RajahJun says No to "Fake News"

Have you had your share of reading fake news on social media lately?

These days some news on social media is distorted and is becoming widely known as "fake news". It has become a local as well as a global phenomenon on the internet.  Social media is a democratizing space available to all both young and old.

Sadly, this open space has now become surreptitiously available to "fake news". That's what I honestly feel; and as a blog writer, I vehemently reject "fake" news.

The rampant spread of fake news is very disconcerting.  It can be more insidious than mudslinging used in politics, gossips, or "blind items" and even censorship. It is a lie that is consistently upheld and eventually becomes the truth. It can lead to readers as blind followers. 

When I read articles on social media, I can sense fake news. It reeks of twisted lies in the guise of breaking news. Another less insidious type of fake news look-alike is the use of "click baits" in social media. It's about luring would-be readers to an article using "deceiving" by-lines.  It is a half-truth because the title is different from the contents of the article. The subliminal stench that it leaves in my mind is awful.

Each time I chance upon one, I imagine those behind this news as "Joseph Goebbels". He was Hitler's propagandist back in the days when the whole world was at war.  He would churn out news stories in different mediums to make the "Third Reich" look benevolent among its citizens. He used propaganda to promote the Germanic race as a superior "Aryan" race and used it to foster murderous antisemitism and racism.

I'm worried about the young reading fake news on social media. How are they going to process that type of news? They are either half-truths or totally non-truths; where young and impressionable minds can be influenced and deceived. Unfortunately, even mature minds fall to this type of news.

We have been reeling about the bad effects of environmental pollution.  Now we are experiencing a different kind of pollution which is news pollution on social media. If people use masks to filter out air pollution; we need to have "filters" to differentiate between fake news the genuine news.

In understanding fake news in social media let us look at the meaning of the word propaganda which provides an apt description. I saw several definitions online.  The 1st and 2nd definition is close to defining fake news.

Propaganda:

1. Information, ideas or rumor deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.;
2. The deliberate spreading of such information, rumors, etc.; 
3. The particular doctrines or principles propagated by an organization.

The ones who write fake news use mostly the "Red Herring Fallacy" in argumentation. On the other hand, if any news represents an opinion, it should be presented nicely, sensibly without besmirching or attacking anyone, otherwise, it is simply fake.  In fallacies of logic, it is considered "ad hominem" if the article was presented to attack a person's reputation rather than the position. 

Another "mask" we can use to filter out fake news, is the journalist code of ethics here in the Philippines. There are 11 of them. We can use this code of ethics as a benchmark if the news is fake or not.

For those who write fake news, I exhort you to read the code of ethics for journalists; and maybe seriously ponder on the ethics of taking in writing jobs as "guns for hire" spewing out fake news behind the cover of anonymity.

THE PHILIPPINE JOURNALIST'S CODE OF ETHICS

The Code of Ethics
1. I shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress essential facts nor to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis. I recognize the duty to air the other side and the duty to correct substantive errors promptly.

2. I shall not violate confidential information on material given me in the exercise of my calling.

3. I shall resort only to fair and honest methods in my effort to obtain news, photographs, and/or documents, and shall properly identify myself as a representative of the press when obtaining any personal interview intended for publication.

4. I shall refrain from writing reports that will adversely affect a private reputation unless the public interest justifies it. At the same time, I shall fight vigorously for public access to information.

5. I shall not let personal motives or interests influence me in the performance of my duties, nor shall I accept or offer any present, gift, or other consideration of a nature that may cast doubt on my professional integrity.

6. I shall not commit any act of plagiarism.

7. I shall not, in any manner, ridicule, cast aspersions on, or degrade any person because of sex, creed, religious belief, political conviction, cultural and ethnic origin.

8. I shall presume persons accused of a crime of being innocent until proven otherwise. I shall exercise caution in publishing names of minors and women involved in criminal cases so that they may not unjustly lose their standing in society.

9. I shall not take unfair advantage of a fellow journalist.

10. I shall accept only such tasks as are compatible with the integrity and dignity of my profession, invoking the "conscience clause" when duties imposed on me conflict with the voice of my conscience.

11. I shall conduct myself in public or while performing my duties as a journalist in such a manner as to maintain the dignity of my profession. When in doubt, decency should be my watchword.

The filters are in place so now let's just decide which ones are fake or real.