How is Portugal addressing disinformation? Results of a mapping of initiatives (2010-2023)

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15847/obsOBS18520242444

Abstract

The brisky transformation of the internet and the rise of digital technologies have been causing a deep impact on the media and in the ways audiences access, consume and participate. Although in this era information is closer and more available to citizens, concerns have been raised regarding 1) the quality of the information disseminated by digital platforms, 2) the impacts it may have on democracies and 3) the urgency of promoting citizens' MIL competencies. Disseminating unverified content can pose threats towards the status of the Internet as a space for free and informative debate, and as a tool for social inclusion. Portugal is pointed out as the second European country where citizens are most concerned about authenticity and validity of information (Newman et al., 2020). However data also shows that mechanisms of disinformation are quite participated by them. In this way, it becomes relevant to understand how the various sectors of society have been promoting the empowerment of citizens, and their resilience and competence toward information disorder.

Within the scope of the project Read Twice, the team carried out a mapping of initiatives focused on tackling disinformation. The aim was to identify good practices and outline Portugal’s experience concerning this issue. After an initial listing of activities (N=20) promoted over the last 13 years, the team identified 3 Top Initiatives and eleven Best Practices. Overall results suggest that media literacy has been in the spotlight in the Portuguese context since the 1980s. There is also a tendency for media literacy initiatives to engage target audiences through active, participatory and creative approaches. However, and although the longest-running activity dates from the late 1980s, the initiatives identified are limited to a specific timeframe, suggesting that there is a lack of continuity repeatedly emphasised in the research.

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Published

2024-02-13

How to Cite

Oliveira , A. F., Maneta, M., Brites , M. J., & Ribeiro-Rodrigues, V. (2024). How is Portugal addressing disinformation? Results of a mapping of initiatives (2010-2023). Observatorio (OBS*), 18(5). https://doi.org/10.15847/obsOBS18520242444

Issue

Special Issue (2024) Uses of Media Literacy to tackle disinformation: the multiple roles of different stakeholders

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2024 Ana Filipa Oliveira , Margarida Maneta, Maria José Brites , Vanessa Ribeiro-Rodrigues Observatorio (OBS*) has an academic journal profile. As such, it is dedicated to the open exchange of its contents, and freely available to individuals and institutions without charge or formal permission. Copies of this journal or articles in this journal may be distributed for research or educational purposes free of charge and without permission. Authors will not be charged for publication or submission to this journal. Authors who publish in Observatorio (OBS*) will release their contributions under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-2.0 generic. This licence allows anyone to copy and distribute the article for non-commercial purposes provided that appropriate attribution is given - being the author the copyright holder. This journal utilizes the LOCKSS system to create a distributed archiving system among participating libraries and permits those libraries to create permanent archives of the journal for purposes of preservation and restoration. The publisher perpetually authorizes participants in the LOCKSS system to archive and restore our publication through the LOCKSS System for the benefit of all LOCKSS System participants. Specifically participating libraries may: • Collect and preserve currently accessible materials; • Use material consistent with original license terms; • Provide copies to other LOCKSS appliances for purposes of audit and repair. Fair use of a copyrighted work, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include: 1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes; 2. the nature of the copyrighted work; 3. the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; & 4. the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors. In accord with these provisions, the OBS journal believes in the vigorous assertion and defense of Fair Use by scholars engaged in academic research, teaching and non-commercial publishing. Thus, we view the inclusion of “quotations” from existing print, visual, audio and audio-visual texts to be appropriate examples of Fair Use, as are reproductions of visual images for the purpose of scholarly analysis. We encourage authors to obtain appropriate permissions to use materials originally produced by others, but do not require such permissions as long as the usage of such materials falls within the boundaries of Fair Use.