MISINFORMATION AND NATIONAL SECURITY: AN INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK FOR THREAT ANALYSIS AND INSTITUTIONAL RESILIENCE

Misinformation, a type of fake news, spreads via traditional and modern media channels, intentionally or unintentionally threatening individuals, organizations, and countries. This study aims to develop an integrated framework for analyzing misinformation threats and building institutional resilience while examining the effectiveness of various national approaches to countering misinformation. Through systematic content analysis of literature from 2015-2024, the research examines institutional responses across multiple nations, revealing significant variation in resilience levels based on media market structure, political polarization, and public trust. The resulting Institutional Resilience Framework Against Misinformation (IRFM) incorporates four key components: Structural Resilience Index, Educational Capacity Score, Response Mechanism Rating, and Societal Trust Quotient. Findings indicate that countries with regulated media environments, strong democratic institutions, and high media literacy demonstrate greater resilience to misinformation threats. The framework provides measurable metrics for assessing institutional vulnerability and building comprehensive defense mechanisms against evolving misinformation challenges while acknowledging implementation challenges in highly polarized environments.