The Digital Industry Group Inc (DIGI) that launched The Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation in February 2021, recently presented findings of a nationally representative survey they undertook into Australians’ perceptions of misinformation. Published as part of the code’s annual report, the survey not only found weaknesses and inconsistencies with how Australians understand what the term ‘misinformation’ means, but also a worrying lack of thinking about the harm misinformation can cause.
According to Sunita Bose, CEO of DIGI, the answers reveal ‘...significant skews in the perceptions based on respondents’ personal characteristics, political or media preferences.’
The survey also found that Australians are concerned about misinformation and a clear majority of participants believed they had been exposed to online misinformation within the last week. This compares similarly with findings by surveys including those conducted by the University of Canberra for the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.
DIGI’s Director of Regulatory Affairs, Policy & Research, Jenny Duxbury, noted 'a limitation of studies of Australians' experience of misinformation to date is that they assume that people have a shared understanding of what kinds of information and news sources should be categorised as misinformation, regardless of differences in their attitudes and beliefs.”
The DIGI survey delved further into what participants mean when they refer to ‘misinformation’. Respondents were asked to explain the term using an open-ended question which was then coded for various themes. Results found:
- a strong belief that misinformation is anything false or untrue;
- it is intentional, i.e. more akin to disinformation, or at least presents a one-sided, biased and opinion-laden view;
- and that only 1% of the respondents define it as being harmful.
To the final point - and for me perhaps the sting in the tail of the findings - is that only one percent of Australians are thinking about the harmful ramifications of misinformation. Given the continuing harmful effects of Covid misinformation, this shows large gaps - and opportunities - in media and news literacy education.
Additionally, our work on the Chinese Diaspora in Australia shows the harmful effects of misinformation and mischaracterisation of the group as a result of Australia’s tensions with China, and how these have reinforced stigma and fuelled racism. This was perpetuated in the recent federal election with 'reds under the bed' rhetoric, and populist right-wing Senator Pauline Hanson’s video (that was swiftly removed by the platforms for tripping over election standards) that fuelled dangerous racist tropes under the excuse of satire (see my comments on the latter here).
Anne Kruger, Associate Professor
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