As audio media, such as podcasts, become more important, the risks of misinformation, disinformation, and fake news increase. The collaborative project “Systematic Observation of New Auditive Risks” (SONAR), funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR), examines the structure of online audio media offerings and develops methods for identifying relevant narratives and manipulation strategies.
Background
Podcasts and other longer discussion formats have become a key source of information and entertainment for people of all ages and educational backgrounds in German-speaking countries. However, there is growing concern that disinformation is spreading through not only social media posts, but also audio formats. A new dynamic is emerging from AI tools that enable the rapid, inexpensive, and large-scale production of audio content, including synthetic voices.
There has yet to be a systematic overview of who shapes the German-speaking “audio public,” what narratives circulate there, and how potentially harmful content spreads across time and platforms.
Project Overview
In collaboration with HAW Hamburg, SONAR is conducting a comprehensive analysis of the structural elements of online audio media. The project aims to develop methods that can identify the explicit and implicit narratives of misinformation, disinformation, and manipulation strategies within audio formats.
The goal is to lay the groundwork for an evidence-based classification system for audio disinformation risks. This could serve as a knowledge base for academia, journalism, fact-checking, media regulation, and media literacy.
Methodology
SONAR combines qualitative media analysis with scaled, computer-assisted evaluation. The project involves creating a substantial corpus of audio content. Our multimodal approach is particularly innovative in that it analyzes not only transcripts but also auditory features such as intonation, speech rate, and paralinguistic signals (e.g., laughter, role shifts) as indicators of communication strategies.
