Combating fake news in a ‘15-minute cycle’ means tackling criticism head-on, says UAE’s Gargash
A senior minister reflected on the need to respond within minutes to criticism and fake news, when information is spread far and wide, regardless of truth or veracity.
Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said the UAE and other governments recognised that unfair criticism and false claims cannot be left to lie.
He spoke at the start of the two-day Abu Dhabi Diplomacy Conference – Diplocon – hosted by Emirates Diplomatic Academy, which trains the country’s future state ambassadors and officials.
The minister said governments previously spent days formulating a response to an event or criticism. But now it had to be done within minutes.
“We are living in what we are calling a 15-minute cycle,” he said. “We used to have a two/ three-day cycle, but today, if there is some information on Yemen, that from our perspective in the UAE we see it as negative ... [we have to] deal with that information within 15 minutes.
“Because the information cycle that is influencing opinions is very fast.”
But he also warned that online communications were no substitute for traditional diplomatic skills, such as strong analytical abilities and the ability to gather credible information. “There is no replacement for a good analytical mind for the ability to gather good, solid information,” he said.
“People who deal with me realise that I get frustrated a lot because I am always looking for more concise, more informative readouts of this situation or that situation. From this perspective, I don’t think technology is in any way a replacement for content.”
In his keynote speech, Dr Gargash went on to illustrate the importance of data security, given the impact on diplomacy. He gave the example of how the WikiLeaks release of secret cables caused embarrassment in many governments.
Cables are used to gather information and to inform decision-makers, and are typically written in frank terms.
Dr Gargash said: “Many of these reports contain your private thoughts, they contain your assessments to your government.
“Technology is an enabler that makes this information more necessary, more timely. But beyond that, security of confidential information is extremely important.”