Disinformation Researcher
Studies the spread and impact of false information online. Monitors disinformation campaigns, analyses their origins and effects, and develops counter-strategies for governments, platforms and civil society. Combines journalism, data analysis and network analysis to protect information integrity.
- AI exposure
- 45 of 100, moderate exposure
- Hiring trend
- Rising
- Hiring rate
- 40%
The role
What the work is, what it pays, and what it costs you.
At a glance
- Remote friendly
- Yes
- Freelance potential
- High
- Time to senior
- 6 years
- Adaptation level
- Moderate
A day in the role
Monitors social media for coordinated disinformation during an election period, traces a viral false story to its source, analyses its spread pattern, and briefs civil society partners on counter-strategies.
What it pays
Kenyan market, per month- Entry
- KES 90,000-130,000
- Mid
- KES 170,000-280,000
- Senior
- KES 350,000-580,000
Exposure
How much of this a machine can already do, and how that was worked out.
Where this rating sits
1,516 rated careersRated above 57% of the 1,516 careers in the catalogue, which averages 43. Inside social sciences the mean is 41, across 88 careers.
What the rating is made of
Share of recorded tasks- Machine does it
- 25%Software can already complete this work end to end.
- Machine assists
- 45%A person still decides, but the drafting is done for them.
- Person does it
- 30%Judgement, relationships and accountability that do not transfer.
Named task by task
Already automated
- Detecting coordinated disinformation campaigns with network analysis
- Analysing viral spread patterns and bot network behaviour
- Generating fact-check summaries and verification reports
- Automating social media monitoring and content classification
- AI-powered deepfake and synthetic media detection
Still human
- Investigating disinformation origins and coordinated influence operations
- Assessing societal and political impact of false information
- Designing counter-disinformation strategies and media literacy programmes
- Briefing policymakers, platforms and civil society partners
- Conducting open-source intelligence (OSINT) investigations
- Writing research reports and publishing fact-checks
- Collaborating with fact-checking networks across Africa
Getting in
The routes into the role and what each one asks for.
What to study
8 courses- Certificate in Marriage and Family TherapyKsh 36,000a year
- Certificate in Sciences of Human DevelopmentKsh 36,000a year
- Certificate in International RelationsKsh 36,500a year
- Certificate in Peace, Security and ConflictKsh 36,500a year
- Diploma in Development Studies and Project ManagementKsh 50,000a year
- Diploma in Peace and Conflict StudiesKsh 54,000a year
- Certificate in Development StudiesKsh 59,000a year
- Certificate in CriminologyKsh 60,000a year
How people get in
Media studies or information science degree
4 yearsHigh cost
BA from UoN, USIU or Daystar
Journalism + digital research
3-5 yearsMedium cost
Journalism experience plus digital investigation skills
Who hires
- Africa Check Kenya
- Code for Africa
- Mozilla Foundation Kenya
- Internews Kenya
- Google Africa
Common misconceptions
Disinformation research is just fact-checking
It involves network analysis, source tracing, impact assessment and counter-strategy design.
Its only about politics
Disinformation targets health, finance, ethnic tensions and social issues — not just elections.
What happens next
How the role changes from here, and where it leads.
Supply and demand
- Demand
- 40
- Supply pressure
- 10
- Balance
- High demand
What to learn
- Social media analysis
- Network analysis
- Counter-disinformation strategy
Kenyan market notes
Disinformation is a major concern during Kenyan elections. Africa Check and PesaCheck (Code for Africa) are active in Kenya — CfA hires full-time fact-checkers. Code for Africa offers fact-checking fellowship programmes (2026 cohort for Southern Africa, expanding). Centre for Information Resilience (CIR) counters disinformation globally. Internews and Mozilla support counter-disinformation work in Kenya. ZipRecruiter lists disinformation jobs at $16-$96/hour. Growing demand as AI-generated content, deepfakes and synthetic media increase. Key skills: fact-checking, OSINT, network analysis, data visualisation, journalism.
Further reading
This role is rated 45 out of 100 today. Save it and the app keeps that number, then tells you by how much it has moved when the record is next reviewed.