大象传媒

In the last few months, I did a lot of research on the concept of a 鈥榩ost-truth era鈥� for the upcoming . Many mark the 鈥減ost-truth era鈥� as being characterized by  I came across many articles that explore the decline of trust in facts and the manipulation of information in US politics. But this phenomenon goes way beyond politics and extends far beyond American borders; just think about anti-vaccine campaigns and the denial of climate change, for instance. Though this topic might seem relatively new, it was discussed in popular literature decades before the term 鈥減ost-truth鈥� was ever coined. Can you guess which book I am referring to?

If you guessed George Orwell鈥檚 novel 1984, you鈥檙e right. Even though it is a fictional text, 1984 predicts some of the major concerns of the 21st century including the manipulation of truth, the rise of totalitarianism, and the surveillance state. The story鈥檚 protagonist, Winston, is a records clerk in the Ministry of Truth. Winston鈥檚 job is to literally re-write history; historical documents, newspaper articles and photographs are manipulated so that they are consistent with the party line. He must 鈥渞ectify original figures by making them agree with the later ones鈥� so that financial forecasts were 鈥榗orrect鈥� and citizens establish positive feelings toward Big Brother.

Someone re-writing history or altering the truth is not as fictional as it might seem, and new technology has enabled all kinds of tools that can be used to manipulate the way we perceive reality. For example, programs based on such technology are able to doctor videos and audio so that you can  This kind of widespread mutability of evidence is reinforced in the novel when Winston says that a 鈥減hotograph might not even be evidence鈥� as he knows first-hand that records can be altered. But more than just physically altering documents, technology has enabled a new kind of manipulation, where algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to reinforce or someone鈥檚 beliefs through 鈥渆cho chambers鈥� or 鈥渇ilter bubbles.鈥�

So does all that mean we can鈥檛 trust anything now? I would not say so. Sure, misinformation is a problem because manipulated data and documents are all over the internet... but so are credible sources and news outlets. We can distinguish these two by doing research, about both the information and about the context and bias of a source. It might be challenging and take some extra time, but it can also make you feel confident that you have not been fooled. Before you worry, keep the following in mind: news is like food - you need it, but if it smells weird, you should check before consuming.  

I would also like to share this thought with you: just because something is not true, it is not automatically 鈥溾�� We have to be careful when using such loaded and politicized words. For instance, modified or even invented stories are vital to satire, which often critically reflects on politics and, more generally, the news. Additionally, even the most skilled journalists make mistakes, as we all do sometimes.

So, should we be worried about misinformation and the post-truth era? Absolutely. Is it out of our control? No. We have the power to find the truth, we just need to exercise it.

Finally, I would like to draw your attention to our Community Summit mentioned above. There will be several events on Confronting the Disinformation Age including lectures, workshops, and more. Stay tuned and check out our website for more details.