It has claimed victims from all walks of life, damaged institutions, alienated friends, led to deaths by suicide, and even — as some claim — helped install people in public office.
Fake news (sometimes referred to as clickbait) has reached people with a diversity of lifestyles and circumstances — from the man on the street to the suburban housewife, glamorous celebrity, a high school student, Covid-19, and dengue patients, presidential candidates of both First and Third World countries. Worse, apart from its dreadful consequences, disinformation and misinformation spread even faster on social media than legitimate news, according to a research study.
Defined as “false, often sensational information disseminated under the guise of news reporting” by Collins Dictionary. Another, the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, says these are “false reports of events, written and read on websites.” One research group called it “a form of falsehood intended to primarily deceive people by mimicking the look and feel of real news.”
It is often found on the Internet, cuts across all social classes, and is fueled by irresponsible bloggers/vloggers or highly-paid trolls to benefit or denigrate people from slum neighborhoods to gated communities populated by highly visible personalities or popular political figures.
How often have we read or seen on television accounts of families splitting up, friendship bonds broken, lives scarred or taken because of malicious rumors propagated by home-grown gossips now popularly known as “Maritess” (‘Mare, ano ang latest?) Even living persons end up buried or cremated in death hoax stories (notably Celine Dion, Paul McCartney, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Simon Cowell, and our own Kris Aquino).
Even I became a victim of fake news by known influence peddlers and power brokers, both capable of hiring cyber bullies to malign good intentions and hard work.
Recently, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. launched a Media Information Literacy project that would be “digital, multimedia, and youth-oriented” to combat the prevalence of fake news that “should have no place in modern society.”
Observers eagerly await details of the MIL effort. For one, staunch critics say they find the move ironic considering that Marcos Jr. profited the most from the barrage of fake news that marked the 2022 presidential campaign, quoting fact-checking bodies and legitimate news agencies that enumerated misleading stories and distortions that put Marcos’ leading rival Leni Robredo in a bad light.
Veteran media personalities also said it should be the media itself that should police its ranks, not the government. Vergel Santos, Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility trustee said: “Whenever you put the government in a position where it can determine, let alone punish people for not telling the truth, you are getting into trouble. The government is in the business of propaganda, not the truth; we all know this.”
Similar cases have been noted in recent presidential elections in Nigeria and the United States (that saw the rise to the presidency of Donald Trump), where an upsurge in fake news and hate speech appeared to be the highlight of the candidates’ heated campaigns.
As for the health issues triggered by fake news on the Covid-19 pandemic and earlier, the Dengvaxia controversy, which led to fears of being vaccinated or being denied “ayuda” (aid), harrowing accounts disclosed by both patients and first responders can be heart-breaking. Reports of anti-vaccine, anti-mask, and anti-lockdown protests flooded news-gathering outlets caused by wrong or confusing information from the Internet.
How can we ordinary citizens fight this online menace? First, check your source. Is it reliable or credible? Are there supporting facts or documents to back the report? Could it be just a prank or a satire? Go to tried-and-tested fact-checking sites. Are you responsible enough not to pass on the story if you are unsure about the facts?
Republic Act 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, allows the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police to monitor, identify, and arrest purveyors of fake news.
With the MIL campaign remaining true to the intent behind its organization and aided by the combined forces of the NBI and the PNP, we may see the withering away of fake news in this part of the world.