Trends of the Libyan Audience Toward the Circulation of Fake News on social media: A Field Study on a Sample of the Libyan Public

Abstract

This study aims to examine the attitudes of the Libyan audience toward fake news circulating on social media platforms, particularly in light of the increasing reliance on these platforms as primary sources of information. The widespread use of social media has expanded the flow of information, including fabricated news that contributes to public misinformation and influences individuals’ opinions on political and social issues. The study employed the survey method as an appropriate approach for describing the phenomenon, and utilized a paper-based questionnaire as the main tool for data collection. The instrument was administered to a simple random sample of 400 social media users in the cities of Al-Bayda and Sirte during the period extending from late October to early November 2025. The findings revealed that the Libyan audience relies heavily on social media platforms for news consumption, with Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube being the most frequently used sources. Results also indicated limited reliance on electronic newspapers. The study showed that participants possess a moderate level of awareness regarding fake news, although they exhibit weaknesses in verification practices before sharing content and an even lower tendency to report misleading accounts. Social, emotional, and content-related factors were identified as the main drivers behind the spread of unverified information. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that the audience perceives the need for a comprehensive, multi-level approach—legal, technological, and educational—to counter the phenomenon. Based on these findings, the study offers several recommendations, including developing a national legislative framework to criminalize the spread of fake news, integrating media and information literacy into educational curricula, strengthening fact-checking practices within media institutions, creating technological tools capable of detecting misleading content, and implementing nationwide awareness campaigns to enhance media literacy among the Libyan public.