THE SCOURGE OF FAKE NEWS
AS TRUST IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA DROPS, PEOPLE LOOK TO OTHER SOURCES TO FILL THE VOID, OFTEN WITH DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES
Last week before the 12 boys and their football coach trapped in Tham Luang cave had been located, dubious online news sources proclaimed they had been found, prompting cheers on Facebook — only to be dismissed minutes later. The next day, the cycle repeated. Later in the week, there was even “news” of a body being found, believed to be one of the boys. It spread and was later snuffed, since it simply wasn’t true.
Fake news — or false news — are weekly, if not daily, encounters. It seeps in between facts in situations, from politics to the current cave rescue mission. It affects people’s belief, confirms prejudices, warrants emotional satisfaction and influences perspectives on different issues.
In certain cases, fake news can be innocent and harmless. An honest mistake born from a misunderstanding, such as the photo of members of the football team that was initially shared following the news they were found, though it was an old photo from last year (several news agencies are still using this photo). Real photos of the boys were released soon after.
At times, fake news is destructive — a deliberate, hateful attack or ploy for propaganda. Photos of Thai activist Nattha Mahattana were recently photoshopped with misleading quotes about rape and the death sentence, and she has since filed a report to the police. PM Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha also fell victim in May when his photo was paired to a quote that told people to “fill their tanks with water instead of petrol”, if they thought petrol was expensive. It was a made-up quote, though that photo made the rounds online.
Internationally, the “Pizzagate” incident that claimed Hillary Clinton was involved in a childsex ring at a pizza restaurant went viral during the 2016 US presidential election cycle. One believer of that news fired his rifle into the alleged restaurant in an attempt to “rescue” the children. No one was harmed during the incident. Fake news websites were also believed to fan the flames of hatred against the Rohingya, leading to one of the worst refugee crises of this century.
In an interview with the Bangkok Post in January, Anjan Sundaram — journalist and author of Bad
News: Last Journalists In A Dictatorship, a tale of his experience working in Rwanda under the government’s tight control over media — discussed the ins and outs of fake news. Sundaram says fake news gains traction when the people’s trust in mainstream media is broken, which could be influenced by the state’s censorship.
“When citizens stop receiving reliable news, they turn to unreliable sources. Beliefs gain force. This is why curbing free speech for any reason — even in the case of racism or genocide denial — can be dangerous. Such restrictions create underground networks where radical and false beliefs become entrenched,” he said, adding that fake news often serves an emotional need that can’t be found in proven facts.
“In the US, there has long been discontent with media organisations seen as left wing and catering to an elite. Some news channels have exploited this, broadcasting fake news that becomes popular by tapping into this distrust,” he added.
THE POST-TRUTH ERA
Social media is a platform many people rely on for quick updates of the world around them. But as it is made up largely of user-generated content, the credibility of such information can be questionable at times.
Pijitra Tsukamoto, head of the journalism department, Faculty of Communication Arts at Chulalongkorn University, explained that online content can be created by essentially anyone, not limited to professionals as in legacy media — “old” media such as radio, TV and newspaper — and so news can be made from speculation, opinion and rumour all thrown into the mix.
At the same time, the academic said some journalists inadvertently spread fake news themselves as they compete in a fast-paced news arena to be the first to report when things occur and may sacrifice accuracy to speed the process. Their credibility has also been affected by some breaches of ethics in past incidents that, in turn, made some people discredit news from these media.
Once news, accurate or false, appears online, it spreads quickly in a pattern of a spider’s web.
“There’s neither before nor after when it comes to social media. Things that occurred days ago may just be shared today. Then, it falls into an algorithm. The more people share, the more it spreads,” said Pijitra. “It’s also one characteristic of social media that people tend not to verify information. And even if proven facts were released to counter such news, they won’t reach people right away.”
Thai people also have a tendency to share more than to post information themselves, said Pijitra. It’s also human psychology that people want to be an insider, to be the first, so they share things immediately without verifying the story.
LESSONS FROM THE CAVE
The Tham Luang rescue mission has been at the forefront of the world’s attention for over a fortnight. It’s an emergency situation, and with it came several fake news stories that are based on anything from rumours, wild speculations and conspiracy theories that are born from both at-home netizens and on-site journalists themselves.
Journalists have to deal with fake news too. Sataporn Pongpipatwattana, a reporter from PPTV, was outside Tham Luang when news broke that the boys and their coach had been located. His team has been stationed in the area since the rescue began. He shared that when news emerged from other sources, his news department in Bangkok would double check with field reporters (he called them the first gatekeeper of information) and seek an explanation on what truly went on.
“We have a system in our news department that whatever we hear, the first thing we do with it is not to share, but rather to verify. It’s all right if that makes us slower than others. We need proof first that it truly happened,” he said.
With the Tham Luang cave case, Sataporn said it’s fortunate that the key person handling the situation — Chiang Rai governor Narongsak Osottanakorn — is adept at managing information. The governor has been praised for giving clear explanations and factual updates during several press conferences held on-site.
“Clear, concise information helps to bury and lessen the power of fake news,” said Sataporn. However, if the situation were anything like the 2011 flood where even information from the state was not accurate, he said fake news would be even more powerful when authorities lose their credibility.
Sataporn said the public, as consumers, are also adapting to the sea of information as some now learn to verify and distinguish fake news from facts, as well as to discuss the quality in reporting of several news outlets. The reporter affirmed his belief in quality, not only in speed, and added quality still retains high value in today’s fast-paced journalism.
At the same time, he acknowledges that the Tham Luang story is not exactly a competition ground for journalists as everyone is focused on the rescue mission, and so news teams may operate on a different mindset compared to other situations.
ONWARD TO ELECTION
In this post-truth era, fake news is deployed for political gain, and Thailand is likely to face this dark force when election season comes — hopefully by early next year. Many speculate that fake news will run rampant, as this will be the first election in which politicians are expected to campaign heavily via social media.
Pijitra, the journalism lecturer, said fake news attacks will probably get worse since over 50 million Thais are on Facebook, one of the top 10 countries in the world. Facebook algorithms play a part in controlling how information reaches its users. The more people engage — such as liking and sharing a post — with certain topics, the more they see similar topics on their newsfeed. This may prevent people from seeing other sides of certain stories
“Elections offer a limited time-frame for people to make a decision. When fake news goes viral, it’s difficult for facts to catch up and debunk the story in time,” said Pijitra. Still, she added that fake news isn’t the only factor that can sway a person’s vote. This will be up to people’s preferences and politicians’ campaigns as well.
The academic said that those who can put an end to fake news are actually the press themselves.
“We have to admit that journalists find it difficult to work as the law blocks any investigation into the government’s conduct. People then seek opinions on Facebook and online discussions as they feel that the media isn’t giving them what they want.”
Thais may be a society of people addicted to drama, but it’s important that the media doesn’t jump right in and blow things out of proportion.
“Rumours are often born from anonymous sources. In online society, as we’re battling what’s real and unreal in the post-truth era, news agencies that can verify information will be very important in keeping the people informed,” she concluded.
The law blocks reporters investigating the government. People then seek opinions on Facebook