LocationsSneak peek into our research on information integrity
News on information integrity in North Macedonia
September 2, 2024
Authors: Lazar Pop Ivanov [Head of Experimentation, Accelerator Labs], Kristina Plecic [Gender Specialist], Blazhen Maleski [Associate Researcher]
Why did we investigate the theme of information integrity?
We all know technological advancements have made a revolution in the way we create, share, and consume information, creating multitude of opportunities for diffusion of knowledge, cultural enrichment, and accelerating sustainable development, to name few. At the same time, this new reality has enabled widespread sharing of information, that sometimes take the form of dis-misinformation, have placed the integrity of the information at risk. The erosion of the information ecosystem has caused a series of adjacent problems in the digital area, connected to the peace and prosperity of people.
People and institutions in North Macedonia are no strangers to the importance of information integrity for our democracy and development processes. Projects that aim to tackle the challenge exist in the country, websites aimed at debunking false information have been up and running for years, as well as an institutional response to the challenge of information integrity. We wanted to contribute to these existing efforts by providing some new data, information about people’s perceptions on mis-disinformation as well as the appetite and practices of people when we talk about news digestion. However, mindful that this is a tricky and complex space, we wanted to use a combination of research methods, a more innovative approach so that we gain learnings that are new and useful not only for us at UNDP but also for the broader ecosystem interested in this thematic space. Namely, we combined a classic representative survey to measure people’s perceptions on mis-disinformation; focus groups in the six planning regions in the country; as well as a social and traditional media monitoring – all done to give us a better understanding of the challenge of information integrity. Within this research, we focused on analyzing gender disinformation—a significant and evolving threat to democratic values and women's participation in public life.
With this article, we would like to offer you a sneak peek into the combined research and share some of the initial findings.
Where do we get our information from?
Most people in our country use social media as a mean of information gathering. Whooping 72% of the people involved in our nation-wide survey have pinpointed to social media as one of the most common media of information gathering. Digital media are the close runner up, with 61% of the respondents selecting them as their go-to source for news and information. Legacy media are in the lower half of this list, with newspapers barely making 7%, radio 9% and television 43% as the source of information for people. This shift in how people access information highlights the significant role digital platforms, particularly social media, play in the spread of information and disinformation. In fact, a large portion of gender-based disinformation is shared through these very digital channels. The new reality on how people seek information, or rather, how the information seeks them, needs to be considered in local policy debates on information integrity and how to move forward with combating mis/disinformation, particularly mindful of the regulation or the lack thereof in the digital space.
Close to a third of the participants in our national survey have answered that ‘world news’ are the topics that they find most important when researching and looking for information. Closely followed by ‘entertainment’ and politics in the third place. Culture ranks last on the list with 0.4% of respondents having selected this theme, and sports, second to last with 3.7%. We believed it is important to learn more about people’s preferences when seeking information, but also on the main themes that they seek when pursuing information, so that we can be better equip and provide more information to policymakers, on how to design activities in this space, that will make a lasting impact.
The disinformation exposure!
Through our research we learned several new things on people’s perceptions about disinformation. Majority of the respondents have stated that they encounter disinformation often, 45% of the respondents stated that they have been targeted by disinformation, and a surprisingly large number of people (77% of the respondents) stated that the fight against disinformation is not enough. Additionally, half of respondents frequently come across gender-based disinformation, with only 8% stating that they have not been exposed to it at all. Interestingly, women respondents are more familiar with gender-based disinformation and believe they possess a greater ability to recognize disinformation in the digital space.
Information integrity hotspots
Through monitoring of national and regional media, our research pinpointed at ‘discussion shows’ as a significant source of sharing incorrect information, where on some occasions the hosts of the shows did not confront the guests on these matters, but rather encouraged the topic further. This further underlines the finding from this research that journalists and media workers should be encouraged to hold "guests” in discussion shows accountable for their presented incorrect information.
Another aspect from our media monitoring arises from the monitoring of social media posts by digital media companies. From a qualitative standpoint, our media monitoring reveals that the digital media, often lacks professional journalists and media professionals, are a significant source of gender-based misinformation and sexism in the digital space. For instance, our monitoring revealed that social media content related to gender issues, including topics like gender equality, hate speech, the LGBT community, and sexism, saw significant interaction. This highlights how much influence digital media has in spreading gender-related stories. In the digital space, disinformation often involves sexualized narratives, pseudo-scientific arguments, and falsified images targeting women, aiming to discredit them in public life. These tactics use gender stereotypes to undermine women's credibility and participation in politics. Additionally, gender equality in general, and marginalized groups like the LGBT+ community are frequently portrayed as threats to society.
These findings make it clear that there is a pressing need for the professionalization of media in the digital sector and for the development of media literacy among journalists and other media professionals, especially in the context of social media.
Our research into information integrity in North Macedonia has highlighted the urgent need to address the challenges posed by misinformation and disinformation. The shift towards digital and social media as primary sources of news has emphasized the critical role these platforms play in shaping public perceptions and spreading information, including harmful gender-based narratives. The significant interaction with gender-related content and the prevalent exposure to disinformation reflect broader issues that need addressing.
As we move forward, our office is committed to enhancing digital literacy across North Macedonia. We will continue leveraging the digital platform jasno.mk, which aims to raise awareness and strengthen local communities' capacities to identify and combat misinformation, with a particular focus on gender-based disinformation. Through jasno.mk, jointly with our partners from the Association of journalists (АЈМ – link here) we will provide new media content that fosters improved interactions between journalists and citizens, addressing local issues effectively. Additionally, by piloting the IVery tool, the Association will be able to fact-check claims by verifying facts and distinguishing them from opinions or hate speech. This process involves consulting relevant sources, investigating stakeholders, and ensuring double verification by having two fact-checkers review each story.
The platform will also enable citizens to report stories, which will be picked up and investigated by regional journalists, promoting a more informed and engaged public, that we believe makes for preconditions for enhancing democratic processes in the country.
This research is conducted within the frameworks of the project “Miss the Misinformation: Strengthening the capacities of local communities to respond to misinformation and gendered disinformation” in collaboration with the ‘The Association for Research and Analysis -ZMAI’ and Pikasa Analytics INC.
On UNDP’s side the project team that worked on this process included: Biljana Cvetanovska Gugoska, Darko Chekerovski, Krisitna Plecic, Ilmiasan Dauti, Lazar Pop Ivanov, Blazhen Maleski and Martin Nacevski.