Impact of “Fake News”
Consumption of “fake news” and responses to it will often implicate the freedom of expression. Censorship designed to combat “fake news” can hinder the universal right to freedom of expression. At the same time, disinformation spread by “fake news” can impact perceptions of governments, elections, and overall attitudes within societies, undermining the integrity of the democratic process.
Freedom of Expression
The Reason You Can’t Stand the News Anymore
- The media are contributing to their own demise and the worst part is that at this point they have no choice in the matter.
Al Jazeera Journalist Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison in Egypt
- Legal experts say that the Egyptian journalists sentenced to 3 years in prison were sentenced on charges that were “unfounded and politically motivated.”
Post Industrial Journalism: Adapting to the Present
- Discusses the necessary transformation of American journalism.
Apple is not the only tech company kowtowing to China’s sensors
- Apple removed the New York Times app from its store in China, in effect, assisting the Chinese government with censorship.
State Takeover of Public Media in Poland: Is an Illiberal Axis Emerging Within the EU’s Walls?
- “[T]he rot within the EU is especially disconcerting because of the impact it could have on the EU’s role as an advocate for media freedom and media development.”
Governments and Elections
Elections 2016: The Sad State of Our Media and Why Mahama, Akufo-Addo Must Face Tough Questions
- Media in Ghana should use their agenda-setting power to provoke meaningful discussion about the elections.
Moral panic over fake news hides the real enemy – the digital giants
- Claims that Russia is behind the political shocks of 2016 ignore the corrupting influence of digital capitalism. The Guardian
Fake news: an insidious trend that’s fast becoming a global problem
- With fake online news dominating discussions after the US election, Guardian correspondents explain how it is distorting politics around the world. The Guardian
Can a president who disregards the truth uphold his oath of office?
- The President of the United States must have at least some regard for facts in order to carry out his duty to the country.
How Donald Trump Could Build an Autocracy
- Both media companies and social media networks were part of Trump’s rise to presidency.
Information Wars
China’s Response to Reports of Torture: ‘Fake News’
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Experts said on Friday that Mr. Trump’s continuing attacks on the news media would help lend credibility to Chinese efforts to undermine Western ideals and foreign journalists.
President Trump’s combative, freewheeling, “fake news” press conference, explained
- President Trump questioned honesty of media at his press conference.
Google and the Misinformed Public
- Online media provides platforms that can lead to racist and sexist bias, profiling, and misinformation–debilitating democracy.
Putting the Folklore in Fake News
- News stories can tell us a lot about society and the cultural landscape, regardless of whether the stories are true or not.
Fake News in U.S. Election? Elsewhere, That’s Nothing New
- Fake news, largely due to social media, has affected elections around the world. Officials and experts worry that it will also deepen existing gaps in society.
- U.S. media use the term “fake news” in an attempt to bolster their own news stories in contrast, “which is a dangerous thing to do when you are writing glossy profiles of people who endorse ethnic cleansing.”
Popular Culture
Movie execs hired a fake news creator to promote A Cure for Wellness
- Entertainment studio Regency Enterprises hired a fake news creator to generate viral buzz for its new film . . . the studio launched five local fake news sites to host banner ads for the film, while also adding references to the movie into hoaxes about President Trump and vaccinations.