What we should do to combat fake news ahead of poll

Concept of how social media is a wash with fake news. [BBC]

As the clock ticks towards the August 9th polls, the Kenyan media landscape has undergone worrying developments with the advent of fake news.

The proliferation of disinformation campaigns packaged as news and hoaxes that are popularly referred to as “fake news” is affecting the way Kenyans interpret political campaigns.

Majority of Kenyans, young and old alike are most likely to get their news through online sources, relying heavily on mobile devices. Increasingly, most Kenyans have adopted customised information delivery to their personal preferences.

For example, it is possible to sign up for news alerts from many organisations so that people receive news relevant to their particular interests.

To the general public, the impact of media content on voter assessments cannot be gainsaid. The developments on the digital space have complicated the manner in which people hold leaders accountable and the way in which our political system operates.

The digital space has complicated political communication and made it more polarised. This has precipitated general decline in public trust in traditional journalism/media.

Rather than using digital tools to inform people and uplift civic discourse, hired social media gangs are a standard package for those political office. The keyboard gangs are spreading false or misleading information designed to deceive the public.

They spew outright propaganda flavoured with character assassination, innuendo and online bullying in support or against their real and perceived political enemies. This information is already distorting election campaigns, affecting public perceptions and shaping human emotions.

Through designated keywords and interactions with influential social media posts, they have magnified their influence and affect national and regional conversations especially resonating with like-minded clusters of people.

Experts aver that when such deeds move from sporadic and haphazard to organised and systematic efforts, they become dis-information campaigns.

In Kenya, there is growing debate among communication professionals on how to address these issues without undermining the benefits of digital media. To maintain an open, democratic system, it is imperative that media owners, communication experts, journalists, government, business, and the public work together to streamline and provide an accurate account of events.

Media houses and journalists with the support of communications professionals should work hand in hand with the government to promote news literacy.

On the other hand, the mainstream media houses should invest in high-quality and unbiased reporting to build public trust and correct fake news and dis-information without legitimising them. It is also important for media houses to call out fake news and dis-information by relying upon their in-house professionals and well-respected fact-checkers.

For global technology companies such as Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, YouTube among others, they must invest heavily in tools that identify fake news, reduce financial incentives for those who profit from dis-information and improve online accountability.

Communication professionals should also educate Kenyans on why they should prioritise news literacy. This will minimise the potential to polarise public opinion, promote speech and, ultimately increase trust in a free, fair and election. Further, it will enable Kenyans distinguish fake from real news.

Finally, all of us should follow a diversity of news sources and always be skeptical of what we read or watch from digital platforms and the mainstream media.

The writer is a member of the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK) and Embu County Director of Communication