Just The Facts: With Digital Content Creators Failing To Fact-Check, UNESCO Offers Training Course

The grind for content has seen many shortcuts, collapses, and casualties, as journalists and publishing veterans will tell you and any other sympathetic ears over drinks and no doubt tears. 

Even the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (aka UNESCO) has noticed, with a recent report finding that nearly two-thirds (62%) of digital content creators don’t fact-check or verify accuracy before sharing information and a full third (33%) not bothering to check if they trust the source.

“Digital content creators have acquired an important place in the information ecosystem, engaging millions of people with cultural, social or political news,” says UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. “But many are struggling in the face of disinformation and online hate speech and calling for more training. As part of its mandate for media and information literacy, UNESCO will support them through the first-ever global training course.”

The month-long course, developed by UNESCO and the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, had over 9,000 people from more than 160 countries enroll, learning such essentials as sourcing information across a diverse range, assessing information quality, identifying misinformation, and collaborating with journalists “to amplify fact-based information,” particularly helpful as mainstream news media ranked behind personal experience and research as the most common source used by content creators.

(Source: UNESCO)

“The low prevalence of fact-checking among content creators highlights their vulnerability to misinformation and disinformation,” the report says. “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. These risks can significantly impact public discourse and undermine the trust that audiences place in them.”