Malou Apalisok
Much has been said about fake news and ways to spot and debunk them that I thought mainstream media, online news reporters and editors would be familiar with the telltale signs of hoaxes and deliberate misinformation. Apparently not, as the case of a credentialed columnist who lifted an article from a fake website would indicate.
Manila Times columnist Yen Makabenta’s piece on US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley’s supposed defense of President Rodrigo Duterte’s foreign policy and human rights record went viral, but its provenance turned out to be dubious.
This, after Jamela Aisha Alindogan, PH correspondent of the Qatar-based news site, declared on social media that aljazeeranews-tv.com is a fake website. The imitation Al Jazeera is where Makabenta sourced the article, “US Ambassador Nikki: We must give President Duterte the space to run is nation.” The article extensively quoted the US envoy as supportive of President Duterte’s leadership style.
A cross checking of the statements made by the American envoy during her confirmation hearings revealed that she agreed that state “sanctioned extrajudicial killings” violate basic human rights. Rappler also carried a report saying the official website of the US Mission to the UN where transcripts of the speeches of the US Ambassador are regularly posted show no record of Haley making such remarks to the UN General Assembly.
Mr. Makabenta has since become fair game for those who think he deliberately used the article to push a specific agenda, but as an opinion writer who also commits lapses at one time or the other, I would like to give him the benefit of the doubt.
First of all, the Doha-based Al Jazeera news network owned by the Qatari government has been a favorite target of hackers and distributors of fake news. As one of the largest and most extensive news networks in the world especially in the Middle East, Al Jazeera is a formidable influencer of opinion. As such, imitation Al Jazeeras can be a potent platform to carry out false information to sow intrigues.
In July this year, a fake Al Jazeera website reported that Saudi Arabia bribed several Russian media outlets not to publish negative stories about the Arab Kingdom, a claim allegedly made by Qatar’s ambassador to Russia. The article was viewed as an attempt to drive a wedge between Qatar and Russia, with Saudi Arabia benefiting from the outcome of strained relations. It is said the story in the fake Al Jazeera website was so convincing, except that legitimate media organizations immediately spotted the fakery in the odd letter Z in the network logo, telltale signs of fraud.
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Pressured by the spread of false news and fabricated content on social media, Facebook tasked third-party fact-checkers to vet fake news. Once verified, the graphics, “disputed content” is pasted over the fake article. I understand this was rolled out in March this year, but I’m not sure if this is being used in the Philippines where mainstream media and even those with digital platforms have come out strongly against fake news.
Fake news and online scams belong to the same category because they fool the public. Online scams have robbed people of their hard-earned money, but I don’t hear of any systematic monitoring to prevent this criminal activity.
The webnames.ca.blog recommends some practical tips on how to spot fake news and online scams.
Fake websites usually have domain names similar to brand names, as in the imitation Al Jazeera. If the website has no contact information, beware.
Be on the alert as well for websites that use horrible spelling and grammar, chances are they’re engaged in fraudulent activities. Check out the domain WHOIS to see who owns the website and when it was created. If it was created months only after a suspicious activity surfaced, it could be a scam.
Some scam websites are often advertised on Facebook, so caution is recommended. Test the contact information to find out if there’s a real person on the other line, not some answering machines that don’t give clear information.
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The success of Press Freedom Week which came to a close last Saturday was dampened by the death of Marie Alexi “Maxi” Bolongaita, daughter of media colleague Alex Bolongaita. Maxi was killed by a notorious house thief who broke into her house in the early hours of September 21. This case is practically solved after the police arrested the perpetrator, Reynante Mambiar, who remains in the hospital due to gunshot wounds in his face and lacerations in his body. Apparently, Maxi fought him off by shooting him. She was a very brave woman but no match for a drugged criminal.
Less than a month earlier, the local media industry condoled with Ferliza Contratista, who works for the regional Public Information Agency. Her son John Ronli Calizar was killed by an ex-convict who, up to now, remains at large. I hope Talisay City Mayor Eddie Gullas would put more pressure on the local police to step up their investigation because the identity of the killer has already been established. Jessie Largo was described by the police as armed and extremely dangerous.
May I extend my heartfelt condolences to Alex and Ferliza. May the prayers of your friends, relatives and fellow media workers and the good deeds of your loved ones console you in this difficult time.
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