News Commentary: Clean digital public sphere inevitable for informed decision

Narayan Prasad Ghimire

Kathmandu, Jan 28: With a month left to vote in the House of Representatives (HoR) election, the political publicity and campaigning have speeded up. The Election Commission has also ramped up preparation including awareness-raising via digital sphere.

Whether it is for awareness-raising or voter engagement, digital publicity has been a boon- for the government and political parties/candidates alike. Equally facilitated with utmost convenience are the people who are excited to vote in the March 5 HoR election. The information ensured to the voters on their fingertips is the result of development in information technology that has swayed almost every aspect of a human life.

As in other regions, Nepal too has witnessed a sweeping change in the mode of production, dissemination and consumption of information that gained a significant stride with the advent of digital platforms. The superlatives of fastest and easiest once dreamt are realized in a wink of eye. 

Irrespective of this, whether the voters are getting right information at such hyper-connected and critical moment warrants much significance because informed decision is vital to bolster democratic exercise and system. And, the election is evidently a foundational pillar of Nepal's democracy.

Viral trend: AI fun, misinformation 

Like those initial days of the Photoshop programme in computer that was misused by some, cutting or morphing two or more images, especially of the celebrities and politicos, to make fun and ultimately create panic and sully image, the artificial intelligence (AI) has been a daily use for the similar dishonest purpose with augmented impact these days.

Instead of learning in-depth on any news and event, anyone with digital access is hurried to generate images and videos without expecting how it would result and impact the mass. 

With easy access, playing with AI has already been a matter for sheer fun. For example, a political leader and candidate was admitted to a hospital for treating a leg infection. No sooner had the news spread on his hospital admission than a flurry of AI-generated images of the leader flooded the Facebook, showing him in a hospital bed with his entire leg (right) plastered. As per news, he, however, had infection in his left leg. What was the AI-generated photo for? Was it the love and sympathy to the leader, a prompt relay of information on his health condition, or mockery and sheer misinformation? 

It is natural to have sympathy or concern over a health condition of a leader and that too at a time the election is round the corner, but equally illogical is to spread a false information using AI. It is a blatant betrayal to the internet users, the information consumers. 

There are millions of internet users with little media and digital literacy in Nepal, who certainly become victims of such misinformation. Everyone with a dearth of digital literacy easily trusts such image and pours in responses accordingly. Although the above example is a minor incident in terms of election, it finely reflects the viral culture we are unable to combat and ditch.

There are several other such cases relating to election, contestation among prominent leaders, speeches, rallies and gatherings related to the upcoming March 5 election. One can easily stumble on the videos that show contestants fighting and wrestling, whipping and chasing away each other on the digital screens. Cursorily, it generates fun to the viewers but serves utter misinformation and disinformation.

Who to blame?

Once any information is spread with deliberate intention to belittle and harm others, it is disinformation. The vicious trend of disinformation is entrenched during the mega events and crises, while it is the very time right information is urgent. But, various elements engage in influencing the people to take advantage of the fragile condition and sentiment during such time.

Election is such a time that naturally witnesses a huge public attention, engagement and concern. It, on the other hand, turns into a favourable moment for dishonest elements to cash in people emotionally. 

It is fair once the digital tools are applied wisely by the candidates and their followers for healthy publicity and campaigning to win people's trust and gain their favour in the election. But, it is worrying and even devastating when the candidates fail to generate sufficient reasons to persuade the people and ultimately resort to the speeches and actions that are provocative and incendiary. Unfortunately, such provocative and incendiary remarks are most consumed and spread with utmost speed and at scale in this hyper-connected age. 

Emotion overrides logic

Human, by nature, is moved quickly by the emotional contents than that the things that warrant reasons and logics. Reason and logics help to reach truth but require time. Truth helps to build informed atmosphere. But, we are so impatient that even a single minute is a long time to listen, watch and debate on any issue relating to election. Considering this, the contents are prepared for a short and a very short (minute and second) time to emotionally move the people. 

The constant advance in information and digital technology and lately in AI has spurred this trend, posing a severe threat to information integrity. It is a global trend in deed. So, it is difficult to avoid, but containment is imperative against disinformation and hate speech that ruin information ecosystem in the wake of election, the largest democracy exercise. 

Efforts in place 

Currently, the Election Commission is making efforts to contain the mis/disinformation in a bid to ensure electoral integrity. The leaders which spread hate speech and disinformation were called by the Commission and clarification sought from them. It is positive that the Election Commission has made a better presence than the previous time. The awareness-raising contents are posted regularly on social media by the Commission. 

Even the Cyber Bureau of Nepal Police is directed by the Home Minister not to compromise responsibility to act against disinformation that is deleterious to election security.

In this regard, the Tribhuvan University's Journalism and Mass Communications Department recently held a two-day event, dwelling on multifarious issues surrounding digital information. It underscored the need for a healthy information ecosystem in the face of March 5 election. Some are also fact-checking the viral news that counts much before the election.

However, the initiatives from the government sides alone are not enough to contain the misinformation and disinformation produced and spread through digital spheres. All candidates, political parties, their followers, media houses and civil society organizations must contribute actively from their sides to build a clean information system. Only clean and healthy information system contributes positively to a digital public space. The fair and healthy public spaces ultimately enable citizens in making constructive debates and opting for a right choice. RSS