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

Wed Aug 16 12:13:26 EAT 2017

Dear Listers,

We live in an age unprecedented information and different parties will want
to to sway opinions. Fake news provides fertile ground for anyone who wants
to take control of conversations.

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

One can judge how their audience will receive a specific piece of
information in any circumstance so fake news becomes a tool that can be
used to manipulate audiences, why wait for events to report on when you can
create your own news?

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

All categories of users have one role calling our fake news, otherwise if
we can't tell the difference between fake or real news then all news will
very soon become irrelevant. All stakeholders must ensure the truth is
upheld in all circumstances.

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

There is a large group of Kenyans who cannot tell real from fake news, some
of us may spot it really fast or even research to verify, in the interest
of those who easily fall victim there must be a concerted effort to flag
perpetrators of 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?

We may be unable to resolve the societal issues as these evolve from day to
day, the last line of defense for what is right is protecting the truth, we
all thought increased access to information would solve societal problems
however we  have also created an abyss of disinformation and we must work
to correct this.

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

Influencers surely do have a higher duty however other technical
stakeholders must work overtime to protect the integrity of news for
example pulling down fake websites that purport to be legitimate news
sites.

We must work really hard to protect the integrity of information mediums
and combating fake news must be made a priority.

Kind regards,

Rosemary Koech-Kimwatu

On Wed, Aug 16, 2017 at 10:02 AM, 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*.
>
>
>
>
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>

-- 
Rosemary Koech-Kimwatu
Advocate
Head of Legal and Regulatory Affairs-Wayawaya
Tel: +254 718 181644
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