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Author
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Divina Frau-Meigs
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Year
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2022
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Publisher
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Taylor and Francis group
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Abstract
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The fight against rampant disinformation has triggered two major
answers: fact-checking and news literacy. These affect the established fields of journalism and of Media and Information Literacy
(MIL). They create opportunities for new entrants from the margins
to enter professional fields in need of revamping. Using information
and communication sciences research on policy and organizations
and on the interplay between agency, platforms and networks, this
analysis focuses on three main criteria for evaluating the field-configuring role of disinformation: policy rules and professional canons
(to regain some lost political and economic ground), key events
and projects (to provide sense-making strategies), and interactions
with audiences and communities (to restore trust and reputation).
Focusing on the European Union as main terrain of analysis due to
its pioneering initiatives, this analysis first considers the mutual benefits afforded by the fight against disinformation. Then considers
three main challenges: MIL risks being reduced to news literacy,
digital journalism risks being reduced to fact-checking, and the disinformation discourse risks downscaling the emphasis on information. It concludes with the implications for the future for all actors
to effect real field change in MIL and journalism.
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Language
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ENGLISH