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UNESCO: 9,000 content creators sign up for training on how to avoid spreading misinformation
As the spread of misinformation and disinformation on social media gathers pace, a new report by UNESCO reveals two-thirds of content creators do not fact-check information before posting. The good news? Three quarters of them want training in how to create reliable content and build audience trust.
A new survey of global content creators finds most — 62% — do not check facts or verify sources before publishing content, making them vulnerable to the risk of spreading misinformation and manipulation by nefarious actors.
Announcing the results of its inaugural ‘Behind the Screens’ survey, the UN’s educational, scientific and cultural organisation, UNESCO, said there was an urgent need to train content creators in how to verify sources and fact-check information, and why it matters.
To coincide with the release of the study, UNESCO said it had partnered with the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas to offer training that aims to empower content creators to address disinformation and hate speech, and provide them with a solid grounding in global human rights standards on both Freedom of Expression and Information.
The study surveyed 500 creators from 45 countries, asking them about their motivations for content creation, their level of knowledge and understanding of regulations around free speech, defamation and copyright, fact-checking, ethics, and more.
Key amongst the findings was the confirmation that creators, unlike professional journalists, are not equipped with the skills to correctly verify sources and fact-check information before sharing it on social media.
“The low prevalence of fact-checking among content creators highlights their vulnerability to misinformation and disinformation. Moreover, without critical thinking skills, these creators may fall prey to manipulation by various entities, including governments and brands, potentially compromising their authenticity and the integrity of the content they produce,” the UNESCO report said.
“These risks can significantly impact public discourse and undermine the trust that audiences place in them.”
The survey also found many creators mistake popularity of social media posts for credibility, with 41.6% of those surveyed saying they judged credibility of online sources according to the number of likes and views content had received.
Whether content is shared by trusted friends or experts was the second most common factor of determining credibility of information (20.6%), followed by the author or publisher’s reputation (19.4%).
Less than a fifth (17%) of creators named the presence of evidence or documentation in a piece of content as an indicator of credibility.
A third of content creators (36.9%) said they would fact-check the source of the information before sharing, while a third (33.5%) said they would share content without fact-checking if they trusted the source or content’s creator.
In most cases, 58.1%, a creator’s personal experiences act as the primary source for information, followed by their own research and interviews with people who are knowledgeable on the subject.
Despite such a large proportion of content creators who do not correctly fact-check information before sharing it, a whopping 68.7% of digital content creators believe they promote critical thinking and digital literacy amongst their audiences.
Turning the tide: 9,000 creators sign up for online training course
With more than half of adults around the world now getting their news from social media, UNESCO said creators’ lack of training in how to assess the credibility of sources led to challenges in ensuring accuracy in their content.
“The prevalent lack of rigorous critical evaluation of information highlights an urgent need to enhance creators’ media and information literacy skills, including identifying and using reliable fact-checking resources,” the report said.
Encouragingly, three quarters (73%) of creators surveyed said they were interested in receiving training in how to verify sources and other issues, such as the regulatory frameworks.
The survey also revealed gaping holes in content creators’ awareness and understanding of regulations governing digital communications and free speech. More than half (56.4%) were aware of training courses aimed at creators — in Europe, France, Germany and the Netherlands have all launched content creator training courses — and just 13.9% of those who were aware of training opportunities had participated in them.
To this end, UNESCO has partnered with the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas (USA) to develop an online course aimed at empowering content creators to address disinformation and hate speech, and provide them with a solid grounding in global human rights standards on Freedom of Expression and Information.
“Strengthening media and information literacy training, particularly with the support of organisations like UNESCO, digital content creators can become allies and defenders of freedom of expression,” the report said.
9,000 creators from 160 countries have already signed up for the course, Digital Content Creators and Journalists: How to be a Trusted Voice Online.
The month-long course will teach content creators how to:
- source information using a diverse range of sources,
- assess and verify the quality of information,
- to be transparent about the sources which inspire their content,
- identify, debunk and report misinformation, disinformation and hate speech,
- collaborate with journalists and traditional media to amplify fact-based information.
Empowering creators to assert their rights
Not only do most creators not check sources, but their lack of understanding of the regulatory frameworks to which they are subject puts them in a position of legal uncertainty that could expose them to prosecution, UNESCO said.
Asked if they were aware of local laws governing content creation, one quarter (27%) said they were not aware of the laws’ existence.
Asked about their knowledge of content creation laws, half of the creators surveyed (49.6%) said they knew some things, but would not describe themselves as knowledgeable. A third (32.4%) described themselves as knowledgeable about content creation laws, and 11.4% said they didn’t think content creation laws applied to them.
“[Their lack of knowledge about regulations] also prevents them from asserting their rights when they are victims themselves of restricted content online,” UNESCO said.
A third of creators reported being targeted by hate speech; of those, most (31.5%) chose to ignore it and just 20% have reported the case to the platform.
Most content creators 82% said they were familiar with some laws related to freedom of expression, defamation and copyright in their country.
UNESCO said its training course aims to empower content creators to address disinformation and hate speech and provide them with a solid grounding in global human rights standards on both Freedom of Expression and Information.
The UNESCO sample of creators surveyed included a majority (68%) who were nano-influencers (1,000 to 10K followers), 25% micro-influencers and 7% who were macro or mega-influencers.
Content creators surveyed covered a variety of sectors and content formats, with the most popular platforms for posting content being Instagram (34%), Facebook (25%), and TikTok+Douyin (16.4%).
About Kolsquare
Kolsquare is Europe’s leading Influencer Marketing platform, offering a data-driven solution that empowers brands to scale their KOL (Key Opinion Leader) marketing strategies through authentic partnerships with top creators.
Kolsquare’s advanced technology helps marketing professionals seamlessly identify the best content creators by filtering their content and audience, while also enabling them to build, manage, and optimize campaigns from start to finish. This includes measuring results and benchmarking performance against competitors.
With a thriving global community of influencer marketing experts, Kolsquare serves hundreds of customers—including Coca-Cola, Netflix, Sony Music, Publicis, Sézane, Sephora, Lush, and Hermès—by leveraging the latest Big Data, AI, and Machine Learning technologies. Our platform taps into an extensive network of KOLs with more than 5,000 followers across 180 countries on Instagram, TikTok, X (Twitter), Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat.
As a Certified B Corporation, Kolsquare leads the way in promoting Responsible Influence, championing transparency, ethical practices, and meaningful collaborations that inspire positive change.
Since October 2024, Kolsquare has become part of the Team.Blue group, one of the largest private tech companies in Europe, and a leading digital enabler for businesses and entrepreneurs across Europe. Team.Blue brings together over 60 successful brands in web hosting, domains, e-commerce, online compliance, lead generation, application solutions, and social media.
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