Testing the Fault Lines

🗳 During election periods, disinformation and conspiracy theories can particularly affect the democratic and electoral processes. In this report supported by the Global Unit for Human Security (Heinrich Böll Foundation) and Africa Check, Finlay et al. seek to understand the varieties of fake content and its impact on the recent elections held in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal. 

📖 Looking into the different media landscapes, their legal frameworks and how they address issues of digital literacy and harmful content, this report provides a detailed analysis of fake news and their consequences on civic and political life. This study analyses how students in media studies engage with information and are impacted by factors such as gender, academic background and level of trust in public figures, when dealing with fake content dissemination. The research also highlights fake content reporting as a political tactic fueled by inter-party rivalries, as well as religious or ethnic tensions.

Testing the Fault Lines exposes the issues behind election misinformation and its risks to democracy, while sparking conversation on avenues to counter this phenomenon.