Disinformation may not be a new concept, but it has become a global issue over the past decade. Disinformation has helped to spawn wars, rigs elections and spawn dictatorships. Simply put, disinformation is false information put out into the world to deceive public opinion. If it is not stopped, democracy as we know it is in peril. So too are journalism and free expression
In the 20th century disinformation was often called propoganda. It was a tool used by dictators to control media and the minds of the respective public. Truth, for authoritarians, was the enemy. Today, the spread of disinformation has caught the attention of governments, scholars, journalists and civil society. According to Stanford scholars, it creates chaos in democratic processes and weakens confidence in public institutions. In addition, it’s used to mislead and manipulate the public.
At the Human Rights Council 2022 in Geneva, Michelle Bachelet, the UN human rights chief, said disinformation spreads when people feel their voices are not heard. She noted, “It arises in contexts where political disenchantment, economic disparity or social unrest flourish.”
Online disinformation can spread fast and anonymously through social media platforms, making it hard to evaluate the credibility of information.
So how to spot disinformation?
The first step in fighting the spread of disinformation is to discern fact from fake news.
1- Check the source of information and look for the author;
2- Examine news with a critical mindset. A credible story has plenty of facts, official statistics, and quotes.
3- Compare the information to reliable sources.
4- Check image authenticity using Google Reverse Image Search to see where it originated.
5- Use common sense and consider whether the story sounds “right” or unrealistic.
And remember, always double-check the content to make sure it’s not fake or malicious before sharing it with others on Social Media.
