CHALLENGES: GENDER, RELIGION Journalists and media organizations that focus on issues of marginalized communities—and the journalists themselves that belong to such groups— face additional challenges. Female journalists tend to face gender-based discrimination and violence, sometimes even amounting to death threats (Judson 2021). As Shahindha Ismail from the Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) explained, she and a colleague became the victims of harassment campaigns on both mainstream and social media due to their work on human rights and women’s and girls’ rights in the context of religious radicalism, including gender equality, child marriage, and female genital mutilation (FGM). The most recent and most vicious attacks were around a research report: “Although the report was co-authored by two women and two men, the two women were often singled out ([and this] continues today) both on mainstream media and social media. Distorted pictures of the two women [were plastered] on all platforms repeatedly” (interview, 2021). 5. RECOMMENDATIONS The following issues need to receive attention in order to tackle information disorder and help respondents expand their work: • Funding: Organizations in the region working on countering information disorder are significantly hamstrung by a lack of funds. As most of the organizations are dependent on international donors, the funding landscape determines what types of projects and activities are given priority. This does not always match the reality on the ground in a given country. Therefore, funders need to focus on understanding the nuances in the region and the differences between countries. Funding tends to be short term and project driven, making it difficult for these organizations to make long-term plans of action. Core funding grants should be considered more frequently. • Certification: Some fact-checking organizations in the region have faced substantial barriers in obtaining IFCN certification, which would provide them with many benefits while giving them credibility. These challenges can be addressed by expanding the verification resource pool representing the region for IFCN certification and providing a more affordable fee structure. I N FO R M ATI O N D I SO R D ER IN THE GLOBA L SOUTH • Technological tools and techniques: Fact checkers and journalists dealing with local languages struggle with a lack of tools that can be used to work with these languages. They are thus unable to benefit from technology that could make their processes more efficient. Consideration must be given to improving the local-language capabilities of tools and techniques that have been created to counter information disorder. • Measuring impact: A common challenge experienced by countries in the region working against information disorder is the measurement of reach and impact. Fact checkers do not have a strong mechanism to analyze how their corrections impact the way that the public analyzes information. Similarly, the long-term impact of media literacy programs in changing behavior has been underexplored. Long-term collaboration between academia and practitioners in the field must be encouraged to facilitate the development of practical criteria for the measurement of reach and impact. • Media/digital literacy: In the Asian region, countries need to implement nationwide, systemic approaches to enhancing the media and digital literacy of the general public in order to strengthen the fight against information disorder. These programs should target groups such as journalists, school children, and vulnerable communities. • Collaboration between actors: To successfully combat information disorder, collaborative action is required from all types of actors involved. Fact checkers need the mass media to take their message to a wider audience. The government should involve civil society, legal experts, and journalists when drafting laws and regulations governing information disorder. Platforms and governments must work together to stop information disorder from tainting elections or inducing violence. Platforms and traditional media must work together to ensure that the cross-platform spread of mis- or disinformation is limited or prevented. • Legal responses: Legislators need to tread carefully when drafting legislation that seeks to address information disorder, especially through regulating content, to ensure that freedom of expression is protected. Overly invasive and poorly defined laws which go too far in criminalizing speech lead to censorship, which in itself is a driver of information disorder. Further, a question to consider is whether legislation even has a place in regulating content to address information disorder in the first place. Asia – 2 3 6