Lithuanian media literacy study finds half of population ignores disinformation

A new media literacy study commissioned by Lithuania’s Ministry of Culture reveals that over half of the country’s residents choose to ignore disinformation, propaganda, or AI-generated fake content when encountered online, despite recognizing the importance of critical thinking.

The 2026 Media Literacy Level Assessment report, conducted by research firm Baltijos tyrimai, found that 56% of Lithuanians opted to disregard misleading information in 2025 rather than verify or address it. One in two respondents had encountered deepfake audio or video, while one in three had come across outright falsehoods—and two-thirds of those believed them at the time.

Researchers emphasized that while Lithuania’s digital infrastructure ensures near-universal access to information, the challenge lies in citizens’ ability to navigate it critically. “The issue isn’t whether people can access information, but whether they can orient themselves within it,” the study noted.

Behavioral gaps and passive consumption

The report identified a critical weakness in *applied* media literacy: though residents understand best practices, their behavioral scores averaged just 14.6 out of 100, indicating a gap between knowledge and action. Authors urged fostering “automatic” fact-checking habits through environmental design—such as clear sourcing, author attribution, and simple verification tools—rather than relying solely on education.

Social media use also failed to translate into civic engagement. While 79% of Lithuanians use platforms actively, their participation in public discourse or content creation remained low, with civic involvement scoring –8.7 and creative output –24.8 on the study’s index. Researchers called for targeted measures to reduce psychological barriers, particularly for youth and older adults, and to incentivize local, meaningful digital participation.

Declining trust in media independence

Over the past eight years, Lithuanians’ overall media usage skills have improved, yet trust in journalistic independence has declined to 2.68 out of 5. The study attributed this to a broader culture of skepticism and algorithm-driven pressures favoring emotional, conflict-heavy content formats.

The findings stem from a representative survey of 1,011 residents aged 18–75, including Russian and Polish minority respondents, conducted in January 2026.

Tags: media literacy, disinformation, lithuania