Managing Misinformation in a Humanitarian Context

Internews explains that disaster-affected communities are often in a disadvantaged position to access information. Infrastructure damage and a tendency of media to report on disaster survivors rather than for them further hinders communication. All this means that traditional media channels often don’t reach the people most in need of information or give them the necessary information. Hence, affected communities often get their information from hearsay – from stories that circulate amongst their groups with limited means to fact-checking. Rumours are problematic because, in a crisis, a misunderstood or intentionally misleading message can cause panic, be harmful if advocating a certain type of action, or inflame an existing conflict. Per Internews: “Accessing trustworthy information is the key to taking control of your own survival and being able to recover.”

Find out more at: internews.org