For vast majority of Filipinos, fake news is a problem

By Joshua Corcuera

According to a Pulse Asia survey conducted in September but just released last Tuesday, October 11, a huge majority of Filipinos see fake news as a problem. Specifically, 86% share the opinion that fake news is a problem in the country and only a tiny minority of 14% do not see it as a problem.

Misinformation and disinformation

Fake news, or false news, is basically understood as the spread of information which is wrong or erroneous. For example, if person A told person B that person X died when in fact the latter is still alive, we can say that person A is a purveyor of fake news. It is not that simple in real life, however, because there is a real possibility that some people would indeed believe in fake news.

Back to the example earlier, person B may or may not believe in what person A said. Assuming that B did believe that X has passed away and B spread the word to his family, friends, and social media account, it is not only person A who disseminated fake news, but also person B.

This explains the fact of why fake news is rampant in social media sites such as Facebook and YouTube—because a considerable number of people do believe in false information. From erroneous claims that someone prominent has died to science and medicine, fake news can be seen in virtually all topics that are of significance to society.

Moreover, fake news may have been intentional or unintentional. In the example earlier, assume that person A spread the fake news because of a misunderstanding with the doctors of person X, then it is a form of misinformation (unintentional). Otherwise, if A intended to make up the false information for whatever reason, then it is a form of disinformation (intentional).

In social media, not only in the Philippines but also in various countries abroad, some people intentionally manufacture false information to advance their personal agendas such as by tarnishing the reputation of their enemies. This is common in various aspects of society from politics to entertainment, from sports to medicine and personal health.

Fighting fake news

So how can we combat fake news? With nearly 9 out of 10 Filipinos perceiving it as a problem, there must be something we should do to greatly reduce, if not eliminate, fake news.

Personally, being fully informed and having a questioning mind is largely helpful not to be fooled by false information. Of course, if you do not believe in fake news, it is reasonable that you would not spread it even further. By being fully informed, you can clearly say whether something is right or wrong. But to be fully informed is easier said than done. Henceforth, possessing a questioning mind or to be skeptical of what you see and hear would play a huge role.

In the modern world, we are filled with information from here and there, but we must always remember that not everything is true. Thus, it is better to assume that everything we saw or heard is initially neither true nor false. Then, we must research from several news outlets to verify the authenticity of the information we received. I’d emphasize the word ‘several’ because we should avoid relying merely on a single source or two.

Furthermore, we must look at who spread the information and ask ourselves: Are they credible? Can they be trusted? Are they an expert on the matter or are they a first-hand witness to the event? Did they have a history of spreading fake news? Were they able to present strong evidence to prove their claims?

Fake news is a problem, and it may result in unfavorable outcomes. We must do our part by preventing being fooled by false information. Research, think, scrutinize, decide.