Snakes and trolls

In my previous column I mentioned the importance of preserving the vitality of communication by talking with a filter that appeals to our collective sense of decency. That while we can be outspoken, we should thwart any temptation to spread lies and misinformation.

Somehow it missed me that the Pope has already spoken out on the issue of fake news early this year, following the perpetuation of fake news in recent years in the political arena. Pope Francis called fake news satanic, as he urged journalists and social media users to shun and unmask “manipulative snake tactics” that “foment division to serve political and economic interests.”

In a report by Reuters, they quoted Pope Francis who said in a document which was issued in advance of last summer’s World Day of Social Communications: “Fake news is a sign of intolerant and hypersensitive attitudes, and leads only to the spread of arrogance and hatred. That is the end result of untruth.”

“This false but believable news is ‘captious’, inasmuch as it grasps people’s attention by appealing to stereotypes and common social prejudices and exploiting instantaneous emotions like anxiety, contempt, anger and frustration,” the Pope said.

False stories, he said, “spread so quickly that even authoritative denials often could not contain the damage done and many people run the risk of becoming unwilling accomplices in spreading biased and baseless ideas.”

In this regard, “education for truth” would help people discern, evaluate and understand news in order to recognize the “sly and dangerous form of seduction that worms its way into the heart with false and alluring arguments.” The Pope reminded us of the first fake news in the history of humankind – the Bible story of the devil in a serpent form persuading Eve to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree.

Pope Francis said journalism should be “less concentrated on breaking news than on exploring the underlying causes of conflicts ...a journalism committed to pointing out alternatives to the escalation of shouting matches and verbal violence.”

“We need to unmask what could be called the ‘snake-tactics’ used by those (purveyors of fake news) who disguise themselves in order to strike at any time and place,” the Pope said.

As a communication major in college, I learned that the most important component of communication is accountability. I strongly—and I mean strongly—believe that there can be no real and meaningful freedom of expression without accountability.

When it was my turn to teach in college, I always remind my students that before they speak up, they must be willing to stand up and be held accountable for what they say. Those who the Pope says “disguise themselves in order to strike at any time and place”—those who hide behind the cloak of anonymity in order to spew vitriol and say whatever they like—should have no place in a conversation.

In journalism we were taught that unnamed sources should never be heard at all except in very strict circumstances. Anonymous yet credible sources may be tolerated on a few and certain strict occasions only when it comes to news or information. But when it comes to opinion, none should be heard from an unidentified source. If you have an opinion, stand up and be identified.

I’m not suggesting that we should outlaw anonymous speech. Far from it. The least trusted institution to deal with limitations of freedom of speech is the government. That is the reason why freedom of speech is there on top of the basic rights enshrined in our Constitution beyond the interference of executive issuances and ordinary legislation.

Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. “It reinforces all other human rights, allowing society to develop and progress.”

But if we value freedom of speech or of expression, we must realize that it carries with it certain responsibilities. There’s a reason why it takes at least 18 years to become an adult. So when it comes to our speech, we must act like one; treat others the way we want them to treat us.

We must be willing to be held accountable, and must strive to identify and block the snakes spreading disinformation and the trolls spewing vitriol across our new communication platforms.