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.

This study explores the relationship between journalistic background, content creation experience, and self-reported information literacy among global content creators. Based on an online survey of 500 content creators in eight languages around the world, the study explains whether journalistic training or experience in content creation influences perceived information literacy, while controlling for education and economic development of the country. Results indicate that both having a journalistic background and content creation experience significantly predict perceived information literacy, with education of creators as a significant covariate. Economic development (Global South vs. Global North) is not a significant factor. Grounded in Flavell’s metacognitive theory, the findings suggest that content creators gain confidence in evaluating information through having a journalistic background and content creator experience, even if their actual ability remains untested. The implications of perceived information literacy compared to actual practice in information checking and information literacy training based on metacognition are discussed.

The article addresses the growing concern over fake news and its threat to democracy and journalism in the contemporary media environment. It situates this problem within the emerging field of news literacy, arguing for the need to reconceptualize fake news both theoretically and practically.

This article explores the influential yet underexamined role of media agencies in the digital media ecosystem, particularly within the news media sector. Media agencies shape the public sphere by directing advertising budgets toward specific platforms, thereby contributing to the platformization of media. Drawing on interviews and industry sources, the study shows that media agencies are heavily involved in digitizing, tracking, and commodifying audiences, while also recognizing the ethical concerns this creates. The article calls for greater political scrutiny and critical research into the democratic consequences of emerging value chains linking platforms, advertisers, media agencies, audiences, and news organizations.