“FAKE NEWS” – Killing People’s Mind
This is something I’ve been following since the year started, it’s a topic that has made it to the top charts in the western world, as we all know it all start to creeps from there slowly comes into Africa. It’s not generally a new thing but we all love trends, we love to be victims of Technology slavery and trends. So let’s get to understand what this fake news is first, according to the great Wiki:
Fake news websites (also referred to as hoax news[1][2]) deliberately publish hoaxes, propaganda, and disinformation purporting to be real news — often using social media to drive web traffic and amplify their effect.
Fake news is like a computer worm the moment it lands on the social media, we all don’t know the authors but we know the carriers and these carriers damn! they got speed, FTP transfer rate in Gigahertz, as in they even don’t take a moment to read the news, first topic and whoo bam! it’s already shared and screen shotted.
Back to Africa, we love our continent just to be proud! but we are also good in creating and spreading the fake news, For example early this year, we had Google ban a fake news Trend on President Buhari’s Death!. WTF would spread this kind of news ? just to say you weren’t even there, as you can see it already created a mayhem in my head and I’m the author, I know it’s fake, what of those who read and don’t know ?? Apparently, claims state that the anonymous group that started the rumors was revealed by the AIT. And guess what? google did ban over 200 publishers from its site due to this kind rumors.
Kenya also with the Political season boiling up, it’s prone to fall for the fake news culture, with its #KOT mayhem gang, this is going to be a hot bet for fake news and this needs to be curbed so quick but who knows? will they manage the Swahili and native fake tweets and news ? just to ask.
Another favorite thing that trended in African soil and still sub-trends is the President Mugabe Quotes. Damn this was a banger just to say I love them, though, you barely even know the real President Mugabe Quotes now.
In November 2015, Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times correspondent in Kenya, found himself in an awkward position after falling prey to the fake Mugabe quotes.
The Times had to correct a story on Kenyan corruption that had initially carried fictitious comments about MR Mugabe chiding Kenyans’ inherent tendency to steal.
The Distinction between fake and real is tough unlike how humans say, “in times of trouble you get to know your real friends” this case doesn’t apply to fake and real news, where there is darkness there is always light. And for News where people are in anticipation and anxiety that’s when the fake news is rolled out my friend! you will witness what you haven’t seen.
Since this is a social problem, it all spreads on the waves of technology, and the founding mothers of social media have been up and down trying to unlink this kind of news from the society before the expansion of rumor waves. the google traffic late last year had a spike on the search of “fake news”. Practically this is one topic that will disturb the society for a long time creating all kind of impacts.
Facebook has been on the forefront trying to curb this fake news as it now flags down the news with the assistance of third parties since its one of the favorite platforms to do this kind of job, we appreciate the effort but will it really manage this trend ? is it really manageable? The Western society had even their President brand Media houses as a source of fake news President Donald Trump describing both The New York Times and CNN as “fake news.”
With tools such as AfricaCheck, I hope we will be able to curb and minimize the spread of fake news on African Soil. Not Only Technology should be a fact checker but also us, We all fall victims, And we should read all the news With great and critical thoughts not just falling for what has been Done and Said.
Featured Image : Freepik
