Panel, Conference Presentation
Fighting Fake News: Can You Handle The Truth?
- Disinformation campaigns, including state-sponsored hate and "patriotic trolling," are expected to continue as exponential attacks aimed at destroying credibility, potentially targeting journalists at an average rate of 99 zero per hour.
- Internet economics and the removal of gatekeepers via the democratization of voices are projected to incentivize content at the extremes of opinion, creating a net negative long-term impact by eroding trust among non-core demographics.
- A new generation is predicted to lack understanding of credible news, potentially preferring opinion-based content, though they may also become more skeptical of sharing fake news compared to older generations.
- Avoidance of news is anticipated to increase among younger demographics previously reliant on late-night shows, creating a gap that organizations must fill while audiences demand help distinguishing facts.
- The crisis is framed as an existential moment for democracy where manipulation tactics used in the Philippines could be exported to other democracies, including the United States and Europe.
- Technology acts as an accelerant for populism and the spread of deep fake videos, making the distinction between real and fake content increasingly difficult and threatening election integrity.
- Global solutions and a multilateral framework are required to address geopolitical power shifts, with calls for institutions similar to those established post-World War II and a regulatory model akin to handling the climate crisis.
- Social media platforms face pressure to move from neutral bystanders to accountable middle men, likely through government regulation and taxes, as their current ad-driven models profit from unpredictability.
- A fundamental global shift is unlikely unless capitalists begin pricing the social impact of fake news into decisions, as the industry's profitability currently prevents change.
- Professional newsrooms remain motivated to ensure accuracy and will likely continue confessing mistakes to build trust, while simultaneously struggling to secure revenue models as ad dollars flow to major tech platforms.
- Governments face ongoing challenges balancing regulation and free speech, with some testing local laws like Singapore's as potential regional models, though their global scalability remains uncertain.
- Future technology features will likely be tested in the US marketplace first before being exported, and traditional news organizations face accountability for their abdication of responsibility regarding user experience.
- A significant multilateral effort involving the public sector, civil society, and businesses is expected to be necessary to establish new rules of engagement regarding responsibility for content.