Fake News, Real Impact
As we raise our flutes to a new year, we cannot help but glance over our shoulders at the year that was so tough. Killings, celebrity deaths, airplane crashes, evacuations, executions. There was also Brexit… and Trump.
Among the many different types of news that brought sadness or shock, one kind that became wildly popular on social media was “The Fake News.” Again, thanks to Trump and his controversial political win. A Washington Post article even headlined: “Facebook fake-news writer: ‘I think Donald Trump is in the White House because of me’.”
Malaysia too had its own share of fake news. Some were serious, some satirical — but none were true. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to put a wrong foot into the 2017 door. My only wish is to bury these fake news stories that seem to have viraled out of proportion and misled us to a great extent.
Here are some of those fake events that spread on social media throughout 2016 — later found to be completely baseless:
- Did 2 tigers maul a man in Sunway Lagoon?
False: The viral video shared on WhatsApp showed tigers mauling a 32-year-old Malaysian zoo cleaner. The reality? This event didn’t take place in Malaysia at all — it was footage from Singapore Zoo in 2008. - Was there a mishap involving a snapped cable of a Genting Skyway cable car?
False: Pahang Civil Defence Force verified the matter with the management of Genting Highlands and confirmed the cable car was functioning well. - Did a poisonous perfume sample cause the death of seven women in Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur?
False: This was a hoax — and apparently, it resurfaces almost every year. - Letter from Lin Dan to Chong Wei?
False: The touching letter, supposedly from Chong Wei’s longtime rival Lin Dan, turned out to be completely fictional.
And the list goes on…
But one thing is clear:
Facebook and WhatsApp have become two of the biggest media outlets in Malaysia today.
Everything that’s read or consumed there creates a lot of talk-ability — whether it’s true or false. According to a Facebook monitoring tool, the Top 20 fake news stories collectively got more engagement than the Top 20 factually accurate ones.
So… are people getting dumber and dumber?
Are they rushing to post things without any proof checking? Can people not tell the difference between real and fake news?
True: Malaysians often cannot tell the difference between real and fake news on social media. MCMC even held media literacy classes for around 900,000 people this year, using examples involving MH370 and celebrity news to show how misleading content spreads.
Are brands directly or indirectly part of this circus?
True: Some brands even got inspired by the “Fake News” concept. Netflix created its own fake New Year’s Eve countdowns so parents could put their kids to bed early and enjoy an adult-only party. Other brands bought ad spaces on fake news sites — just to spark conversations or raise awareness.
We as brand owners and brand lovers need to become self-aware, self-vigilant. Yes, in today’s world, content is king. But the burning question is:
What type of content do we want to create?
What type of content are we proud to share?
As the same sun rises in 2017…
Let us promise ourselves that before rushing to share anything on social media, we will take a moment. We’ll pause. We’ll ask: Is this true? Is this helpful? What might happen if this isn’t?
Let’s start 2017 with truth — and not get labeled as fake news reporters.
Happy New Year!
