Information Warfare and Survival Strategies: Media and Information Literacy as Humanitarian Infrastructure in Conflict Zones

Adedeji Ogungbola

Abstract

In the modern world of conflict, information has emerged as a potent instrument that not only dictates the political fate of people and groups but also the daily ex­istence of vulnerable communities. Formal media systems are undermined or de­stroyed in most war-impacted areas, and rival forces control the narratives to shape perceptions and behaviors. This leads to complicated and sometimes perilous infor­mation landscapes in which false information may be life-threatening. In spite of this fact, humanitarian interventions have been more geared towards addressing physical needs like food, shelter and healthcare with little concern on the role of information and communication systems. This paper looks at the role of media and information literacy (MIL) as a survival mechanism in a conflict environment in the eastern Dem­ocratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan in 2022-2024. Data were gathered using a qualitative comparative case study design that involved 67 participants, comprising in­ternally displaced people, journalists, humanitarian workers, and civil society actors, who were interviewed and discourse analyzed to provide data based on the predomi­nant media discourse. Patterns and differences in the two contexts were determined using thematic and comparative methods of analysis. Three major dynamics emerged. First, the breakdown of official media systems compels communities to use informal communication systems like community radio, messaging systems, and face-to-face communication, and frequently without the means of verifying their authenticity. Sec­ond, low MIL makes people more susceptible to misinformation, with a significant por­tion of people not being able to differentiate between credible information, rumours and propaganda. Third, the direct material effects of misinformation are evident in the decisions made in terms of safety, displacement and resource access. It was also established that stronger community networks can promote collective practices of ver­ification and lessen the exposure to dangerous information. The paper finds that MIL needs to be re-conceptualized as a type of humanitarian infrastructure, and proposes to include literacy training and community-based verification systems within human­itarian interventions to enhance resilience and decision-making in conflict-affected settings.

Keywords: media and information literacy; information warfare; humanitarian infrastructure; conflict communication; misinformation.