Fake news in pandemic times: How Europe is fighting the swelling tide of misinformation
While certainly not a new phenomenon, fake news is a problem that’s only become more serious in recent years.
Almost three-quarters of Europeans are now concerned about online disinformation and 83% of us feel it’s a threat to Europe’s democratic values. And not without reason. Researchers found that fake news spreads six times faster than real news on social networks like Twitter.
In light of this alarming development, Europe has begun to implement measures to protect its citizens and build their resilience against fake news. One of the key measures has focused on boosting European media literacy, a policy trend in which the creative and cultural sector (CCS) plays a key role.
“Fake news spreads six times faster than real news on social networks like Twitter.”
Disinformation peaks in 2020
Verifiably false or misleading information created and shared to intentionally deceive the public has existed for a long time. But two concurrent conditions have turbo-charged the phenomenon this year: the heightened consumption of news via digital platforms and of course, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The UN has gone as far as to call the combined issue a parallel infodemic, warning that “fake news spreads faster and more easily than this virus, and is equally as dangerous”.
It’s no surprise that disinformation has thrived on digital and social media platforms: in a democratised news ecosystem, fake news enjoys equal standing with—and regularly crowds out—legitimate news and information sources. With more and more news being created, shared and consumed online, this is a serious issue.
To make matters worse, the pandemic has increased our susceptibility to fake news, as many of us have been feeling anxious and uncertain about the future. The real news itself is very grim and all that “doomscrolling” has taken a toll on our mental health, making us more likely to believe extreme or normally unbelievable fake news items.
Additionally, due to the sometimes conflicting advice put out by governments that are awkwardly navigating a novel disease (e.g. the about-turn on advice around face masks), we’ve also become increasingly distrustful of what is or isn’t real information.
In short, 2020 has given rise to the perfect storm of conditions for disinformation to thrive. And Europeans are feeling the consequences.
The real impact of fake news
We know that the spread of fake news can slowly but surely chip away at the very foundations of society: it’s a threat to democracy, it erodes trust in institutions and the media, and it can undermine the legitimacy of electoral systems.
Falling prey to disinformation can also have more immediate and even deadly effects. For example, one public health study found that the rumour about drinking alcohol to disinfect the body and eliminate the virus ended up killing 800 people and hospitalising 5,876.
Fake news is likewise fuel to the fire of racial tensions. In Italy, a prominent politician was very quick to link COVID-19’s spread to Italy’s acceptance of migrants and refugees, a claim that was, and remains, completely unfounded.
Europe fights back
The European Commission is well aware of the severity of the situation. Since 2015, it has rallied stakeholders to implement substantive measures to protect European citizens against disinformation.
Perhaps the biggest step forward was made just two years ago with the Code of Practice on Disinformation, and follow-up Action Plan. The most popular social media platforms were asked to voluntarily comply with a comprehensive set of anti-disinformation standards, and many did so, with TikTok most recently joining up in June.
Also this June, the European Commission set up the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO), which brings together fact-checkers, media literacy experts and researchers with the specific aim of tackling disinformation in Europe.
“Fake news is fuel to the fire of racial tensions. ”
Empowering Europeans to deal with fake news
Putting stricter fact-checking controls on digital platforms and asking them to comply with anti-disinformation measures is all well and good. But another equally important aspect in the fight against fake news is helping people protect themselves by equipping them with the knowledge and skills to recognise and reject fake news.
We’re of course talking about media literacy, a set of critical skills and competences that help the public to recognize how the media filter their perceptions and beliefs, shape popular culture and influence personal choices.
Media literacy has been shown to be an important—if not the most important—factor in recognising misinformation online, making it all the more urgent to educate European citizens in this critical skill.
The CCS has already taken the lead, implementing programmes aimed at boosting the public’s level of media literacy. Projects are also in the works to improve fact-checking systems and to strengthen collaboration across media literacy communities within the EU.
What’s next?
Europe is ramping up its efforts in dealing with fake news on a number of fronts. It’s increasingly holding social media networks to account, while also pouring funding into media and digital literacy projects, as well as research that will result in more effective fact-checking practices.
The Commission also recently announced the launch of a new media literacy programme under the 2021-27 Creative Europe - MEDIA programme, which will enjoy a significantly larger budget compared to its predecessor. At the same time, the new Erasmus+ programme is continuing the fight against fake news by educating young people.
On the research side, the EDMO has been granted a further €9 million in funding through the Connecting Europe Facility to create national and multinational digital media research hubs across Europe that will focus on emerging digital media vulnerabilities regarding the spread of fake news in Europe.
As CCS professionals and European citizens, we share in the responsibility to protect our societies from the ever increasing flood of fake news and disinformation.
TrueMotion has joined the effort to boost media literacy with organisations like The National Library of the Netherlands and Are We Europe that give youth a stronger voice in the European media environment and help them use social media more safely and responsibly.
With Europe’s core values and democratic systems under threat, these measures, and more, cannot be implemented soon enough.
Arne van Vliet is the Creative Director of TrueMotion. He’s passionate about the creative arts and specialises in finding funding for innovative creative projects that are reshaping the arts landscape in Europe.