“Robust information sources cannot win in the game of visibility if they do not have the mastery of the platform.” For example, she explained that creators of biased or misleading content can still categorize their posts as ‘news’ to appear alongside other legitimate media sources, essentially guaranteeing their exposure to the audience. “Constructing online discourse is not a matter of availability but of visibility,” explained Fatima Gaw, assistant professor at the University of the Philippines’ Department of Communication Research, in an interview with Asian Scientist Magazine. As such, sites that contain the relevant key phrases and receive the most clicks end up topping search rankings, potentially obscuring more reliable and robust sources. For example, Google’s results are anchored on search engine optimization techniques. Charibeth Cheng, associate dean of the College of Computer Studies at De La Salle University in the Philippines, told Asian Scientist Magazine. This traps users in a bubble-an echo chamber-shielded from potentially opposing views.Įven users wishing to verify the information they encounter may find it difficult to look for the answers they need amid the deluge of online information, Dr. Meanwhile, a large burst of tweets containing key phrases can catapult a topic to the trending list.Īs people within the same network are likely to have similar perspectives, recommendation algorithms arrange content to match those perceived preferences. Platforms reward engagement: more likes and shares increase the likelihood that a post appears in users’ feeds. They have also furthered political agendas such as national elections and human rights violations including fabricated criminal charges.īut their success, in part, is enabled by the social media infrastructure itself. In the Philippines, for example, such tactics have influenced public health issues like vaccine hesitancy. The messages are then disseminated and amplified by legions of bot accounts, paid trolls and rising influencers. Masterminds behind these networks construct targeted and consistent messaging that would appeal to certain audiences. Networks of misinformation and disinformation have altered the online media landscape, wielding the power to shape public perception. Facebook, for example, has partnered with third-party fact-checkers and previously removed hundreds of ‘malicious’ fake accounts linked to a Philippine political party.Īlthough big tech has begun to intervene, researchers who are studying this messy misinformation landscape can’t help but ask: Are tech giants doing enough, and can they be held accountable? In response, these platforms have deployed mechanisms to counteract misinformation-from enlisting content moderators to artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Social media is plagued by an expanding information disorder, perpetuated by the platforms’ own algorithms and rules for success. At the same time, media institutions have to fight alternate narratives, half-truths and outright fabricated content. But in today’s saturated landscape where information travels fast, speed has emerged as the primary tactic to beat out the competition and build engagement. 31, 2022) - When social networking platforms entered the media ecosystem, incisive headlines and striking visuals became key elements for virality.

Web of lies exposed captain obvious