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By Max Coutinho
Ever since Donald Trump was elected the world woke up to a phenomenon that happened even during the 2008 Presidential Campaign (that got Barack Obama elected): manipulation of information. When President Trump accused the Mainstream Media of spreading Fake News everybody called him crazy but now they all repeat the word as a mantra. Since the New Generation of Politicians (wrongly called Populists) emerged, world Governments have been passing bills to punish those who publish and disseminate Fake News (FN). However, are they fighting FN or are they preparing themselves to censor the opposition?
Definition of Fake News
Fake News is false news - produced and/or shared with the sole intention of deceiving the reader.
The Birth of Fake News
The Parents of FN are Disinformation and Propaganda. These are tools used by States within a context of National Security and Defence since the beginning of Political Games.
Whenever a Government wants to brainwash the people, it will use the Mainstream Media to convey specific Messages to the public in order to shape their Opinion, to keep them distracted, to inspire them, to arouse sentiments of patriotism, to lead them to love or hate certain countries/peoples, to manipulate them basically. In the old days, States would use these methods to push for popular support when facing an external threat; nowadays, with the technological advancement, States use these methods to influence Public Opinion and arouse Popular Sentiment in foreign countries.
Disinformation is as old as the Oldest Profession; however, the Internet made it possible to spread it in a much quicker and more effective fashion. In the past, National Governments would be the entities disinforming their own citizens, but today Foreign Governments are the ones attacking other states’ population with an even more dangerous form of disinformation.
The Spreaders of Fake News
If Governments want to fight this “scourge” (as the government in Singapore called it), then they must start by the Mainstream Media. But how can they do it when:
CNN, New York Times, the BBC, Daily Mail (one of my favourites), and the Independent (for example) are the first to spread false information. Yet we don’t see Social Media Platforms (like Facebook, Twitter and others) flagging them as Spam or as Violating their Community Standards. We don’t see them diminishing their exposure to Internet users either.
Blogs and non-mainstream News Sites, on the other hand, are being targeted by Social Media Companies (especially if they are Right-leaning); and we suspect the Fake News Legislation, being passed a bit all over the world, is an attempt to go after this category of information vehicles since they are the ones exposing the dirt (most media refuses to publish) and they are the ones calling out the mainstream media over the lies they have been spreading over the decades.
Blatant Examples of Fake News
The Mainstream Media, fed by governments or political entities, started the process of publishing Fake News – and they still do it.
Fighting FN or Legalising Censorship?
When Media Regulatory Authorities suggest that Lists of sites spreading Fake News are to be created, and badges identifying legit sites or pages are to be generated, we have to worry because there is a chance that Censorship is about to be legalised.
When CNN spreads fake news (e.g. the Russian Collusion affair, which was fake after all) will it be flagged as a Fake News Vehicle? When a Blog or a non-mainstream Media site exposes the truth will it be added to those lists? And who will exactly help the Authorities to identify those sites: the public? This is dangerous because anyone with an agenda, or malicious intent, can flag any site on the internet as Fake News spreader.
The timing of such bills is also suspicious. They come at a time when the New Breed of Politicians is unseating the corrupt Old Political Generation (NB: New and Old are not to be understood as referring to age but to political methods). As such, it seems to us that the Old Generation is trying to prevent more members of the New Breed to rise to power by flagging all their supporters as Bots, Spam, Fake News, Fake Accounts and anything else they can come up with.
The fear is so real, that even those spreading allegedly fake messages on Whatsapp (and some governments specifically mentioned this Social Media platform by name) are to be punished.
In Portugal, for instance, the Left accused António Salazar, and his successor Marcelo Caetano, of censoring everything and anything (during the Conservative Fascist era); but what are they trying to do now? They are doing exactly the same thing. It’s the same political manure.
Conclusion
The Internet was created to spread knowledge and give voice to the People. If Governments can’t handle Vox Populi then they must find creative ways to fight Fake News, like they always have through Counter-Intelligence and Counter-Information, and remain true; but silencing people is never a good idea.
Definition of Fake News
Fake News is false news - produced and/or shared with the sole intention of deceiving the reader.
The Birth of Fake News
The Parents of FN are Disinformation and Propaganda. These are tools used by States within a context of National Security and Defence since the beginning of Political Games.
Whenever a Government wants to brainwash the people, it will use the Mainstream Media to convey specific Messages to the public in order to shape their Opinion, to keep them distracted, to inspire them, to arouse sentiments of patriotism, to lead them to love or hate certain countries/peoples, to manipulate them basically. In the old days, States would use these methods to push for popular support when facing an external threat; nowadays, with the technological advancement, States use these methods to influence Public Opinion and arouse Popular Sentiment in foreign countries.
Disinformation is as old as the Oldest Profession; however, the Internet made it possible to spread it in a much quicker and more effective fashion. In the past, National Governments would be the entities disinforming their own citizens, but today Foreign Governments are the ones attacking other states’ population with an even more dangerous form of disinformation.
The Spreaders of Fake News
If Governments want to fight this “scourge” (as the government in Singapore called it), then they must start by the Mainstream Media. But how can they do it when:
- They are the first ones to use the mainstream media to give bread and circus to the people and throw a curveball at foreign governments?
- The national mainstream media is in the hands of foreign governments (through front-people)?
CNN, New York Times, the BBC, Daily Mail (one of my favourites), and the Independent (for example) are the first to spread false information. Yet we don’t see Social Media Platforms (like Facebook, Twitter and others) flagging them as Spam or as Violating their Community Standards. We don’t see them diminishing their exposure to Internet users either.
Blogs and non-mainstream News Sites, on the other hand, are being targeted by Social Media Companies (especially if they are Right-leaning); and we suspect the Fake News Legislation, being passed a bit all over the world, is an attempt to go after this category of information vehicles since they are the ones exposing the dirt (most media refuses to publish) and they are the ones calling out the mainstream media over the lies they have been spreading over the decades.
Blatant Examples of Fake News
- Israel is an Occupying Power (according to the International Law)
- East Jerusalem as the Capital of Palestine
- The Existence of a Palestinian State
- Populism = Far-Right
- Nazism (National Socialism) = Far-Right
- President Trump is a Racist
- Fascism is a Right Wing system
- PM Netanyahu is corrupt
- Migrants came to Europe to seek Peace
- The increase of Anti-Semitism is because of Populism
- Jair Bolsonaro is racist and a military dictator
- Nicolás Maduro is a Democratic and compassionate leader
The Mainstream Media, fed by governments or political entities, started the process of publishing Fake News – and they still do it.
Fighting FN or Legalising Censorship?
When Media Regulatory Authorities suggest that Lists of sites spreading Fake News are to be created, and badges identifying legit sites or pages are to be generated, we have to worry because there is a chance that Censorship is about to be legalised.
When CNN spreads fake news (e.g. the Russian Collusion affair, which was fake after all) will it be flagged as a Fake News Vehicle? When a Blog or a non-mainstream Media site exposes the truth will it be added to those lists? And who will exactly help the Authorities to identify those sites: the public? This is dangerous because anyone with an agenda, or malicious intent, can flag any site on the internet as Fake News spreader.
The timing of such bills is also suspicious. They come at a time when the New Breed of Politicians is unseating the corrupt Old Political Generation (NB: New and Old are not to be understood as referring to age but to political methods). As such, it seems to us that the Old Generation is trying to prevent more members of the New Breed to rise to power by flagging all their supporters as Bots, Spam, Fake News, Fake Accounts and anything else they can come up with.
The fear is so real, that even those spreading allegedly fake messages on Whatsapp (and some governments specifically mentioned this Social Media platform by name) are to be punished.
Censorship is the weapon of the intellectually weak; of those who tasted Power and are too greedy to relinquish it.
In Portugal, for instance, the Left accused António Salazar, and his successor Marcelo Caetano, of censoring everything and anything (during the Conservative Fascist era); but what are they trying to do now? They are doing exactly the same thing. It’s the same political manure.
Conclusion
The Internet was created to spread knowledge and give voice to the People. If Governments can’t handle Vox Populi then they must find creative ways to fight Fake News, like they always have through Counter-Intelligence and Counter-Information, and remain true; but silencing people is never a good idea.
Remember: the Truth always prevails.
[The views expressed in this publication are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dissecting Society™ . © 2007-2019 Author(s) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED]
Comments
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Dissecting Society™ welcomes all sorts of comments, as we are strong advocates of freedom of speech; however, we reserve the right to delete Troll Activity; libellous and offensive comments (e.g. racist and anti-Semitic) plus those with excessive foul language. This blog does not view vulgarity as being protected by the right to free speech. Cheers
I also think this lot of bills is dangerous as it masks governments' real intentions behind it: to shut those who are against them! Surely there are other ways of fighting fake news, aren't there?
ReplyDeleteComment about the thought of the week: and who's going to make the British government do it?
ReplyDeleteGood call: mainstream media IS the first one to spread fake news! And they have done it for years specially when it comes to Israel!! Loved it, Max!!!
ReplyDeleteWho spreads fake news is not as important as whether I inadvertently pass it on using my social media. I find that it is is extremely important to cross check the veracity of news, particularly, something of interest to me, before I pass it on. I have learnt by bitter experience that even the most trusted of sources can fall for fake news and pass it along. I am very careful now. A simple cross check on google often suffices to decide whether something is genuine or fake.
ReplyDeleteHi Rummy :D!
DeleteVery good point. I have had a lot of fake news links passed on to me and, so far, I have managed to identify them one by one through small details. But yes, a cross check on Google often is enough to decide whether it is genuine or not (even though the so-called genuine sites do their fair share of fake news spreading).
But do you agree with these anti-Fake News laws being passed?
Thank you for your comment, my friend.
Cheers
No, I am not in favour of legislating censorship.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Ramana, it's not right!
DeleteI hear you, Rummy.
DeleteCheers
When POTUS started the 'Fake News' everybody accused him of trying to violate the press' freedom of speech; but now they all repeat the same song. Do they do it because they tried their own poison or is it a ploy to do what leftists always do: attack the opposition?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Max: let the internet be free and let readers do their homework. Governments should butt out, pardon my French.
True, the mainstream media have been spreading fake news for decades with government support and now governments want to legislate against something their buddies have been doing for ages? Yeah, I smell censorship to the little guy and independent sites!
ReplyDelete