“I won’t be surprised if more fake news starts to spread. We can’t avoid it. Such incidents tend to crop up when our political foes see us as a threat and get their cybertroopers to create fake news (about the opposition),” the Seputeh MP told FMT.
Kok said the only thing they could do was to quickly address any misinformation being spread by taking to social media themselves to clear the air and dispute the reports.
She explained this would be much faster than lodging a police report or even reporting the online fake news items to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Kok said this in reference to the release of a fake press release attributed to her DAP colleague, Selangor exco Ean Yong Hian Wah, over the bullying incident of a Shah Alam City Council enforcement officer by a couple in Sungai Buloh on Thursday.
The fake press release, published by a news portal, alleged that Ean Yong had aided in settling the dispute between the couple and the officer concerned.
Ean Yong had said he believed that the fake press release was the work of political enemies out to paint a negative picture of the Pakatan Harapan coalition government in Selangor.
Kok said it was good that their supporters continued to do their part by going online to clear the air when such matters arose.
“As fake news has been spread over the years, supporters and netizens are also more cautious these days,” she said.
PKR communication director Fahmi Fadzil was also of the opinion that more fake news would make the rounds as GE14 approached, pointing out that such “news” was spread widely during by-elections.
He explained that such fake news could reinforce prejudices and perceptions, and as a result even produce a swing among undecided voters, be they urban or rural.
“The best way for parties and politicians to counter such fake news is to stay ahead of the narrative, to respond quickly and clearly.
“It will also help to have clear and direct channels of communications with the public in order to get the right message across,” Fahmi said.
Inaccurate, sensational headlines
Meanwhile, MCA spokesman Ti Lian Ker said fake news could be a very effective tool in influencing fence-sitters because many did not read beyond headlines.
The former Pahang assemblyman said sensational and inaccurate headlines could toy with the emotions of fence-sitters – often regarded as kingmakers – in any election.
“People tend to believe the most negative news via sensational reporting that can sway or move them. Some voters who may not have been interested in voting will react to such news by going to the polls,” Ti said.
A UK daily, The Independent, recently reported that since Donald Trump’s victory in the United States presidential election, a debate has raged over the impact fake news could have had on how people voted.
This follows many made-up stories from questionable sites, that were shared more widely on social media than reports from trusted sources, including that Trump was endorsed for president by the Pope.
According to The Independent, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has also voiced her concern about fake news websites ahead of the German election.