Combating fake news

By: Francis Lim - @inquirerdotnet

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:14 AM January 04, 2018

The past years saw the rise of a type of expression that has shaped (or distorted) public
discourse around the world: fake news. No wonder the Collins Dictionary officially
named “fake news” as its Word of the Year for 2017.

In the United States, fake news was pervasive during the 2016 presidential election (e.g.
the Pope endorsing Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton selling weapons to ISIS etc.). There
were also bizarre fake news like “Morgue employee cremated while taking a nap.” The
news hoax generated almost one million shares, reactions, and comments since it was
published.

Fake news has also been flooding the Philippines. In the last presidential election, for
example, fake news claimed the Pope endorsed then presidential aspirant, Rodrigo
Duterte. Fake news also claimed that the Nasa had declared him the “best president in
the solar system.” Other fake news like warnings on super-typhoon and declarations of
nonworking holidays also surface every now and then.

Fake news has become so pervasive that the Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines’ (CBCP) admonished the public “to refrain from spreading alternative facts,
fake news, or false information.” For its part, the government is set to launch a “grand
information summit” this year to fight fake news and improve media literacy among
Filipinos.

The problem, for the most part, is that fake news may actually pass off as true and
correct. This, in turn, affects people’s perception or opinion on others and harms
people’s reputation. Worse, fake news creates confusion about what is true and
adversely affects our citizens’ decision-making on important issues (e.g. who to vote for
in an election, or which side to take on public matters). Even the most educated among
us may be duped into believing fake news.
Fake news or false information has polarized an already divided nation like ours, and
the sad part is that this problem has a normative effect. People may choose what
“truths” to believe in, which may be shared and accepted by the majority of the
population. Fake news sways public opinion and adversely affects a country’s ability to
govern itself. It puts to great risk the proper workings of a democratic nation like the
Philippines.

The Cybercrime Act and Republic Act No. 10951 provides penalties for fake news to
the extent that it is libelous or defamatory. They are, however, insufficient as they do
not address fake news as such.

Sen. Joel Villanueva introduced Senate Bill No. 1492 which seeks to penalize, among
others, the malicious publication, circulation, dissemination or distribution of false
news or information either by print, broadcast or online media. Interestingly, as in
Germany, the bill proposes to penalize mass media and social media that fail to remove
false news “within a reasonable period of time after having knowledge, or having
reasonable ground to believe of its falsity.”

The bill proposes a fine ranging from P100,000 to P5 million and imprisonment of one
to five years, and if the offender is a public official, the penalties are doubled and with
the accessory penalty of absolute perpetual disqualification from holding any public
office.

One question under Senate Bill No. 1492 is under what standards should fake news be
defined. While some fake news may readily be apparent if the falsity is clear, there may
be gray areas where facts may be true but the presentation or reporting may be grossly
slanted, biased, or at the very least, unverified (i.e. the killing of a minor purportedly
linked to Tokhang). It may also be in the form of satirical presentation of news which
may seem real to the reader. False news may also be interspersed or combined with real
facts.

Certainly, as in the United States, the law will give rise to a constitutional battle
between the freedom of expression and the state’s police power to address the problem
of public misinformation.
As the debate goes on as to how fake news should be addressed, the only way we
netizens can deal with it right now is to be more responsible in not creating or
circulating false news and to be discerning and critical in what we see and read in social
media, and how we react to them. So far, this is the only practical solution that we have
to combat fake news.

Read more: http://business.inquirer.net/243489/combating-fake-

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MANILA, Philippines – Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle hit the
proliferation of fake news in the country as he celebrated the Chrism Mass on Thursday,
March 29.

According to Tagle, spreading false information online is contrary to God’s call for his
people to uphold their mission of evangelization.

“Evangelization is about Good News, not fake news. Let us put a stop to fake news! We
are not called and consecrated to bring fake news, only Good News, especially through
the integrity of our lives,” he said.

Tagle urged the public to take time to reflect on what they communicate to others and
how this information could affect them.

“Do we manipulate? Do we communicate? True communication happens in the context

of covenant. Manipulation thrives in the context of disrespect. That’s why fake news
proliferates – deliberately deceiving people. That’s not evangelization,” said Tagle.

False information and government propaganda have been spreading online since
President Rodrigo Duterte rose to power. Government officials and propagandists
alike use the internet to vilify those who oppose them. (READ: State-sponsored hate:
The rise of the pro-Duterte bloggers)

Often, journalists are tagged as “fake news” whenever they criticize Duterte’s decisions
and policies. (READ: ‘Black propaganda’ under Duterte admin reduced trust in media)

But Tagle said this is not the kind of communication God wants his people to engage in.
He said good news will always be guided by the covenant with the Lord.

“Evangelization is communicating the truth about God’s love, especially to the poor… [It]
happens in a covenant relationship not in a context where some see people as objects
to be manipulated for one’s purposes,” said Tagle.

“Good news begs to be shared and good news begs for hearers. The good news –
especially if it is the good news of God’s infinite love, salvation, forgiveness, liberation –
who would not want to share and hear it?” he added.

Tagle delivered his homily during this year’s Chrism Mass, when bishops consecrate
the chrism or the holy oil used in baptism, confirmation, and other Church rituals. It is
one of the Catholic rituals during Holy Week. – Rappler.com