Media Literacy in Official Iraqi Media: An Approach to Reshaping Communicative Behavior in Confronting Fake Content

Abstract

This research examines the role of media education in official Iraqi media as a means to reshape communicative behavior in combating fake content. The study revolved around two main aspects: The first is an analysis of the current reality of media literacy initiatives in Iraqi media institutions, where the results revealed their reliance on improvised frameworks and the absence of a comprehensive national policy, in addition to major obstacles such as a lack of material and human resources, weak digital culture, political interference, and deteriorating public trust. The second aspect evaluated the impact of these efforts on the audience, finding that they have a positive but limited effect, manifested in raising awareness, spreading critical habits among individuals, and improving knowledge of source verification methods. The study also noted the beginning of a tangible behavioral shift among the audience, reflected in a change in how they interact with news content, showing a greater tendency to verify news, report suspicious content, and adopt behaviors such as "silent withdrawal" or unfollowing untrustworthy accounts. The study adopted a qualitative methodology by conducting interviews with a sample of four university professors