The intent behind messages and the weakening of democracy.
By Renata Neves
Source: Fundación Fepropaz
The second round of voting in the Brazilian elections is almost here, and we now need to pay attention to the rising level of disinformation circulating on social media, on television channels and in everyday conversation.
It is clear that political discussions are intense, which is a positive factor for Brazilians’ general knowledge. But that maturity falls away when disinformation is involved and, consequently, violence.
Disinformation can take many forms and needs to be tackled at any time of year.
Right now, it is being used as a tool against the country’s democracy and has been influencing the electorate with false evidence or with contexts that do not exist.
It also draws on the fake news approach to spread content with “credibility”, though it is not limited to that strategy alone.
We can understand that disinformation has already appeared in forms such as gossip, conspiracy theories, legends, rumours and smear campaigns. Even so, it is hard to spot if you are not alert to it.
Today, we are going to show a little more about how it works, so you can be sharper in the family group chat. Shall we?
What is disinformation, really?
According to the Guia Básico de Enfrentamento à Desinformação produced by the Justiça Eleitoral and the TSE, disinformation can be any message, piece of information or public statement based on incorrect data, regardless of intent.
For example: we can regard as disinformation a public statement that cites wrong figures “for the good of public health”, as well as claims based on guesswork used to convince someone.
Anything partially true or manipulated to generate conflict also counts as disinformation. Such as circulating an altered image to provoke outrage or disapproval.
It is worth stressing that every message has an intention behind it, and disinformation is no different.
You may come across false information shared with good intentions, or without awareness of its falsity. Just as you may receive false messages with the bad intention of alienating, deceiving or manipulating you.
And you may find information that has been partially altered or that was based on assertions, guesswork, false data and so on.
In every case, a small investigation is needed, and the mass spread must be stopped.
Consequences for democracy
The lack of truthfulness in information directly affects our democracy, and we are going to explain how.
The truth is that disinformation is profitable and very advantageous for political strategies. In other words, working to keep a subject or a name constantly mentioned (for better or worse) produces financial and ideological consequences.
Speaking of politics, disinformation is one of the forces that manipulate someone’s values and ideas. Groups of people come to believe in lies, absurdities and unrealities so that, in the end, they no longer have a truthful basis on which to vote or express themselves.
Democracy, which guarantees the people’s power to choose their representatives, is being constantly challenged.
The loss of critical judgement is worrying: individuals become unable to take in differing opinions grounded in concrete facts. They distort freedom of expression and go on to infringe human rights.
In the end, are citizens making the best decisions for their lives, or was there a political strategy stuffed with lies?
And, above all, how is it possible to control the growing spread of these malicious messages?
Many of these questions can be resolved through education. However, it is also important for people to wake up to Brazil’s real situation and, in doing so, to improve the way they accept information without questioning it.
It is worth remembering that the disinformation situation is extremely critical, to the point where political discussions become violent and dangerous.
It is also important to underline that denialism, fascist ideas and conspiracies are some of the consequences that have been unfolding in our country.
Fighting disinformation
Now that you have understood the basics of disinformation, let us put into practice some simple habits that can make a great difference to you and to the people who trust your judgement.
Because although it may not seem so, the way you work for or against a false idea can influence the people around you. So take care with how you share information.
To begin with, be sceptical about the source and the authorship of the information you have received. Here it is worth knowing the website, the user, or whether the link you received is genuinely safe.
When no source is cited, it is likely that none exists — and so it may be information created without any real data.
We have learned that everyone has their own intentions behind a message, so it is always important to ask whether the source would benefit from it, or would even know how to investigate the content it shared.
On one side we have ill-intentioned groups looking for ways to spread information en masse; on the other, there are people with less malice and less knowledge. Both cases count as disinformation and need to be corrected.
It is always important to put the topic or the headline of the information into Google. If the subject is real and solidly grounded, you can be sure there will be more articles agreeing with it.
But if it is false, you can be equally sure there will be publications debunking the information.
Next, notice the tone used for that piece of information and consider whether it provokes immediate anger or outrage in you — after all, dramatic wording is used to speed up sharing.
Many false texts feature worthless personal anecdotes, arguments from authorities who benefit from the content, the use of well-known names purely for impact, and conclusions that are far too simple.
Research thoroughly and take seriously any anomaly you find, always remembering to report it to fact-checking sites or through the platforms you use.
Social media, for instance, has a button for reporting fake news that you should be using!
We hope you have enjoyed this content and that you can make good use of it. Remember that fighting disinformation is a continuous effort, and one we must make.
And this Tuesday (01/11) people in São Paulo are invited to take part in The Glass Room Misinformation Brasil, taking place at the Centro Cultural da Juventude Ruth Cardoso.
What kind of future are we building between human beings and technology? Algorithms and identity are increasingly intertwined, while the privacy of our data remains under threat. Disinformation has taken over social media and we no longer know what to believe. Is it possible to see a healthy horizon on this frontier? Let’s discuss it together through free workshops and panel debates. Your ticket is waiting for you here.
Referências
- BRASIL. Justiça Eleitoral; Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (TSE). Guia básico de enfrentamento à desinformação. Disponível em: .