In this blog, we will explore Ofcom’s adults’ media literacy research, drawing on the findings of their Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes Report 2024. The research, used as a reference document for the media and communications industry, reveals detailed insights into media use, attitudes, and understanding among UK adults aged 16 and older.

Trust in AI

Almost three-quarters (74%) of UK adults have heard of large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or LlaMa, and awareness is still relatively high (64%) even in the 65 and over age group. Those who have not heard of AI most likely consist of narrow, less confident internet users.

But do they recognise AI-generated content? The report found that most adults would trust an AI-generated article less than a human-written one, while merely 14% stated that they would trust AI more. 

Despite the overarching sentiment that human-written content is more trustworthy than ones generated by AI, —only 37% of adults ‘ever’ consider whether online content is AI-generated. When they did consider it, most participants in Ofcom’s Adults’ Media Lives study could distinguish AI-generated images. However, “many of them were concerned over how realistic the fake content looked.”

However, the study only tested people’s ability to identify AI-generated images, not written content. With advancements in text-based generative AI, it may be significantly more difficult to distinguish AI written content from human content, with AI models adapting to our individual writing styles and tones of voice.

Trust in online media

How about people’s trust in online news and information? More than two-thirds (68%) of adults read news online. Among those who consume online news, the majority claim that they take time to consider the truthfulness or accuracy of the news they see on social media, though there is still 15% of social media news users claim to rarely or never consider it. 

Scanning comments to see what other users have said has become a popular method to verify news and information. Still, there is always a risk of the comments being unverified.

The report details how 45% of adult internet users have claimed to encounter untrue or misleading news stories online in the past year. When suspicious of a fake news story, the majority (41%) of adults did not take any action, such as flagging the news article or website as misleading.

This is why communications professionals need to take on the role of not only storytellers but also fact-checkers. It is of utmost importance that we have systems in place to avoid being the source or spreader of misinformation and that we utilise our social listening tools to identify and report misinformation.

Scepticism towards mainstream media

However, things become more complex when adults show a significant degree of scepticism towards mainstream news outlets, defined as large media corporations such as the BBC, CNN, or the New York Times. Four out of every ten adults (41%) use mainstream media but question the information conveyed, while approximately two in ten (22%) always question the information provided by mainstream sources.

This may come as a surprise, as we would think that mainstream media would have bigger budgets to conduct fact checks or systems to prevent the spread of misinformation—or do they? 

In April 2024, Fox News went on trial over some of its anchors’ and correspondents’ suggestions that “voting-machine-maker Dominion helped fix the last US presidential election for Joe Biden.” A judge in Delaware then ruled that “none of the statements relating to Dominion about the 2020 election are true,” and the lawsuit ultimately reached a $787.5 million settlement.

As the media has become more fragmented, people are diversifying their sources of information instead of trusting one news source. For example, a previous study on digital journalism has found that a decrease in mainstream media is related to an increase in alternative news sources and vice versa. The same study found that the orientation towards alternative news sources seems to supplement rather than replace mainstream media.

Trust in social media

Over a fifth (22%) of adult social media users are not confident in judging whether online content is true or false. Ofcom showed a fake social media account to its participants and found that almost a quarter (23)% of adults either believed that the content on the handle was real or was unsure.

Social media users are also likely to be influenced to believe a profile is real when something is posted by a verified profile. However, in the case of X, Facebook, and Instagram, the verification mark can be bought. Last year, at least 11 new accounts began impersonating the Los Angeles Police Department.

Social media literacy in identifying fake profiles must be addressed before we fearfully enter the era of the ‘dead internet,’ which is a theory of what happens when the majority of online activity has been overtaken by bots and AI-generated content.

Facebook is a prime example of the theory. Recently, there has been a rise in accounts posting AI-generated images of extremely muscular cows, sharks leaping out of a muddy sea, and more. A Stanford Internet Observatory analysis studied 120 of these pages that received hundreds of millions of engagements, and the comments sections were flooded with ‘Amen’.

If we do not give it a second thought, the content looks authentic, as hundreds of these profiles have profile pictures that look like normal people. In fact, the issue has been covered by several creators on TikTok, and while most believe that the comments most likely come from bots, there is still a considerable amount of uncertainty. But in reality, would humans genuinely comment ‘Amen’ on those pictures?

As PR professionals, we must be able to identify these fake profiles. One of the implications is on our decision to work with influencers, which often hinges on their engagement rates. For example, our activities would be of much less value to our clients if we worked together with influencers whose engagements come mainly from bots.

Thus, in a world where trust in media is becoming increasingly fragmented and challenging to navigate, PR professionals have a unique opportunity to reshape the narrative and delay the growing post-truth world. 

Curzon PR is a London-based PR firm working with clients globally. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Business Development Team [email protected]