Journalism prepares to face electoral disinformation in Argentina

On Wednesday, July 3rd, Proyecto Desconfío convened a panel of specialists in Buenos Aires to study the impact of disinformation on the electoral scene in Argentina.

Panelists came from Chequeado, La Nación, ABC of Spain and Proyecto Desconfio, a group dedicated to training journalists in the use of digital tools to curb misinformation in Latin America. The event was moderated by Soledad Arreguez, a researcher from the University of Concepcion del Uruguay (UCU) and a member of Datos Concepción.

Forms of disinformation

During the panel, Desconfío shared a list of some forms of disinformation, including:

The information is not always totally false; in general, the real information is mixed with false.

The most frequent way to misinform is by modifying the date or place of the event.

A lack of context is one of the most frequent methods used in systems like WhatsApp. Usually, there is no source or origin of the shared information.

The emotional component is a basic element in many disinformation campaigns. They play with the emotions of the users to tempt them to share the information as it happens, such as with kidnappings, disappearances or accidents.

The use of technology to modify images and videos is increasing. Deep fakes, a technique to modify the face of a speaker and replace it with that of some known figure, already exists. (More info at www.desconfio.org)

The fight against fakes

Chequeado, La Nación, Proyecto Desconfío and ABC shared examples of actions that are being taken by journalists to put a stop to the phenomenon. The panelists agreed on the need to establish broad alliances among various organizations, as is happening in several countries that have had electoral processes. The emblematic case of #Verificado in Mexico with more than 60 organizations working together to curb electoral misinformation, has inspired similar alliances in other countries, as is currently the case in Bolivia and Argentina.

The robot designed by the Datos Concepcion team, which guides users in the analysis of a news story to know if it is a real news or a case of fake news, also caused much interest. The chatbot is available in this LINK (it is necessary to be logged in Messsenger to test it) and combines an entertaining and didactic experience that helps to reflect on the information that we frequently share in our networks. (More in this post.)

Of course, social media was at the center of the discussion. There is no doubt that the easy way with which content is generated and propagated through social platforms is an important part of the problem that allows information environments to be flooded with false information. In this line, it is interesting to closely follow the actions carried out by theProject Desconfío, which has decided to expand the battle framework beyond journalism.

Together with education specialists, they are building the first interactive materials to bring the misinformation issue to the classroom and strengthen digital skills that train future generations in the use of digital tools, and cognitive strategies to curb the scourge of misinformation.

The panelists

One panelist was David Alandete, a journalist based in Washington as a correspondent for the newspaper ABC of Spain, and an expert in the disinformation campaigns that revolved around Brexit. Alandete said “the scale that the disinformation factories have taken on a global level means that we must look with great attention at the Russian intervention in the electoral processes of Latin America.”

In this line, Adrián Pino, from the Mistrust Project, added that “the impact of false information and smear campaigns in the election of Brazil 2018 compels journalists and researchers to put the magnifying glass on WhatsApp as an ideal support to filter the damn fake news. “

The journalist Matías Di Santi represented Chequeado, the fact-checking team in Argentina that leads the “Reverso” media alliance. For Di Santi, “journalists must train quickly in understanding this new world to be alert and prevent disinformation from spreading unchecked in the electoral processes.”

Brenda Struminger from the newspaper La Nación was also interested in how traditional media are involved in the issue today, dedicating resources and time of their journalists to understand the dynamics of false news and publish contents that warn the users and readers about the forms that this phenomenon adopts in election times.

The campaign in the crosshairs

The focus of the panel was on electoral campaigns. From the troll factories to the use of bots in order to automate the propagation of misinformation, the new dark moves of the policy were the order of the day. Just as political parties invest millions in the positioning of their candidates in social networks and digital channels, it is also true that an important mass of political resources is called to manage the disinformation and the discrediting of the circumstantial adversaries.

The problem is here to stay. And as we’ve already seen the first glimpses of the new forms of a “dirty campaign.” The Argentinean presidential election is expected to be a stage to see more of these new “rules” in electoral contests.

Having journalists trained in the subject and nurturing audiences with greater skills and criteria to curb misinformation becomes an imperative, no longer limited to electoral processes, but a challenge of democratic consolidation itself.