Everyday News Use and Misinformation in Kenya

Abstract

A growing body of work in journalism studies focuses on understanding audiences’ relationship with news and misinformation. This article adds to this area of inquiry by exploring Kenyans’ experiences with news and (mis)information in their everyday lives, how they use traditional and social media to meet their information needs, and how they navigate information ecosystems with a particular focus on news literacy strategies. This study broadens the scope of current audience research, which has primarily been conducted in the Global North, by using data collected in focus groups with Kenyan adults. Findings suggest that Kenyans consume news from a variety of sources, but trust in these sources vary with most finding “mainstream” news media most trustworthy. In addition, when faced with misinformation, participants’ decisions on whether to engage with the content was based on personal interest in the topic, perceived resonance within their social networks and perceived importance. Finally, participants discussed strategies consistent with news literacy behaviours, such as looking at multiple sources, checking the source of news, and verifying content to navigate complex media ecosystems.