Around 62% of digital content creators do not systematically check information before sharing it with their audience, according to a study released by UNESCO that focuses on the practices, challenges and ethics of influencers.
“The absence of a rigorous critical assessment highlights the urgent need to strengthen creators’ skills in media and information literacy, which includes the identification and use of reliable sources”, highlight the authors of the report, prepared with the north university -American Bowling Green State and titled “Behind the screens” (“Behind the screens”, in Portuguese).
To prepare this report, the actions of 500 content creators from 45 countries and 8 different linguistic regions were analyzed through a survey carried out between August and September 2024.
This data was then completed with twenty more detailed interviews, the Efe news agency reported on Tuesday.
The majority are under 35 years old and have accounts with between one thousand and ten thousand followers on social networks, which is the limit to be considered a “nanoinfluencer”, a category that represents 68% of the sector.
The vast majority (62% of those interviewed) admitted “not checking the veracity” of the information in a systematic and precise way “before sharing it with their audiences”, despite its importance as the main source of analysis and the current situation for their followers being growing exponentially.
Among the factors they use to measure the credibility of messages, 41.6% trust the content based on the number of “likes” or reproductions. About a third (33.5%) post messages from a source or creator they trust, without extra verification.
The reputation in the area of the publisher is the third most mentioned factor (19.4%) and the documentation and evidence used to support the information is only the fourth (17%).
Regarding the motivations of “influencers”, sharing their knowledge with other people is the main reason for their activity (26%), ahead of making money (23.8%), entertaining (23.4%) or expressing their ideas. opinions and emotions (13.8%).
The study also focused on the lack of knowledge of regulations on the right to information and freedom of expression, since “the majority of digital content creators (59%) interviewed were unaware of or had only heard of regulatory frameworks and international standards relating to digital communication”.
Influencers also face important challenges, such as facing hate speech – of which 32% of respondents declared themselves victims – and ethical dilemmas on various topics such as copyright, sponsored content or the abuse of sensationalism to promote their visibility, since your professional activity depends on the platforms’ algorithms.
The study’s big conclusion is that there is a pressing need for training and support for digital content creators, as the majority do not belong to professional associations and lack guidance.
“Digital content creators have achieved an important position in the information ecosystem, engaging millions of people with cultural, social or political news. But many face misinformation and hate speech online and call for more training”, said the director general of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, cited in the statement.
As part of the mandate for media and information literacy, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) launched the first global course to train these new communicators, together with the Knight Center.
Source: rr.sapo.pt
