Dear Editor,

Prime minister and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader Andrew Holness seemed to have stirred up the hornet’s nest when he made comments that his Administration would be taking steps to clamp down on the proliferation of fake news that has been dominating the social media space for some time.

In his address to youth affiliates of the JLP at a recent gathering, Holness highlighted that the constant spread of fake news has caused a lot of confusion, even among the intellectual community. He used the platform to encourage his party supporters not to engage in such practices, as there are serious consequences. The prime minister cautioned that people who deliberately spread disinformation would be tracked and appropriate legal consequences taken, even if they hide behind pseudo names.

Minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for information, skills, and digital transformation Senator Dana Morris Dixon has also come out in support of Holness’s position.

Apparently, members of the blogging community — especially those who are supporters of the opposing People’s National Party (PNP) — are outraged at the prime minister’s utterance, suggesting that he is aiming to censor free speech in a democracy. The fact that they are so triggered has given ammunition to the prime minister’s point, as they are among the primary instigators of the dissemination of fake news. Does this suggest that all JLP bloggers are innocent? Absolutely not!

Daily, on social media, it is a tug-of-war between Comrades and Labourites about who is disinforming and misinforming. What is true, however, is that a lot of information is deliberately distorted and presented as facts. What is unfortunate is that even senior politicians, attorneys, lecturers, broadcasters, and journalists are among those who purposefully share false information.

Everyone is entitled to free speech, but fake news, which has clear political bias and misleading information, is unacceptable! This can lead to defamatory and libellous comments being made. In fact, several people have suffered reputational damage and have received death threats because they were falsely accused.

Of course, there is a legal channel to get redress, but truthfully, the horse has often gone through the gate before the legal system vindicates the victim.

People need to be more responsible with their social media usage. From many of the posts made by certain bloggers, it is clear that their content is curated in the same
WhatsApp group. What is disheartening is that many so-called educated people allow themselves to be clouded by political affiliation. Sometimes their line of reasoning makes no sense, but they press on with their illogical arguments.

Traditional media outlets have a duty to keep the population informed with credible and reliable information. It means that they have to be balanced in their reporting and commentary. As much as social media and community journalism is competing heavily with traditional media, many people still rely on traditional media for objective news.

Journalists and broadcasters play a crucial role in shaping the local narrative; however, the media itself is compromised. Sometimes what is reported in print and digital media does not match up with what was actually said or intended at a press conference, for example. Have you ever heard people summarise an event in a way that caused you to question if you were at the same location?

A certain editorial took a jab at the prime minister’s remarks, but frankly, that media house has often been perceived as more of a tabloid company based on how it reports news. It would not be surprising if Holness’s comments were used as part of the next World Press Freedom Index evaluation, which could negatively affect Jamaica’s ranking.

All in all, we need to take fake news seriously, irrespective of political allegiance. If not addressed carefully, it could have a colossal consequence on the future of the country and the relationship between politicians and the citizenry. Both major political parties want to form the next Government, but the premise should not be built on fallacies.

By the way, have you noticed that the so-called civil society groups have now regained their voices? They had been dumb for weeks on important political issues, but now that the prime minister has said something that they can twist, they have become the loudest in the room. Do they expect us to take them seriously?

Oneil Madden

maddenoniel@yahoo.com