
My Opinion | Feb 11,2023
Jan 18 , 2019
By Belay Abera
Information has always been important, and the lack of it can be a great cost to money, property and human lives.
Perhaps the most tragic example of this took place during a battle in the American city of New Orleans, during the War of 1812 between Britain and the United States. The war had dragged on towards 1815, with this particular one taking place on January 8.
After the end of the battle though, the Americans and the British learned there had been no need to fight. A peace treaty between the two countries had been signed just two weeks earlier. Unfortunately, no news of this reached either of the warring sides during the battle, leading to the death of thousands, only because of a lack of better communication systems.
Today we have the radio, television, newspapers and the internet, providing us with major sources of information for every hourly - and even under that - development of events around the world. This is no different for Ethiopia, where most people use the internet as a major source of information as well as Tv and the radio.
Despite all the advantages new communication technology offers though, false information poses a major threat to society and democracy today. Fake news and its influences dominate headlines as fabricated news reports go viral and create shock and disbelief. Its ability to manipulate human behaviour is unparalleled in history - an instrument that would have made the dictators of old envious and the autocrats of today content.
The impact of fake news on the exchange of information is particularly worrying. Uncertainty about the veracity of a piece of information that is received affects public trust of responsible media outlets as well. This is even more true for videos and photos which as technology advances are becoming harder to tell are real or fake.
The fact that fake news can generate better traffic and engagement is the most worrying factor. People have the general tendency to remember and share information and news that is sensational. Stories are most likely to generate attention when they can achieve the "wow" factor, and information based on this is most likely not to be true or is a crude and misleading representation of facts.
The statistics concur with the assessment, including stories about the 2016 American general election where the fake stories that went viral more than stories from recognised news sites.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the saying that "all publicity is good publicity" still holds true. From corporations to politicians, the power of the internet in disseminating propaganda in ways the totalitarian governments of lore only dreamed of has been well understood.
What has come to matter most is that one can hold attention, for which there is no better means than being sensational. This entails at least a partisan treatment of subject matters if not a downright employment of fake content.
The destructiveness of the use of fake news gets worse the more democratically young nations are. An uninformed citizenry, weak democratic institutions and a poor culture of conflict management leave a nation bare to the machinations of individuals unafraid to use destructive means to gain power.
While there is a robust agreement that fake news needs to be addressed rather than allow it to run rampant, there is the issue of how this can be done.
Even defining fake news and characterising a story as such falls under dispute. The sheer volume of such content makes it impossible to manually filter out fake news, or put a stamp on it, in a short period. Algorithms that can do this are as well hard to write given that fake news can easily be confused for satire, opinions or just a piece of contradicting information.
Fake news cannot be combated effectively by governments or corporations alone, not without restricting the freedom of speech. Indeed, both can help cushion the impact. Corporations can use various tools and human resources to ensure that they do not advertise on fake news sites. And the government can be transparent and communicative and supportive of recognised media outlets for citizens not to turn to sites that bare no responsibility or accountability to anyone.
But the ultimate defence is a citizenry that is better informed. Defeating fake news calls for a tall order, the individual assumption of responsibility for the content we share, like and the comments we make. Together with strong democratic institutions, this tumor of democracy can become no longer malignant but a benign annoyance.
PUBLISHED ON
Jan 18,2019 [ VOL
19 , NO
977]
My Opinion | Feb 11,2023
Viewpoints | Jan 23,2021
Sunday with Eden | Feb 27,2021
Fortune News | Nov 27,2018
Fortune News | Feb 22,2020
Viewpoints | Oct 16,2021
Viewpoints | Jun 29,2019
Radar | Nov 09,2019
My Opinion | Jul 13,2020
Radar | Mar 30,2019
My Opinion | 132858 Views | Aug 14,2021
My Opinion | 129323 Views | Aug 21,2021
My Opinion | 127186 Views | Sep 10,2021
My Opinion | 124756 Views | Aug 07,2021
Dec 22 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Charged with transforming colossal state-owned enterprises into modern and competitiv...
Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...
Jul 28 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Unhabitual, perhaps too many, Samuel Gebreyohannes, 38, used to occasionally enjoy a couple of beers at breakfast. However, he recently swit...
Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transporting commodities, and f...
Aug 2 , 2025
At daybreak on Thursday last week, July 31, 2025, hundreds of thousands of Ethiop...
Jul 26 , 2025
Teaching hospitals everywhere juggle three jobs at once: teaching, curing, and discov...
Jul 19 , 2025
Parliament is no stranger to frantic bursts of productivity. Even so, the vote last w...
Jul 12 , 2025
Political leaders and their policy advisors often promise great leaps forward, yet th...
Aug 2 , 2025 . By NAHOM AYELE
Regulators at the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) have confirmed the appointment of M...
Aug 2 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER
A sweeping new directive has been issued, marking a shift in the governance of state...
Aug 2 , 2025 . By YITBAREK GETACHEW
Federal authorities in the agricultural sector are placing a strategic bet on an indi...
Aug 2 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER
A long standing corporate dispute over Cosmo Trading Plc has resurfaced at the Federa...