IN today’s digital landscape, the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation poses a formidable threat to public discourse, trust in institutions and democratic processes.
The rapid spread of false information, often amplified by social media platforms, can confuse and mislead citizens, leading to polarisation and societal unrest.
From health-related myths during a pandemic to fabricated political narratives, the consequences are far-reaching and can undermine the very fabric of informed debate.
It becomes worse when we take into consideration the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) which has the ability to create deep fakes which are difficult to notice with a public eye.
Misinformation and disinformation has been listed as one of the most severe risks according to the World Economic Forum Global Risks Report Perception Survey 2023-2024.
According to the report, it has emerged a new leader of the top 10 rankings and the most worrying aspect is that it does not need a specialised skill-set; this has been accelerated by the availability of easy-to-use interfaces with the aid of AI.
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Misinformation and disinformation has the potential of creating chaos, threatening societal cohesion and community engagement.
But there needs to be clarity between fighting misinformation without infringing free speech.
“Recent technological advances have enhanced the volume, reach and efficacy of falsified information, with flows more difficult to track, attribute and control. The capacity of social media companies to ensure platform integrity will likely be overwhelmed in the face of multiple overlapping campaigns,” says the World Economic Forum.
“A growing distrust of information, as well as media and governments as sources, will deepen polarised views — a vicious cycle that could trigger civil unrest and possibly confrontation. There is a risk of repression and erosion of rights as authorities seek to crack down on the proliferation of false information as well as risks arising from inaction.”
This means governments and policymakers need to continuously review laws and policies, creating tools to identify and targeting hosts and creators of online disinformation and this include illegal content.
While the greatest letdown is the slow speed on policy development and the speed at which misinformation and disinformation spreads, impacting on the effectiveness of regulation.
The World Economic Forum predicts that misinformation will manipulate individuals, damage economies and fracture societies in unexplained ways over the next two years.
And in Zimbabwe we have already witnessed the spread of fake news, especially during and towards the run-off to election.
We have witnessed sharing of old videos as current events further exacerbating mistrust in elections and polarisation.
The story does not end there; conflict may be induced, creating a mood of economic uncertainty.
To combat this growing menace, robust policies and credible media play pivotal roles.
Policymakers should prioritise regulations that enhance transparency and accountability for digital platforms, ensuring that algorithms prioritise factual content over sensationalism.
Furthermore, collaboration between governments and tech companies can foster the development of tools that flag misleading content and promote media literacy, among users.
The role of the media in fighting the scourge
Credible media organisations should uphold journalistic integrity by fact-checking information, providing context, and offering educational resources to help the public discern fact from fiction.
By adopting proactive strategies, both policymakers and trusted media can empower citizens with the tools they need to navigate the complexities of the digital age and safeguard democracy from the insidious grip of misinformation.
Fact-checking resources which include AI technologies are no longer an option for publishers.
The collaborative effect
Misinformation and disinformation has become a global cancer and governments, technologies and journalists should collaborate to design mechanisms for fighting the menace.
Media literacy has to be driven at government level and all agencies that deal with media regulation and policing.
To make it effective, media literacy has to start from primary school children, where they would be taught on credible platforms to access information.
This is so because schools and libraries have a critical role to play in promoting media literacy and digital access awareness where they would teach to critically evaluate content and its sources to sift misinformation form from factual content for informed decision purposes.
Dangers of news technologies can only be averted through collaborative efforts, creating a safe digital space and a healthy information society.