Mexican journalism in view of disinformation: perceptions about responsibilities, implemented strategies and potential solutions to the problem

Abstract

Disinformation represents one of the main challenges for journalism. However, there is little research that investigates journalists’ perspectives on this phenomenon. To address this gap, a survey with a non-probabilistic sampling was applied to journalists in Mexico (N = 127) between April and May 2021. Results indicate that journalists consider that the proliferation of disinformation is serious and that the political use of the term fake news can decrease the impact of their work and credibility in the media. Participants blame new phenomena in communication for the problem, particularly social media, which are the outlets where they most find disinformation. Furthermore, they recognize that journalism’s failures contribute to the problem and also detect false news in traditional media. However, the solutions they favor are directed at the individual, preferring training measures for journalists and the public.