[kictanet] Talk to NCIC Day 1: Users and Fake News

[Barrack Otieno]

Good morning Kanini,

I will attempt to provide my input.

(a) Why is there an increase in the prevalence of Fake News recently?

It is worth noting that this has become the norm during electioneering
periods in Kenya. The perceived benefits of holding public office have
actually made elections an investment. The absence of a National Value
System is also a major contributor. This is something the Vision 2030
Secretariat had embarked on which never took off, i hope the
Secretariat representatives on the list can respond to the same.
The Kenyan election in many ways came after the US election and
BREXIT. I am sure advisors to numerous candidates borrowed a leaf from
our developed brothers the North. That said we should also be
cognizant of the after effects of Fake news in the US election and
BREXIT and be ready to deal with the same. We can already see the
challenges the United States and the United Kingdom are  dealing with
which are in a way related to methodologies employed during the
election. I am not an expert in this area and would look forwad to
insights from listers who understand the modus operandi of the likes
of Cambridge Analytica.

(b) What is the role of different categories of users in combating Fake News?

I have listened to a number of observers and read their reports on the
just concluded election. It is evident we need to Invest in serious
Civic Education going by the numbers of the spoilt ballot papers. In
the same vein users have to be educated on responsible use of the
Internet and Social Media. It is important for all actors involved in
ICT for Developement Initiatives to take this matter seriously since
TRUST is key to future developement and expansion of the Internet.
Once the masses or citizens develop a notion that the Internet is a
Propaganda tool we will loose the gains made in adoption and spread of
the Internet. Actors like Face book have tried to come up with
interventions fro encouraging users to verify information before
sharing in addition to reporting those spreading Fake news , we need
to step up the effort.
I am yet to hear from Google on the same.


(c) Have Kenyans given up or are there good practices in combating Fake News?

I think Wanainchi are lost. This is why the ICT Community has to rise
up to the occasion and stem possible disenfranchisement that might
result from perceptions that the Internet is a source of Fake News. We
should be cognisant to the damages that might result from loss of
trust as i stated in my earlier Intervention


(d) Is Fake News a manifestation of deeper societal issues and if so,
are there ways of combating it other than resolving the societal
issues?

My humble opinion is that Fake News is a manifestation of deeper
Societal Issues. This is why i am calling upon the vision 2030
Secretariat to revisit the subject of a National Value System. NCIC
must also rise up to the occasion , it goes without saying that the
society is not reading from the same script. The Internet and ICTS are
mere tool and it takes citizens engaging each other  to fix or resolve
the problems we are facing. This is a call to NCIC and Vision 2030 to
take stock of the gains we have made and how we have regressed and
lead the Nation on a path of unification and developement.

(e) We have Bloggers who are seen as influencers. Do they have a
higher duty when communicating?

Bloggers have a higher duty when communicating. However it is worth
noting that fake news sells and spreads faster. I would also like to
point out that with the spread and advancement of technology, everyone
has become a blogger and a journalist. In the absence of a National
value system,  anything goes. Journalists have a code of conduct,
internet users can only be encouraged to follow a value system.

Ni hayo tu kwa sasa



On 8/16/17, kanini mutemi via kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
> Good morning Listers,
>
> Let me start of by thanking NCIC for their willingness to engage on this
> issue. We look forward to a a great discussion and pragmatic proposals.
>
> We had a discussion on this during the PRE KIGF ONLINE DISCUSSION DAY 2-
> FAKE NEWS DURING ELECTIONEERING.
> <https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxmvjvsBlX3dUmVfS3IyaTdkZ0U/view>
> I will say at that time, the impact of Fake News was not apparent. Times
> have since changed as we have now witnessed numerous 'Fake News' posts
> which go viral within minutes. Following the election results, posts on
> alleged instances of violence and of government action in parts of the
> country have dominated social media platforms. On several occasions,
> government officials, media houses and diligent citizens have come forward
> to denounce these posts as 'Fake News'. Photos that were first presented as
> true accounts of the situation on the ground were later discovered to be
> old photos of past events. At the same time, there have been instances
> where posts were quickly dismissed as 'Fake News' even when there was
> evidence later on that they were indeed factual reports. There is therefore
> a need for us to navigate through this issue carefully.
>
> Just for the record, it was agreed previously that the definition we are
> working with is Fake News refers to disinformation which GG aptly put
> as: *fabricated
> news that has no basis in fact, but is presented as being factually
> accurate. *
>
> With this in mind, I invite you to engage on the questions below:
>
>
>
>
> *(a) Why is there an increase in the prevalence of Fake News recently?*
>
>
>
> *(b) What is the role of different categories of users in combating Fake
> News?*
>
>
>
> *(c) Have Kenyans given up or are there good practices in combating Fake
> News?*
>
>
> *(d) Is Fake News a manifestation of deeper societal issues and if so, are
> there ways of combating it other than resolving the societal issues?*
>
> *(e) We have Bloggers who are seen as influencers. Do they have a higher
> duty when communicating?*
>
>
> --
> *Mercy Mutemi*.
>


-- 
Barrack O. Otieno
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+254733206359
Skype: barrack.otieno
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