Protecting freedom of expression

Today is World Press Freedom Day when governments around the globe reconfirm their commitment to this all important fundamental right to information. Yet there is a palpable change in the air as the celebrations fell just days after Malaysia jailed a man for disseminating fake news.

At home the dust is beginning to settle on debates of whether Sri Lanka should regulate social media platforms after Digana and so far the Government has not stepped back from its declared intention to formulate new regulations. In such a situation, how is it possible for the public to protect its freedom of expression but also guard against fake news?   

Fake news and sophisticated disinformation campaigns are especially problematic in democratic systems, and there is a growing debate on how to address these issues without undermining the benefits of digital media. 

In order to maintain an open, democratic system, it is important that governments, businesses and consumers work together to solve these problems, believes the Brookings Institute, which insists that the first step should be to support the existing mainstream media to be more empowered and ethical.   

The news media landscape has changed dramatically over the past few decades. Through digital sources, there has been a tremendous increase in the reach of journalism, social media and public engagement. Checking for news online—whether through Google, Twitter, Facebook, major newspapers or local media websites—has become ubiquitous, and smartphone alerts and mobile applications bring the latest developments to people instantaneously. In such an environment, offline reactions also need to be faster.  

People, especially less-informed segments of society with inherently biased views, would eagerly embrace and believe fake news and mistrust mainstream media, which they could see as unreliable or being influenced by other agendas. This is why is it critical to promote the independence of newspapers and other media in a meaningful way so that people have a source of information they can trust. 

Undermining media independence by pushing media organisations to be politically partisan undermines this confidence. Between news coverage they don’t like and fake news that is manipulative in nature, many people question the accuracy of their news. 

This decline in public trust in media is dangerous for democracies. This gap has manifested itself in questionable election results, political change and communal tensions around the world. Such developments have complicated the manner in which people hold leaders accountable and the way in which our political system operates. As much as the Sri Lankan Government may feel that it can keep a tab on social media by introducing new regulations and monitoring mechanisms, it must understand that this will only be a partial solution at best for a rapidly-evolving phenomenon that has encompassed the whole world.      

Governments should promote news literacy and strong professional journalism in their societies. The news industry must provide high-quality journalism in order to build public trust and correct fake news and disinformation without legitimising them. 

Technology companies should invest in tools that identify fake news, reduce financial incentives for those who profit from disinformation and improve online accountability. Educational institutions should make informing people about news literacy a high priority. Finally, individuals should follow diverse news sources and be sceptical of what they read and watch.