Dealing with fake news
MISUSE of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is presently one of the biggest challenges in the information industry.
AI technology allows creation A and editing of information in ways that make it difficult to distinguish truth from fiction. In an age where information can be artificially generated and manipulated, it does not help when people are of a gullible disposition and prone to believing every piece of information presented to them.
Having a certain amount of scepticism and desire to distinguish between truth and fiction is now a necessity. The internet is awash with genuine, fake, verified and unverified information.
There are three types of people and they each react differently to the information they receive. One type is that of individuals who are objective and discerning and can usually distinguish fact from fiction because they care about the truth and finding out, if they are unsure.
Of the two extreme types are those who believe all the information they receive. The other extreme type is that of people who are overly sceptical. They have what is called knowledge resistance, a tendency to disbelieve all the information they receive, even when it is supported by hard evidence.
Society is in a difficult position of no longer being able to discern between reality and the illusion of reality that can pass as truth.
In Zimbabwe, generating and spreading false information as if it is true is unlawful. In the past week, the Zimbabwe Republic Police was kept busy firefighting a sudden flurry of false and misleading statements attributed to it.
False news always causes many difficulties and has undesirable consequences. The Posts and Telecommunications Act has provisions for dealing with false information as if it had envisaged the age of fake news.
Section 88 (b) provides that people who send messages they know is false for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety are criminally liable.
False messages include deliberate publication of hoaxes, propaganda and disinformation spread via electronic platforms like computers and other electronic means. There are numerous clandestine online sources covering Zimbabwean issues that are in the business of publishing patently fake and misleading news.
It is usually for political purposes or to drive traffic to their websites for commercial gain.
Falsifying information is common among political rivalries. This is also done in settling personal scores. Opponents generate and share damaging and unfounded allegations about each other. There are also some people who just enjoy making false deaths announcements about others.
Even reputable media organisations are not immune from getting it wrong when they have not checked the reliability of their sources.
In 2018, an established South African media house shocked everyone by announcing President Mnangagwa’s Cabinet well before the Head of State himself had proclaimed it. The source of this “scoop” was obviously social media, based on rumours and gossip.
All news and information must be independently verified before sharing it. It is unethical for the media to broadcast or publish false information, even if it is not intentional.
It is easy to spot fake news by doing a few simple checks. The first is to consider the source of the information and its reliability.
It is important to read the whole story and context beyond the headlines. Often, headlines are purposefully sensational and misleading. It is important to check the author and date because some old stories are simply reposted as if they are new.
The story might also be a joke or satire, but misunderstood and taken as truth. The best verification is to ask experts and use fact-checking sites. There are many such free sites online if one cares for the truth.