By Pamela Victor-31 Jan 2018
(First appeared on The ASEAN Post and accessible at: https://theaseanpost.com/article/southeast-asias-latest-threat-press-freedom)
The term ‘fake news’, popularized by US President Donald Trump, has recently entered the vocabulary of some Southeast Asian leaders as well.
According to the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) Executive Director, Edgardo Legaspi, in an e-mail with The ASEAN Post, the term fake news “…has given governments new justification to control news and information, including targeting journalists and independent media. It has also justified a new trend for governments to ramp up their propaganda and information machineries, which goes against supporting the press as the fourth estate to check on the government.”
Last week, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen stated during a dinner his government hosted for correspondents, “I think President Donald Trump has correctly created an award that he just announced in recent days, the Fake News Award. In Cambodia there is also this type of media.”
Earlier this month, after the operating license of Rappler—a news portal that has aggressively investigated the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte for his violent, police-led campaign against drugs—was revoked, Duterte told reporters it was “…a fake news outlet.”
This situation is of concern to most media practitioners and rights advocates as some countries are already promoting new legislation to make publishing ‘fake news’, that isn’t really fake, an offense. Instead of getting rid of actual false news, the authorities will probably use these new laws to target news outlets that don’t tow the line.
The Problem with ‘Fake News’
SEAPA’s Legaspi breaks down the problem into two areas, “First, some governments and their supporters actively use fake news as a strategy to promote a certain agenda, or to maintain support.” As an example, he states that some governments around the region have employed social media influencers and armies that spread fake news.
“On the other hand, governments are using the term ‘fake news’ to undermine journalism, by labeling critical reporting as such,” he added.
The other problem presented by labeling genuine news as ‘fake news’ would be the loss of press credibility as a result of “…restrictions by different governments, by corruption from within the media, and by control of media owners that use news outlets to promote their own agenda,” he explained further.
While impeding laws can be difficult to change in the near future, Legaspi suggests that the media “…improve their ethical standards in reporting by practicing self-regulation to address incidents of misreporting and unethical practices. The public knows if certain media are not acting professionally, so the press must do its part to gain the public’s trust,” he said.
Ultimately, the problem boils down to the public’s lack of accessibility to information and their right to participate in the community being inhibited.
‘Fake News’ and the Freedom of the Net
Not long ago, the internet was used as a tool for championing democracy in Southeast Asia, galvanizing strong social movements to fight for freedom and to stand up against injustices across the region. We witnessed this when Cambodians stood up and cried out for better labor rights in Cambodia and when Malaysians demanded for a free and fair general elections.
Today, a different pattern is emerging. Most countries in the region do not have complete freedom of the internet, while some have no freedom whatsoever. According to Freedom House’s Freedom on the Net report which was released in December 2017, the rating of seven out of the eight Southeast Asian nations included in the survey fell. Only the Philippines remains ranked as ‘mostly free’ in the region due to its limited online censorship.
“Censorship is on the rise and internet freedom is declining in Southeast Asia,” said Madeline Earp, Asia research analyst with Freedom House. “We are seeing this with some specific censorship tactics, for example, website blocking, arrests, cyber attacks, and other rights violations.”
For example, a government propagandist in Vietnam has conceded “…operating a team of hundreds of ‘public opinion shapers’ to monitor and direct online discussions on everything from foreign policy to land rights,” stated the report.
There is a fine line when it comes to freedom on the net. Users are finding it increasingly difficult to differentiate between legitimate news and intentionally false news.
Where do we draw the line? Legaspi advises that media literacy is the best way to combat intentional fake news.
“Developing the critical faculty to determine facts from false information is key to avoiding falling victim to the so-called fake news,” he stated.
However, it is also important to understand that it is a slow, person-by-person process as societies are still adjusting to the unprecedented amount of information available online, especially on social media.
Will ‘fake news’ be a recurring trend throughout 2018?
As we witness shifting regional political climates and the rising heat of human rights issues, we will probably continue to see this infamous term being bandied about to justify political agenda and to stifle public opinion.
Pamela Victor is a Digital Journal at the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based ASEAN Post.
