The war on truth

By Rosie Duff

These days, most of us have made a morning ritual out of tuning into the headlines first thing when we wake up.

Indeed, from reports about Covid-19 and the vaccine, to her majesty the queen; the news serves as a perpetual reminder of the events that are occurring throughout the world (just) beyond the scope of our daily lives. Though, while news media may not explicitly tell us what to think, it does implicitly direct what we think about. So, it’s important to recognise when content is based upon fact, and perhaps more importantly, when it is rooted in fiction.

The origins of fake news You might’ve initially heard the phrase ‘fake news’ thrown around by Donald Trump, who, all but weaponised the term against the media over the course of his US presidency. Yet, this concept is nothing new. As we know, people have been telling tall tales and farfetched fibs for centuries. In fact, once upon a time, news stories were openly replete with clearly fabricated tales. Between sightings of shadowy apparitions and reports of monstrous pigs, prior to the 19th century, early journalists relied chiefly on civilian speculation and here say as their primary news source. Though these news stories weren’t necessarily true, they weren’t technically false either. Well at least, that was the rationale. This is because early journalism was merely viewed as another form of storytelling. That being, reporters weren’t guided by the editorial standards of today, because they weren’t required to be. Rather, their stories were consumed for entertainment, instead of informative purposes.

A post-truth era So, why did contemporary journalism come to value fact over fiction, you ask?

Top online safety tips from last year’s Netsafety Week

1. Think twice before you engage online and be respectful of others and our differences 2. Swipe left on fake news - Do you trust the source? Can you fact-check it?

Report fake news, don’t share it 3. Know your rights under the Harmful

Digital Communications Act.

Today, we are exposed to more information in a matter of seconds, than our ancestors would have had access to in 24-hours (or more!) The internet has opened the floodgates for the re-sharing and repurposing of news at a rate like never seen before. It’s also lowered the cost of publication and allows users to bypass previous regulation. Given the information overload, it makes sense that people are looking for trusted news sources. However, it’s no secret that in the last couple of years, general trust in the western media has declined. The Reuters Digital News Report 2020 displays that overall, global trust in the news is at its lowest point since records began in 2016. Recent findings from the 2021 Trust in News in NZ survey paint a similar picture, revealing that public trust in our national media fell from 53 percent in 2020, to 48 percent in 2021. Some participants mentioned that they have lost trust in the media because of political bias and agenda-pushing. Others reported that news outlets offer opinions rather than factual news and well-researched information. Since faith is low in traditional news sources, people are increasingly choosing to believe what they want to believe – which is made easier by social media, wherein it’s entirely possible to live undisturbed in your own personal echo-chamber. For better or for worse, the internet has democratised news commentary, which means that now anybody, anywhere, can pose as a journalist if they so wish. Only, many of us were never prepared to have such a platform. The fourth estate There’s plenty of reasons as to why somebody might believe a fake news headline – or perhaps even feel compelled to publish falsehoods, themselves. Covid-related uncertainty, political instability, personal bias, and online polarization, for instance, are all factors that feed misinformation spreading. Last year a review of New Zealand’s media regulatory system was officially announced by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Jan Tinetti. The existing system – which was designed in the early 1990’s – is not fit for purpose and does not have the flexibility to respond to the ongoing evolution of digital platforms, Tinetti explained. The new regulatory framework will balance harm-reduction with protecting democratic freedoms – including freedom of expression, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. “Communities, content providers and the Government all have a role to play in reducing harm to individuals, society and institutions, so everyone can have their say on the proposed changes,” Tinetti said. Ultimately, it’s important to recognise that the New Zealand media is accountable to monitoring agencies, as well as the law, and follows processes and principles around matters such as transparency. That’s more than can be said for your second cousin’s Facebook status dispelling Covid as a government conspiracy. CT

Whether it’s by means of Facebook or somebody you know, it’s likely in the last year or two, you’ve had at least one of these rumours – all false – relayed to you: • Covid-19 is a foreign bioweapon • Climate change is a myth • 5G cellular network causes life-threatening illness.