Publication Details
Abstract
In the digital world and environment of today, where content can reach the audience very fast due to the internet and social media platforms, societies have become highly vulnerable to disinformation and manipulative messages. This form of information, which can be referred to as destructive information (or it is commonly known as false and manipulative or misleading information), disorientates people and affects negatively not only the belief in the government but also the national security and social stability. A series of international standards have been approved in order to assess the integrity of spreading information, such as CRAAP Test, EU DisinfoLab, NewsGuard, and Ofcom Media Literacy. However, to a large extent, these models are a reflection of the Western sociopolitical setting that may not be endorsed by a unique cultural, media, and legal environment of the countries outside the Global North. This paper thus examines the nature of destructive information and questions its ability to translate effectively with regard to actual local environments with a specific focus on the case of Uzbekistan. The analysis finds eight key clues to controlling manipulative material, defines advantages and disadvantages of the currently functioning rating systems that are designed to operate internationally, and confirms the necessity of the nationally-based rating system with culturally-sensitive rating scale that makes it possible to make a context-sensitive judgment. As a result, the given study compares the existing international models with the suggestion of their local adaptation and, thus, closes the significant gap between the worlds of international and national approaches to and the national media realities. The findings can provide the best guideline to policy-makers, analysts, journalists, and educators in Uzbekistan, which would help in having an evidence-based policy of mitigating the impact of destructive content by having a better media literacy.