Towards Better Public Authorities’ Disinformation Situational Awareness
Maintaining situational awareness is crucial for public authorities, as many societal functions rely on their ability to form the appropriate decisions and solutions. In this article, we analyze how public authorities form and maintain disinformation situational awareness and the challenges that come with it. Our research is based on interviews with public authorities, which were analyzed using a theory-based content analysis. Our results suggest that public authorities possess disinformation situational awareness and understand the impact disinformation has on their official duties. In public authority organizations, disinformation is monitored regarding the use of resources, goals, operating methods, and decision-making processes. However, closer cooperation and coordination among Finnish authorities is essential to form shared situational awareness. This helps to better prepare for the risks of disinformation and anticipate its potential impact.
