Fake Content and Fact-Checking on Social Media in Bangladesh: Users’ Exposure, Engagement, and Verification Practices

Authors/ Publisher: Md. Sajjat Hossain, Md. Tabiur Rahman Prodhan and Mohammad Rakib Hossain

Abstract:

The development of information and communication technology has expanded the social media platforms in Bangladesh and facilitated the dissemination of information but also led to increased fake content. The goal of this study is to explore the way users navigate, engage, and respond to fake content as well as their attitudes towards fact-checking initiatives. To adopt the quantitative surveys, and content analysis researchers investigate users’ social media use, awareness and perception of fake content, behavioral pattern of fact-checking, engagement, response to the fake content, and fact-checking initiatives. The result shows that users often encounter misinformation. Education, digital media literacy, and platform-specific factors involve users' ability to assess content critically. Users engage with fake content by reacting, commenting, and sharing respectively. Most of the respondents unknowingly contribute to the virality of the fake content. The findings also show that respondents are more engaged with fake content than the fact-checking content. A small number of respondents know about fact-checking organizations and sometimes they rely on these initiatives. The results suggest that improving digital media literacy, strengthening independent fact-checking organizations, and ensuring media accountability to combating misinformation.

Keywords: Fake content, fact-checking, social media, misinformation, Bangladesh.