Factually is a newsletter about fact-checking and misinformation from Poynter’s International Fact-Checking Network. Sign up here to receive it in your email every other Thursday.
Ukraine Facts, an initiative that gathered fact checks about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, gave researchers access to a repository of data on the war. A study out of Kosovo has done just that, gleaning valuable insights into the sphere of mis- and disinformation.
The study, conducted by International Fact-Checking Network verified signatory hibrid.info in partnership with Hasan Prishtina University, uses Ukraine Fact’s database to examine data related to false information spread, both in Kosovo and the rest of the world.
“We were one of the top countries in Europe with internet coverage, while on the other hand, we were lacking in media and digital literacy,” said Shkelzen Osmani, editor-in-chief of hibrid.info, a Kosovan fact-checking outlet. “So we decided to do a quick report to introduce people to the risk that might come from misinformation.”
Social media was most frequently used to spread false content in Kosovo, and Facebook topped the list. (Facebook remains the most used social media in Kosovo, responsible for about 40-50% of misinformation dissemination, according to the study.)
Forty-six percent of the false information in Kosovo was spread through photos, while 20% was spread through text and an additional 20% was spread via an amalgam of both photo and text, the report found.
...
Welcome to Reality Check, NewsGuard’s nonpartisan newsletter that tracks the false claims and conspiracy theories that shape our world — and who’s behind them. Please support us by becoming a premi...