Disinformation in the Public Media in the Internet Society

Dear Colleagues,

The newsroom is no longer as it used to be. Disinformation has become a growing problem that affects the way individuals interpret daily developments. Today, fact-checking tasks are indispensable in a journalist’s work routine. Nevertheless, the amount of false information circulating in the media and the social networks has made the fight against disinformation a major issue to deal with. The internet and social media platforms have become “weaponized” to purposefully confuse, agitate and divide civil society. The massive spread of false information through social networks like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter among others develop new formats where disinformation takes place. When people do not have access to proper and reliable information, the principles of democracy become endangered. This concern is most notably transferred to the communication and press offices, institutions, regional and local media, and entities. Furthermore, the production of content in an environment of disinformation is becoming more and more sophisticated due to technological advances such as deepfakes or Artificial Intelligence developed images that are very difficult to distinguish from the real ones. Likewise, AI such as Chat-GPT and similar, enables new automated disinformation formulas with a personalized reach that are highly persistent and scalable. The level of media literacy needed to manage not only the tools but also the results of these fact-checking tools and platforms is increasing day after day. Public service media (PSM) are called upon to lead and monitor the right to truthful information, not only because it is a public service but also due to the importance that truth has as a public value, as well as the training of journalists and society in fact-checking. The European Union is monitoring these developments and regularly publishing studies and recommendations to advise member states and civil society on how to ensure the protection of human rights, enhance Internet governance, and develop collaboration with the business sector. Disinformation in the public media and the Internet society is a complex issue that requires a multi-faceted approach to address.

Prof. Dr. José Rúas Araujo
Dr. Talia Rodríguez-Martelo
Dr. Isaac Maroto-González
Guest Editors

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• disinformation
• internet
• public service media
• tv
• fact-checking
• public value