Fake news endangers democracy and lives, BBC director tells campaigners

Deaths caused by fake news reports are rising around the world, according to a London conference on media freedom.

Tony Hall, director general of the BBC, warned against disinformation, saying it poses a significant threat to democracy and in some cases has led to people being killed.

Speaking at the Global Conference for Media Freedom on Thursday, Mr Hall said that in 2018 alone “the BBC identified around 25 lynch-mob deaths following rumours spread on social media or messaging apps. Many more were reported”.

“We’re now in the midst of the biggest assault on truth – and therefore democracy – since the 1930s,” he said. “All those who believe in integrity in news must work together to turn the tide.”

Jeremy Hunt, the British foreign secretary, urged countries to sign up to an international pledge promoted by the UK and Canada. The two countries have also backed a Global Media Fund designed to operate under Unesco.

“The UK, with other governments, are setting up an international task force to help young democracies develop their media freedom,” he told the meeting.

In this year’s elections in India and Nigeria, Mr Hall said, disinformation showed that it could “disrupt the debate”. BBC teams in India focused on calling out fake news stories, spread deliberately for political gain.

“That won us audiences. But it also highlighted how frequently disinformation can now spark violence and even cause loss of life,” he said.

Mr Hall added that repressive regimes had not only weaponised misinformation, but had “industrialised its production and packaged it for a global audience”.

Behind closed doors last year, the BBC hosted a Trusted News Summit where it brought together global tech companies and publishers to agree a set of actions to tackle the rise of misinformation.

Although he did not say any more on the conclusions they reached, the BBC chief said he would reveal more in the coming weeks.

“I’m determined that we use that unique reach and trusted voice to lead the way – to create a global alliance for integrity in news. We’re ready to do even more to help promote freedom and democracy worldwide. We want to play our part to the full at the heart of this critical campaign,” he said.

The Global Conference for Media Freedom hosted delegations from more than 100 countries, which included 60 ministers and at least 1,500 journalists, academics and campaigners.

The British Foreign Office’s Special Envoy on Media Freedom, Amal Clooney, announced at the conference the members of a panel of experts to shine a light on media abuses and reverse a trend of violence against journalists.

The panel will include: Mrs Clooney; Irwin Cotler, the former Canadian attorney general and Nadim Houry, executive director the Arab Reform Initiative, as well as human rights and legal officials.

We’re now in the midst of the biggest assault on truth – and therefore democracy – since the 1930s TONY HALL BBC Director General