Media relies on socials for sharing, but there are risks

The report, Facebook and the News Media: How Australians Engage with News and Misinformation Online, explores the evolving relationship between Australian news organisations, social media (Facebook) and online audiences.

With exclusive Australian access to Meta's Content Library from the past 15 years, the study analysed more than three million posts from 25 Australian news publishers to understand how content is distributed, how audiences engage with news topics, and the nature of misinformation and disinformation spread.

It found:

• News organisations are increasingly dependent on social media platforms, particularly Meta's Facebook, to reach their audiences, highlighting a fundamental shift in how Australians consume news

• A data "bump" in 2016 shows the point news organisations significantly increased the amount of content shared through social media

• Social media has become a powerful tool for dissemination of misinformation, which is particularly "sticky" and can flourish and spread quickly

• Misinformation is especially spread during Australian elections, where conspiracy theorists make false claims about electoral processes.

• Public figures, politicians in particular, play a key role in spreading misinformation, with data showing that misleading statements from elites are readily picked up and amplified by the public, however they can play an important role in curbing misinformation.

"While mitigation measures such as factchecking and Meta's efforts to limit the spread of false content can curb misinformation, political figures are largely exempt from these policies," the report says.

"This highlights the critical responsibility of political elites to communicate truthfully and avoid fuelling misinformation."

The report says the findings underscore the vital role of professional journalists and media organisations in reporting daily events and informing the public online.

"As audiences increasingly rely on social media for news, the media's responsibility to signal credible information and counter misinformation is critical to limiting its spread," it says.

The study was led by Professor Andrea Carson, an expert in political communication and Associate Dean of Research, Industry andEngagementat La Trobe, who is one of a handful of academics globally who are authorised to access the newly established Meta Content Library (MCL).

Professor Carson said the study showed the most popular stories shared by news organisations were arts and lifestyle posts, which is a reversal from 10 years ago when political stories had greater engagement.

She says the research "underscores the real-world consequences of misinformation and the harms it may cause especially in health and public trust in institutions and organisations such as charities. Containing this spread is critical for healthy democracies, societies and individuals".

Study co-authors were Dr Justin Phillips, Senior Lecturer in Political Science at the University of Waikato, New Zealand, and Ms Phoebe Hayman, a PhD candidate in the department of Politics, Media and Philosophy at La Trobe University.