The impact of fake news on the daily lives of Syrian refugees

In 2011, as a result of the conflicts in Syria, approximately 4 million Syrians were compelled to migrate to Turkey. Since then, a plethora of traditional media outlets and various content productions on social media have addressed the issue of Syrian refugees who have migrated under duress. Some of these news reports and shares have been constructed upon inaccurate information. With the increase in the use of new media, it is possible to assert that the dissemination of false news has accelerated, and the quantity of misinformation specifically targeting refugees, a subject of this study, has also increased. At this juncture, it is imperative for users to attain a media literacy level enabling them to discern false news. Otherwise, misinformation leading to ethical violations, including hate speech, may misguide public opinion. This research aims to examine how Syrian refugees interpret the false news circulating about them and explore their views on how such content affects their daily lives and relationships with Turkish society. In line with this objective, 29 Syrian refugees employed in civil society centers in Gaziantep were interviewed using the focus group discussion technique. Questions were directed towards understanding the implications of the dissemination of false news in the daily lives of Syrian refugees, how such news affects their integration processes with society, and what solutions they propose to address the issue of false news targeting refugees. The participants' responsibilities, involving interaction with numerous Syrian refugees of different socioeconomic statuses, provided an opportunity to comprehend the experiences of Syrian refugees with false news from a broader perspective and obtain diverse viewpoints. During the focus group discussions, examples of news and new media content based on false or misleading information, as identified by Teyit.org, were distributed, and participants were asked to share their opinion regarding such false news about themselves. According to the findings of the study, Syrian refugees frequently encounter false news in their daily lives, and these reports have negative effects on their daily lives and their participation in societal life. It has been observed that Syrian refugees in Turkey face negative representations in societal perception due to false, misleading, or incomplete information present in news and new media content.