Digitally Connected, Critically Divided: Urban–Rural Inequalities in Media and Information Literacy in Kenya

Vincent Ogbonnaya Alicho

Abstract

The rapid growth of digital technology has enhanced access to information in Afri­ca, and Kenya is not an exception. However, heightened connectivity has not re­sulted in equal measures of critical information engagement. This paper explores the digital divide between digital access, media and information literacy (MIL) in urban and rural Kenya, where infrastructure investment has been prioritized over the skills required to move successfully through digital spaces, leaving many people susceptible to fake news despite being connected. A mixed-method design was used, as it incorpo­rated the quantitative survey data obtained (612 participants) with the qualitative data obtained in the form of 12 focus group discussions and 38 in-depth interviews. Study sites were Nairobi (urban) and Kakamega and Kilifi counties (rural). The results show that urban respondents had an average of 4.7 information sources and had a misinfor­mation figure of 67% of hits versus 2.1 and 31% hit of rural respondents. The qualitative evidence suggests that, in rural settings, participants generally have little confidence in information founded on social connections as opposed to independent verification, and that most participants are overconfident in their appraisal skills a factor that in­creases vulnerability to fake information. The paper presents the notion of connected but vulnerable users to explain those who have access to the digital but lack critical competence. Such results question access-based approaches to digital inclusion and advocate a multidimensional model that incorporates connectivity, as well as the de­velopment of media literacy. The research suggests the inclusion of MIL in national curricula, investing in community-level training in rural locations, and crafting digital inclusion policies, which take into account both access and critical capability.

Keywords: media and information literacy, digital divide, literacy divide, urban ru­ral inequality, misinformation, digital inclusion.