Media’s Influence and Misinformation: Challenges to Soft Power

In a significant development this year, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has ranked misinformation and disinformation as the most serious near-term global risk for the second consecutive year. This assessment comes at a pivotal moment when social media giant Meta announced it would terminate partnerships with third-party fact-checking organizations, citing concerns about “censorship” and “political bias.”

This policy reversal marks a dramatic shift for Meta, which had built extensive fact-checking collaborations following the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The company’s decision arrives as global concerns about online misinformation continue to intensify.

Research from the Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report highlights the growing public anxiety around false information, with 72% of online news users in the United States expressing concern about distinguishing between real and fake content on the internet—an 8-point increase from the previous year and significantly higher than the 59% average across 47 markets surveyed. The study identified X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok as platforms where users found it particularly difficult to identify trustworthy information.

The United States has recently emerged from what many observers describe as an exceptionally divisive election campaign. The BBC and other news organizations frequently prefaced statements from the new president with phrases like “without any evidence,” underscoring the tension between political rhetoric and factual reporting.

This phenomenon extends beyond the U.S. borders. In 2024 alone, approximately 49% of the global population participated in elections across more than sixty countries. Many of these electoral contests were characterized by similarly contentious campaigns that exacerbated existing social divisions along racial, religious, and cultural lines.

The Reuters Institute’s research suggests public concerns about misinformation are complex. Rather than focusing primarily on entirely fabricated news, audiences often worry about biased perspectives, superficial reporting, and unsubstantiated claims. Recent conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza have been particular flashpoints for concerns about misleading content.

“Misinformation doesn’t exist in a bubble—it plays on existing schisms in society that manifest as communal hatred, racism, gender violence, and class and caste divisions,” notes Mitali Mukherjee, Director of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford.

While artificial intelligence introduces new complications to the information landscape, Mukherjee argues it isn’t the fundamental problem. “Across many markets and for many reasons, news has lost its connection with audiences. Tumultuous times increase the urgency for news publishers to find their way back,” she explains.

For media organizations seeking to rebuild audience trust, Mukherjee recommends focusing on creating “relevant, engaging, and high-quality content that demonstrates the value of engaging with the news.” She emphasizes the importance of reaching groups that feel most alienated by traditional news coverage, including young people, ethnic minorities, socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, and women.

The challenge extends to governments and regulatory bodies as well. Mukherjee calls for frameworks that protect journalists and editorial institutions—an increasingly difficult task in the current political climate. She advocates for public support of innovation in journalism through funding, removing obstacles to editorial creativity, and ensuring digital market regulations preserve editorial independence.

“Misinformation reflects the fissures that exist in our communities,” Mukherjee concludes. “If newsmakers focus on listening to their audiences and engaging with them, this approach has the potential to be the most effective way to repair the divisions, ultimately counteracting misinformation.”

As global tensions rise and technological capabilities advance, the battle against misinformation remains one of the most pressing challenges for democratic societies. The response requires coordination among media organizations, technology platforms, government entities, and an engaged public to preserve the integrity of information ecosystems worldwide.