Countering disinformation: enhancing journalistic legitimacy in public service media

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The rise of disinformation about politics and public affairs represents an existential threat to democratic governance in many countries. After all, democracy rests on citizens having access to accurate and reliable information sources in order to make judgments about how they should be governed. But over recent years public trust in the news has declined and the legitimacy of journalism has been undermined. In collaboration with leading public service media (BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5) and a commercial news organisation (Sky News), this project will develop the most in-depth UK comparative study to date that analyses disinformation reporting and critically examines how news users respond to it. By working collaboratively with senior editors to identify where TV, online and social media platforms can more effectively counter disinformation and communicate this reporting, the aim of the project will be to enhance journalistic legitimacy in ways that better serve the democratic needs of citizens.From state interference in other countries' election campaigns to the emergent influence of populist political candidates, parties and movements, the infrastructure of today's media and communication environment has opened up new ways of manipulating and disrupting flows of information. As a consequence terms such as 'post-truth politics' or 'fake news' have become synonymous with the changing political environment, the growing supply of dubious disinformation and a crisis in the legitimacy of contemporary journalism. Whether teenage Macedonians inventing 'news' in order to influence the US elections or the Ukrainian government falsely declaring a journalist had been killed by Russian forces, the source of disinformation can range widely from democratic states entering into diplomatic games to private citizens acting duplicitously or for financial gain. While citizens may have been exposed to disinformation online, whether from a story being shared on Facebook or liked on Twitter, most - as research has shown - will be more likely to encounter disinformation from mainstream media organisations, such as the BBC. This is because legacy media remain the most widely consumed and influential information sources, with news produced by public service media often singled out for being the most trusted in representative UK surveys. However, the rise of partisan news and disinformation across online and social media platforms has created echo chambers and filter bubbles that are increasingly undermining the legitimacy of news produced by public service media. In order to ensure public service media are viewed as a credible news source into the 21st century, it is essential that their disinformation reporting addresses the needs of citizens in a fast-changing media ecology.The project will interview senior editorial staff at leading public service media and Sky News in the UK, develop an in-depth content analysis of their news across TV, online and social media, and carry out 18 focus groups with news users. The aim of the study will be to find editorial solutions to countering disinformation in routine reporting, identifying the ways in which the legitimacy of journalism can be enhanced according to news users. From state propaganda to dubious claims made by politicians, our project will assess how such disinformation can be more effectively challenged and communicated in ways that reinforce and promote journalistic legitimacy among citizens. We will work closely with broadcasters to understand their disinformation reporting and discuss whether it is viewed as legitimate journalism by news users. The project's findings will be promoted widely across our university networks and in popular media, and we will engage with relevant stakeholders, such as journalists, regulators, politicians, policy makers and citizens, through public and private meetings and events.