Around the world, there are increasing concerns that fake news threaten democracy. In this article, Ana Paula Tavares argues that while fake news is not a new phenomenon it has gained momentum with the rise of new technologies, smartphones, and social media platforms that expanded human communication capacity. “Real news”, she argues, is not coming back in any tangible way in today’s world. With a high share of the population denying professionally reported news sources and relying on confirmation bias, it is fundamental to establish measures to protect democracy.
Around the world, there are increasing concerns that fake news threaten democracy. Recent research shows that democracy is less likely to survive in a poor information environment. In fact, research suggests that people share information because of three main reasons: self-enhancement (appearing expert), pro-social (engaging or feeling part of a community), and altruism (helping others). While the motivations to share information are genuine, information literacy and information technology skills play a role in determining the sharing of fake news. Precisely, experienced users with critical collective consciousness seem to be more aware of the information dissemination dynamics on social media limiting the spread of fake news through these platforms.
But what is misinformation? And what are fake news? Misinformation is defined as false or inaccurate information or information whose purpose is to deliberately mislead but the people who share it do not mean harm. The term fake news, which has become a major phenomenon with the rise of the Internet, refers to the mass creation and spreading of false information to intentionally distort facts. This is done on purpose to attract, deceive, misinform and mislead audiences, manipulate public opinion, and discredit or exalt an institution or a person to obtain economic and political gain.
Is fake news a new phenomenon?
Not at all. Fake news has been around since news become a concept more than 500 years ago with the invention of print. Fake news has tended to be sensationalist and it has often provoked violence (think about the nazi propaganda or news about the discovery of life on the moon). Over the past few years, fake news gained ground worldwide during political events such as the 2016 US Presidential Elections, where candidates used the term against their opponents to disqualify information that favored their candidacy. In the same vein, the Brexit referendum in the UK was first shaped by lies spread by xenophobes and right-wing activists. The fake news phenomena also influenced the 2018 Brazilian Presidential Elections with extreme right-wing viral activities on social media to manipulate the population. In Brazil, a ‘Parliamentary Commission on Fake News Investigation’ was created in the Congress in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to investigate the spread of fake news about the coronavirus; this has been spread with the aim of discrediting science and global health institutions.
Social media and fake news: The danger zone
Why has the fake news phenomenon gained momentum? The rise of new technologies, smartphones, and digital platforms expanded human communication capacity. Over 4.5 billion people use social media worldwide. This means 59% of the world population is connected to at least one social media app. Social media has brought us many benefits like faster and easier communication, brand promotions, customer feedback, digital space for debates and civil rights protests. However, it has also several disadvantages like cyberbullying, social anxiety, depression, and fake news.
The spread of fake news has led to an alarming loss of confidence in institutions, such as the press, science, and intellectual groups. During the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, information and guidelines that contradicted scientific knowledge spread fear and impacted the alleviation of the pandemic especially in developing regions.
Source: Reuters Institute Digital News Report
Fake news is a threat to democracy and peace
Trust in unknown virtual sources of information is an extremely relevant concern. People believe in personal, independent, algorithmic recommendations more than in someone’s recommendation (to know more read the book Surveillance Capitalism). With the speed and increasing flow of information, people only have access to part of the story, which prevents them from accessing more diverse sources of news. This issue is boosted by social polarization and reinforced by algorithms that amplify specific messages among people who have similar ideas (to dig deep watch the documentary Coded bias). Most citizens are unable to assess which digital information is meaningful and reliable. This shows their lack of digital awareness to identify fake news and engage in reliable online democratic dialogues.
This virtual space allows fake news to be used as a tool for populism, antisemitism, xenophobia, and other extreme political views. Some examples are Russia’s disinformation narratives about the Ukraine war, the Covid-19 pandemic denial, the climate change among many others. Above all, it threatens democracy as social media is being used to harass opponents, create chaos, and manipulate public discourse. Maria Ressa from the Philippines and Dmitry Muratov from Russia received the Nobel Peace Prize 2021 for safeguarding freedom of expression, a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.
“Real news” is not coming back in any tangible way in today’s world. With a high share of the population denying professionally reported news sources and relying on confirmation bias, it is fundamental to establish measures to protect democracy. Fact-checking, media literacy interventions and adequate regulations are some of the measures to develop a transparent, inclusive, and empowered society. While research is conducted to understand the mechanisms behind the fake news dissemination process and journalists around the world fight for freedom of expression, I leave you with a reflection from the Never Take It song by Twenty-one Pilots: “Now that they know information is just a currency and nothing more. Keep the truth in quotations. ‘Cause they keep lying through their fake teeth…they’re trying hard to weaponize, you and I. We’ll never take it.” The message reinforces the need to promote debates, participation, and empowerment of civil society to protect democracy.
Ana Paula dos Santos Tavares is Researcher at Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her research is centered on the use of digital transformation for societal good. She is interested in how ICTs could address societal challenges, such as sustainable development, well-being, and emancipation. Her main topics of interest are digital transformation, ICT4D, digital inclusion, digital innovation, and social media. She is currently conducting research on the impact of digital transformation among vulnerable groups in Brazil.
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