There’s no doubt, fake news is a cyber-pandemic! One that has been around for longer than Covid-19. In the wake of the virus, the growth of fake news too has increased exponentially, with Facebook alone recording over 40 million fake news posts during the month of March 2020.
This poses a great threat to the netizens around the world, especially when everyone is facing lockdown restrictions and are being constantly consuming content related to Covid-19 online. The fault here isn’t in the curiosity on the part of audiences online, but it is necessary to curb the spread of fake news and thwart the intentions of those spreading misinformation. In Sri Lanka, current data tells us that over six million Facebook user base, a major portion of the entire population could have been exposed to millions of fake news campaigns. With a culture of viral sharing, this threat increases further.
Fake news can be found in many forms, from information designed to incite fear or hate, conspiracy theories or partially fake information. In many cases, they are accompanied by photographs that seem authentic, when in fact they could have no relation to the topic at hand. A recent tendency has been to share misinformation in a satirical manner. This pattern is getting popular among fake news peddlers as it conceals their mal-intentions perfectly under the guise of satire. The average social media user is more likely to consume such humorous content and thus get sub-consciously exposed to fake content, unaware of the fact that he is getting manipulated.
Many prominent and credible news organizations have constantly warned the public to verify online content before sharing, yet it falls short of meeting the expectations or raising awareness among the public. To aid these initiatives, Fact-Checking organizations work round the clock to identify, verify and curb misinformation shared online. At Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka, the story is no different. A team of expert fact-checkers work round the clock to identify information shared in all three national languages, across several social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and others - and publish their findings with detailed points that outline the verification. Fact Crescendo monitors all the public content shared on popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. However, along with these platforms WhatsApp has emerged as a huge source of misinformation. The private messenger app is a challenge in terms of monitoring as the content is shared from user to user and can’t be accessed by the public. This has enabled rumour-mongers to shift to WhatsApp as a convenient platform for spreading disinformation. To combat this, Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka has set up a WhatsApp helpline, where users can submit any suspicious or potentially fake content and get it verified. The content can be forwarded to Fact Crescendo’s dedicated WhatsApp number +94771514696. Also, any online content accessible on mobile that arouses suspicion can be forwarded to this number for verification.
Fact Crescendo works with the highest ethical codes and practices as set out by the non-partisan global fact-checkers network, IFCN (International Fact-Checking Network) with whom the organisation has a verified membership. Using a number of online tools and in-person clarifications with relevant authorities, the fact-checked pieces ensure that online audiences are made aware of the truth behind viral news stories. The World Health Organization now classifies the fake news issue as an ‘infodemic’ and the #CoronaVirusFacts alliance led by the IFCN has united more than 100 fact-checkers around the globe producing over 3,500 fact-checks in over 40 languages related to Covid-19. Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka has also contributed by submitting over 100 fact checks related to Covid-19 over the past few months.
Fact Crescendo further urges audiences to check their website and stay tuned into official channels such as the World Health Organization’s Sri Lanka office, Ministry of Health – Epidemiology Unit and Health Promotions Bureau for all verified facts pertaining to Covid-19 in the country so that all information consumed and shared with relation to the virus is authentic and true.