📄 Abstract
Digital misinformation has emerged as a significant challenge to contemporary governance by influencing public trust, institutional legitimacy, and policy effectiveness. Although existing research extensively examines misinformation, trust, governance, and platform accountability, these themes are often treated as separate areas of inquiry. Limited attention has been given to the role of institutional information management in mitigating misinformation-related risks and strengthening governance outcomes. This study adopts a conceptual research design based on secondary sources, including scholarly literature, books, policy reports, and governance studies. Using thematic analysis and conceptual synthesis, it examines the relationship between digital misinformation, public trust, and governance effectiveness from an institutional perspective. The analysis identifies misinformation as a governance risk rather than merely a communication problem. It argues that public trust functions as a strategic governance asset that influences institutional legitimacy, citizen participation, and policy implementation. The study further highlights the importance of information management in preserving information integrity and supporting governance effectiveness. To address the identified gap, the study proposes an Institutional Information Management Framework (IIMF) comprising five dimensions: information verification, transparent communication, platform accountability coordination, stakeholder collaboration, and trust formation. The framework positions public trust as the mediating mechanism linking information management practices with governance outcomes. The study contributes to the literature by integrating governance, trust, and information management within a unified conceptual framework and offers practical insights for policymakers and public administrators operating in digitally mediated information environments.
🏷️ Keywords
📚 How to Cite:
Mr. Vikas Shardaprasad Mishra, Dr. Niwarti Manohar Gajbhare , DIGITAL MISINFORMATION, PUBLIC TRUST AND GOVERNANCE: AN INSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK FOR THE DIGITAL ERA , Volume 12 , Issue 6, June 2026, EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) , Pages: 62 - 65 , DOI: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra28170