U.S. Ethnic and Indigenous Media Critical in Fighting Disinformation, Study Finds

Ethnic and Indigenous Media Emerge as Bulwarks Against Election Disinformation

Amid the rising tide of political disinformation sweeping across the United States, ethnic and Indigenous news outlets have demonstrated remarkable resilience in combating false information, according to comprehensive research by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ).

The study, conducted during the 2024 U.S. presidential election cycle, reveals that these community-focused media organizations successfully leverage their deep local connections and established credibility to identify and counter harmful rumors before they gain national traction.

“Thanks to their deep community ties and well-established credibility, ethnic and Indigenous newsrooms are often attuned to harmful rumors and falsehoods circulating within their communities well before those narratives manage to garner national attention,” the report states. The research was edited by ICFJ’s Julie Posetti, Nabeelah Shabbir and Kaylee Williams.

This report represents the second installment of a five-country study funded by the Scripps Howard Foundation as part of ICFJ’s Disarming Disinformation project. It draws on collaborative research with Arizona State University, the University of Maryland, and City St. George’s University of London.

The investigation employed multiple methodologies, analyzing Asian American, Black, Indigenous and Latino news outlets. Researchers conducted 42 in-depth interviews while examining over 500 articles and 300 social media posts from 45 publications. They also utilized large language models to analyze nearly 10,000 articles, systematically identifying recurring narratives and disinformation patterns. A national survey assessed Americans’ attitudes toward disinformation and media’s democratic functions.

Perhaps most significantly, the research identified President Donald Trump as the dominant source and distributor of disinformation appearing in the ethnic and Indigenous press during the election. This finding challenges previous assumptions about foreign interference, highlighting domestic political forces as primary disinformation vectors in U.S. political discourse.

The research comes at a critical moment when independent media faces mounting pressures, and as the Trump administration works to undermine independent journalism. One interviewee from a Black-focused outlet underscored their advantage: “People know us. They believe us. And that’s something a lot of newsrooms can’t say anymore.”

The study uncovered how closed digital spaces like WhatsApp groups and WeChat channels frequently function as “information cocoons” for mono-linguistic communities, enabling rumors to spread unchecked. Ethnic media outlets counter this challenge through active monitoring of these spaces and engaging users in their native languages with contextual reporting that directly addresses specific claims.

Community engagement emerges as both a strategy and shield against disinformation. Journalists interviewed described innovative approaches in storytelling that surface community concerns early, fact-check rumors at their source, and transform verified facts into practical guidance through town halls, bilingual explainers, and reporting on platforms most used by their audiences.

Financial scams represent another persistent cross-community threat, often traveling through the same channels as political falsehoods, the research found.

While trust in mainstream media continues to decline amid increasing attacks, the survey revealed an interesting demographic difference: participants identifying as people of color were less likely to actively distrust the press (32%) compared to white-identifying participants (44%).

Indigenous journalists highlighted how their communities’ voices are often excluded from public discourse, with mainstream media typically covering Indigenous issues only in moments of tragedy or hardship. This erasure of everyday Indigenous experiences from political discourse creates fertile ground for disinformation and racist narratives.

The study also identified areas for improvement. Researchers found instances of uncritical repetition of disinformation narratives among some Latino press outlets, while interviews with certain Chinese publications raised concerns about editorial independence from foreign influence.

As disinformation continues to threaten democratic discourse, this research offers valuable insights into community-rooted strategies that successfully combat false information targeting vulnerable populations. The complete findings and recommendations are available in the full Disarming Disinformation report, which received primary funding from the Scripps Howard Foundation with additional support from the Gates Foundation.