Today's world of media and the world of journalism, if we compare it with the beginning of the millennium, has undergone quite a revolution. It happens that journalistic integrity and professional ethics are lost in the mass of “content” that can be produced today by virtually anyone - without professional preparation. On the one hand, the democratization of the Internet and the media has allowed us to face the mainstream narrative on our own, and on the other hand, this creates the danger of hitting the so-called fake news. It is hard to deny that anyone can be a creator today - it happens that thanks to this we can create a social movement or publicize a socially important issue in the media, which well-known newspapers, television stations or online platforms are reluctant to discuss. Unmistakable recollections of earlier democratization have translated into the fact that the “ordinary gray man” can talk about matters important to him without the mediation of a professional media company - if he gains adequate coverage and recognition from the crowd, there is a chance that his problem will be publicized and maybe even solved. Unfortunately, the verification of information coming from the Internet can be unreliable, and in times when we lack authority in the journalistic area, we can easily become victims of misinformation. However, in order not to create a picture of the situation without a way out, it is worth presenting such an organization and journalists who allow to better understand the media mechanisms and facilitate the verification of information by separating facts from misinterpretations.
Not only informational chaos, but also conceptual: what do we need to know in order not to give in to manipulation?
What can give us a sense of security and help us find ourselves in a world full of information is above all awareness and understanding of key concepts such as: Disinformation, Fake News or Conspiracy Theory. All of these — like several other phenomena — may or may not serve to deliberately manipulate the recipient. Sometimes they are created intentionally, and sometimes they are disseminated without such intention. However, regardless of intentions, they can be dangerous to us. And I don't think any of us would want the world of daily news to become an incessant April Fool's Day, right?
In the previous article, we created a small dictionary that helps distinguish key concepts:
Disinformation false or manipulative information that is deliberately disseminated in order to mislead the public, to achieve political, social or economic benefits or to produce a specific social effect.
Fake news — content styled as journalistic material, containing false or fabricated information, disseminated to manipulate audiences or generate reach and profits.
Conspiracy theory — a way of explaining social or political events that presupposes the existence of a secret action of an influential group, while lacking sufficient empirical evidence to support such actions; its dissemination does not have to be of a deliberate nature, since those who reproduce it often consider it to be a true interpretation of reality.
Deepfake Synthetic audio, video or images generated using artificial intelligence (most often deep learning techniques) that realistically mimic the look or voice of real people.
Misinformation — false or inaccurate information disseminated without intent to mislead, most often as a result of ignorance, misinterpretation or belief in the veracity of the content transmitted.
Although the distinction between these concepts is extremely important, it is worth remembering that the mere fact of the emergence and spread of, for example, fake news does not mean that we are dealing with full-scale disinformation. This phenomenon does not result from a single incident, but from the operation of a whole system that favors the lack of transparency and the production and dissemination of false content.
This mechanism can be strengthened at different levels: from the lack of journalistic integrity and ethics, to the logic of profits and coverage in the media houses, to the insufficient number of fact-checking institutions and insufficient legal regulation. About that, however, in a moment.
Where do we get knowledge?
According to reports Critical Mind — The problem of fake news in Poland from 2019, carried out by the Demagog Association, and Disinformation through the eyes of Poles. Edition 2024 published by the Digital Polska Foundation, most Poles still cite television as their main source of information. Although in some social groups, traditional television is giving way to social media, it is worth remembering that Poland is an aging society, in which classical television still remains an extremely important medium.
In the report of the Digital Polska Foundation from 2024 64% of Poles indicated television as a source of information and in a 2019 Demagogue study to the question “From which sources do you most often draw information on a daily basis?” 84% of respondents answered TV. In second place in both reports was social media (39% in The Critical Mind) and Internet portals (58% in Disinformation through the eyes of Poles. Edition 2024).
It is worth noting the decline in the importance of sources such as the press or blogs — as highlighted in the report Disinformation through the eyes of Poles. Edition 2024:
- Press — decrease from 40% to 33%
- Blogs/online forums — decrease from 30% to 26%
- Wikipedia — Decrease from 26% to 21%
- Emails — down from 14% to 11%
They are fighting for better information for us
In Poland, fact-checking organizations have been operating for many years, which verify information on the basis of sources, marking it as true or false, respectively. The oldest of them is Demagog Association, which publishes on its website a description of the process of verifying the message along with the “verdict”. The Association also publishes research reports and organizes media and educational campaigns aimed at increasing the audience's attention to information sources and warning against media manipulation. Recently, Demagog has expanded its business by opening a portal Objects.org.pl – magazine combining investigative journalism, in-depth data analysis, OSINT and research work.
Another tool available is a quiz created by ImportedPrawy.org.pl, which allows you to test your knowledge about fake news and get acquainted with educational materials (quiz). Among the institutional partners of fact-checking events is also the Watchdog Polska Civic Network, which was a partner of the conference “10 years of fact-checking in Poland” organized by Demagog. Research on disinformation is also carried out by an NGO NASK — Scientific and Academic Computer Network.
TUTORIAL: How to verify the news and not get lost in the media?
1. Don't believe every piece of information you see in the media It is not about constantly panicking or questioning every word, but about vigilance, mindfulness and critical thinking. Ask yourself questions like:
- “Why was it presented in this way?”
- “Where else can I check it?”
- “Is this really confirmed information?”
At a time when the media often scares us with war or disasters, it is easy to miss important information when we are overwhelmed by causing fear. On the other hand, excessive exposure to “light” content can be distracting and lull alertness.
2. Check the sources Use reliable sources: fact-checking organizations, government websites, official websites of institutions, research centers or other public bodies.
3. Do not share if you are unsure of the information Spreading insecure news is one of the easiest ways to unknowingly spread fake news.
4. Educate others, culturally and without exalting yourself If you see someone unknowingly sharing unverified information, point the way to reliable sources. Calmly translate how to verify information yourself.
summary
In an age of information overload, it is easy to become a victim of misinformation. In Poland, as many as 91% of people agree with at least one false information — it can be seen that media education and the ability to verify news are crucial today. Thanks to fact-checking organizations, reliable sources and conceptual awareness, we can protect ourselves from manipulation and consciously choose the information that really serves us.
3.https://www.nask.pl/weryfikuje
4.https://waznesprawy.org/fakenewsy/
6.https://siecobywatelska.pl/10-lat-fact-checkingu-w-polsce/
7.https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/magazyn-obiektyw/posts/
10.https://www.linkedin.com/company/pravda-org/posts/?feedView=all
11 https://www.lbm.uw.edu.pl/images/Dezinformacja_oczami_Polakw_edycja_2024.pdf
12.https://krytycznyumysl.pl/raport_krytyczny_umysl.pdf
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