Systematic campaign to silence, intimidate

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EDITORIAL
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February 3, 2018
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HOW do we combat fake news?

As responsible media users (social or traditional), people are expected to always validate the authenticity of the information they get, much more if the information is published and shared by people with malicious intentions and shadowy accounts.

In a hearing conducted by the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media on Jan. 30, one resource person warned against the rise of the so-called “patriotic trolling” – a state-sponsored online hate and harassment campaign to silence and intimidate. These fake news stories are being encouraged in an attempt to silence dissent and to intentionally defame the reputation of people critical of the administration, thus making the reputation of critics questionable.

The last time we checked, we’re still a democracy. Can’t one openly express his or her societal and political beliefs without being subjected to harassment?

Administration critics are being systematically victimized and demonized by fake news peddlers across social media platforms. Veteran journalist Maria Ressa bared three deliberate steps on how these sinister groups operate their evil ploy.

In the context of Sen. Leila de Lima’s case, for example, the first move is by attacking the credibility of the target. You allege corruption. And then you repeat that exponentially. Because if you say a lie 10 times, truth can catch up. But if you say a lie a million times, that becomes the truth.

This step is followed by using sexual violence as a weapon which enflames biases, fuels misogyny, and then degrades the target as a sexual object, according to Ressa.

And finally, she shared, “the last step before taking it into the real world—because there have been four waves of these types of attacks, #ArrestLeiladeLima.”

People should be more vigilant against the official purveyors of fake news across social media platforms, especially those who target critics of the present administration. The public should not allow the cowards who hide behind fake accounts and paid trolls to stop people of goodwill from speaking their minds in pursuit of truth, justice and the rule of law.
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