. The study explores the region’s misinformation problem through a qualitative approach and a philosophical research design, utilizing in-depth interviews and insights from subject matter experts. Samples for the market assessment were drawn from attendees of roundtable discussions held in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania in 2023 and 2024, as well as experts interviewed throughout the year.
Key findings highlight the urgency of addressing misinformation in the region, emphasizing the need for a multifaceted approach to create a more informed and resilient information ecosystem. The fight against misinformation requires the creation and enforcement of robust policies and frameworks, developed collectively by state and non-state actors. A bottom-up approach, involving critical stakeholders in the misinformation ecosystem, is essential. Additionally, digital civic education and critical thinking skills should be promoted to enhance citizens’ resilience against misinformation.
The analysis also identified 22 opportunities within eight areas of the misinformation market in East Africa, targeting both supply-side and demand-side stakeholders. These opportunities span people, processes, and technology, inviting exploration by governments, research institutions, academics, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, and technology developers. Meta’s increased contributions in empowering stakeholders at various levels are crucial for the successful implementation of recommendations and the exploration of these opportunities.
Download the summary here and the full report here
