Media literacy as a means of protecting Uzbekistan's media environment from disinformation

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the concept of “disinformation” in the media environment of Uzbekistan, as well as technologies of their detection and effective counteraction. The author considers media literacy as the main means of counteracting disinformation. This paper considers modern types of disinformation in social networks disseminated with destructive use of automated systems based on AI (artificial intelligence). Measures of effective counteraction to the spread of disinformation, including through increasing media literacy of the population and increasing the number and quality of fact-checking platforms in Uzbekistan are studied. The paper uses the method of comparative analysis of scientific research in the field of creation and dissemination of disinformation, which allows identifying best practices to improve the basic skills of their detection. The set of research tools also includes a survey by questionnaire method realized by the author in 2023 among 1066 respondents - citizens of Uzbekistan. The hypothesis of the paper is that the success of the process of identifying fakes and disinformation is directly dependent on the level of media literacy of the population. Increasing the level of media literacy of the population, in turn, should be carried out through the development and widespread implementation of mechanisms for detecting disinformation on the basis of medialiteracy and various fact-checking platforms - which will be the recommended outcome of the work. In the course of the study, we will provide arguments in favor of these arguments.