1. Disinformation, media literacy and journalism: proposals from journalists in Portugal.
- Author
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Torre, Luísa, Jerónimo, Pedro, and Amaral, Inês
- Subjects
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MEDIA literacy , *DISINFORMATION , *DIGITAL technology , *EDUCATIONAL planning , *JOURNALISTS , *JOURNALISTIC ethics , *VALUES (Ethics) , *HEALTH literacy - Abstract
The emergence of the phenomenon of disinformation has brought the fields of journalism and media literacy closer together, the latter being seen as a crucial skill for navigating the digital ecosystem. As this is a systemic and broad problem (Wardle & Derakhshan, 2018), strategies to combat it must involve various actors, including journalists, who play a crucial role in implementing practices against disinformation. However, while it used to be assumed that the media would educate for citizenship, in addition to informing and entertaining, today the view is emerging that citizenship itself must be formed from education for good use of the media (Sádaba & Salaverría, 2022). The promotion of media literacy actions by journalists or through the media is not new, but as a rule they are not prioritized activities in journalistic spaces (Brites & Pinto, 2017). This article aims to understand the perceptions and proposals of journalists working in Portugal regarding the relevance and effectiveness of Portuguese journalism in combating disinformation. A questionnaire survey was applied, in which an open question (n=169) aimed to verify these perspectives. Content analysis (Bardin, 1977) was carried out on the sample, revealing that journalists are focusing on four main strategies to combat disinformation: improving journalistic practices, including strengthening verification routines; improving regulatory bodies, with more effective sanctions; strengthening the profession's ethical values and principles; and increasing levels of media literacy through educational strategies and critical reflection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024