TOBY SHAPSHAK: Facing the facts about fake news
Revelations about how Russian propaganda used Facebook against America are worrying
Winning hearts and minds is one of those bizarre terms that was popularised during the Vietnam war. Originally used by a French general in then Indochina in 1895, it characterises propaganda designed to convince a local population that the menacing outside military force in their country is on their side. How deeply and profoundly ironic it is then that the greatest propaganda campaign of the modern age appears to have been run in the US, against Americans, using the social media that has come to dominate the world. Facebook will tell a senate hearing into the role of Russian propaganda during last year’s US election that 126m Americans were exposed to Russian-backed content.Fake news, and Facebook’s inability to do anything meaningful about it, is destroying our online democracy by spreading misinformation. It doesn’t help that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg immediately called the unfolding revelations that fake news might have propelled Donald Trump into the Oval Office "crazy". Wha...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.