Moroccan researcher earns doctorate for thesis on combating digital disinformation

Younes Othmani has earned a doctorate with "excellent" distinction for his thesis on media education and its role in countering fake news on digital platforms. The defense took place at Ibn Tofail University in Kenitra, Morocco.

The research delves into the contemporary communication landscape, noting how the proliferation of digital platforms has diminished the gatekeeping role of traditional media. Othmani's work highlights how social media algorithms, driven by an "attention economy," prioritize engagement and emotional triggers over accuracy, transforming misinformation into a complex phenomenon that threatens societal knowledge and intellectual peace.

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The algorithms of social networks have come to impose a purely commercial logic based on the 'attention economy'; a digital model that elevates speed and emotional arousal to maximize profits at the expense of accuracy, scrutiny, and objectivity.

Methodologically, the thesis combined quantitative surveys of diverse Moroccan audiences with qualitative interviews of media experts. This approach revealed a "technical schizophrenia" among Moroccan users: a high theoretical awareness of misinformation risks contrasted with a significant lack of practical verification skills. The study found that 86.8% of respondents received no formal media education, and 68.5% relied on traditional cues like publisher reputation instead of employing digital verification tools.

To combat fake news, Othmani's thesis outlines a four-tiered strategy. This includes institutionalizing media education within national public policies, integrating it into educational curricula with specialized teacher training, fostering collaboration between relevant ministries and civil society for awareness campaigns, and empowering individual users with critical thinking and self-learning skills.

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The vast flow of digital platforms has led to the decline of traditional mediation by classical media institutions as gatekeepers of news, resulting in severe structural fragility in the information environment that has changed user representations and practices.