Mapping Disinformation in the Philippines

Begin the lesson with key insights from the 2022 Pulse Asia survey on Filipinos’ perceptions on “fake news.” 

2022 Pulse Asia survey insights:

1. Nine out of 10, or 86%, of adult Filipinos perceive fake news as a problem, and approximately 21% of respondents encounter fake news daily.
2. Social media influencers, bloggers, and/or vloggers are seen by most Filipino adults (58%) as peddlers of fake news about government and politics. ​
3. Internet or social media (68%) and television (67%) are the leading sources of fake news about government and politics, according to the respondents

Ask the students if they agree with most Filipinos about “fake news” being a problem in the country, and why. Ask them to share “fake news” that they have personally encountered. Elicit examples that are related to politics, health, school, community, and other issues. You may follow it up with other discussion prompts:

• Do you think most Filipinos understand “fake news” very well? What possible misconceptions do you think Filipinos have?
• How would you define “fake news” in your own words? How do you think others define or understand what “fake news” is?

Concept Mapping: What the fake?

In 1 minute, list down as many words or concepts that are related to “fake news”. You can do this exercise in small groups or as an entire class. Afterwards, Select 5-8 items from the list and create a diagram that shows the relationships of each item from one another. Use lines, shapes, and/or colors to show the similarities and differences of the items or their cause-and-effect relationships. Some example terms are:

• Fake news
• Misinformation
• Clickbait
• Propaganda
• Conspiracy theories
• Trolls
• Lies
• Polarization

Fake news and disinformation: are they the same?

The term "fake news" is often regarded as an oxymoron because it combines the contradictory terms "fake" and "news." "Fake" implies something that lacks authenticity or truthfulness, while "news" generally refers to accurate and factual information. This juxtaposition highlights the inherent contradiction in the use of the term "fake news" to describe intentionally false or misleading information. As they say, “If it’s fake, it’s not news.” 

“Fake news” has also been used to label different kinds of content from lies to rumors to factual but outdated information. It has been used to label anything that displeases a particular individual or group, such as when it is used as a catchphrase to accuse journalists of spreading lies or falsehoods, particularly when reporting on issues that are critical of those in power. 

Due to such contradictions, many scholars prefer alternative terms such as misinformation, malinformation, and disinformation to categorize types of harmful information disseminated. Misinformation refers to false or inaccurate information unintentionally shared by individuals who believe it to be true. Conversely, Disinformation involves the deliberate spread of false information despite knowing its falsity. Unlike misinformation which can happen incidentally and has no intention to cause harm, disinformation involves coordinated and strategic dissemination of falsehoods with clear intent to cause harm. Malinformation pertains to information rooted in reality but used to harm individuals, organizations, or nations. Wardle and Derakshan (2017) illustrate the distinction between these terms in a venn diagram (Figure 1.1).

Figure 1.1. 3 Types of Information Disorder

Examples of COVID-19 Mis-, Dis-, and Malinformation

Misinformation: “Suob” as cure for COVID-19

“Suob/tuob”, or the practice of inhaling steam from a basin of infused water while covering one’s head, is claimed to be a cure for COVID-19. Despite warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO) about unproven treatments such as suob, this claim circulated widely online with people posting videos and photos doing the practice

Disinformation: Filipinos targeted by US military’s anti-vax campaign 

A recent investigation by Reuters revealed that the US military ran a secret disinformation campaign online that targeted Filipinos to sow doubt about the efficacy of vaccines supplied by China (Sinovac). It involved the use of 300 fake social media accounts that impersonated Filipinos and spread the hashtag #ChinaAngVirus.

Malinformation: Ivermectin is FDA-approved, but not as vaccine substitute

A known drugstore in the Philippines released an advisory about Ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug, being approved for commercial sale by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration or FDA. The advisory was widely shared online captioned with misleading claims that it can be used as treatment for COVID-19.

Using the diagram, discuss with the students the importance of differentiating Mis-, Dis-, and Mal-information based on the falseness of content and the intent of the spreader to cause harm. Draw out examples from the students’ own exposure to the different types of information disorder. Use the following discussion prompts:

• What are possible challenges in differentiating misinformation from disinformation? How can you gauge a person’s intent to harm?
• What could be a good reason or excuse for a person to unintentionally share false information (i.e., misinformation)?
• Why is it better to use the terms mis-, dis-, and malinformation than “fake news”?

Many content that circulate online, especially those that are about politics, do not necessarily rely on or offer fact-based claims, hence they cannot be classified as either mis-, dis-, or malinformation. Watch in class a viral satirical video that was produced and released online during the 2022 election season. Note that background information about the video is necessary to be able to interpret and analyze the case study.

Case study: “Pagod Len-Len” from the “Len-Len” video series

Produced during the 2022 election season, the “Len-Len” video series featured satirical skits that mockingly portrayed then presidential candidate Leni Robredo “as bitter, dumb, and exaggeratedly hardworking” through a caricature named “Len-Len”. In one of the videos titled “Pagod Len-Len” released on February 10, 2022, the skit showed disbelief in the work ethic of Robredo who previously said in a TV interview that she is used to working for more than 18 hours a day. Sen. Imee Marcos and two actors in the “Len-Len” series gave tips on time management.

The video series gained millions of online views and became controversial, sparking both praise and disapproval from political supporters on different sides. Despite making apparent references to Robredo and her supporters, the producers of the satirical videos denied any direct connection and simply labeled their work as “not a political content”.

Analysis questions:

1.  What is the message of the video? 
2.  How was the message sent? What strategy was used to grab the audience's attention?
3.  Does the video include facts or references to actual events?
4.  Knowing that this video came out during the 2022 elections, what do you think is the intention of the creator? 
5.  Can the video be classified as either mis-, dis- or malinformation? Why or why not?

Introduce “Influence Operations” as a distinct yet related concept to disinformation. Explain that researchers in the Philippines are recently widening the scope of their investigation to include other forms of communication strategies that are influencing public behavior besides mis- and disinformation. 

Beyond lies and falsehoods: Influence operations

In the study “Parallel Public Spheres: Influence Operations in the 2022 Philippine Elections”, researchers used the term “Influence Operations” to describe communication strategies deployed during the previous elections that hack people’s attention, mobilize audiences, and influence electoral outcomes. 

The study claims that these strategies could not be classified as disinformation because they are not outright lies nor intentionally misleading. These include memes and video trends (e.g. TikTok dance challenges) that may not necessarily be making any false or misleading claims and may appear as if created for entertainment purposes only. This is why fact-checkers and social media platforms cannot simply flag them based on their content. But by critically analyzing these media content, audiences will see how they reference ideas and narratives that are cultivated by previous or already-existing disinformation content.

From disentangling difficult concepts like “fake news”, disinformation, and influence operations, you can now make the transition from discussing the WHAT of disinformation to the WHY. Ask students to think of different WHY questions about the topic of disinformation (e.g., Why do people fall for misinformation? Why do people lie?). Challenge every student in your class to give an answer that is original and different from what has already been given. 

Disinformation is a complicated problem that Filipinos and the rest of the world are facing today. It makes sense why we have so many “whys” about it. It also makes a good reason why we absolutely need to study and learn about it. 

Why do we need to learn about disinformation?

The proliferation of disinformation, particularly on social media platforms, has been a growing concern in the Philippines. The ease of sharing and consuming information online, coupled with the lack of immediate verification, has contributed to the spread of false and misleading content. In the 2022 national elections, there was a notable increase in the dissemination of influence operations targeting various candidates. This highlights the impact of disinformation on public discourse and the potential to influence political outcomes.

Disinformation can also undermine public health efforts, especially during a pandemic like COVID-19. ​ False information about symptoms, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment measures can mislead individuals and communities, leading to further health risks if people do not follow the correct health protocols or get vaccinated. ​

Disinformation erodes trust in institutions, media, and information sources. When false information spreads, it can undermine the credibility of reliable sources and create confusion among the public.​ This loss of trust can have long-term consequences for society.

To mitigate the effects of disinformation, it is crucial to educate individuals about its nature and production methods. By becoming critical consumers of media, we can navigate the wealth of information available online and discern the truth from falsehoods. 

Play the Lesson 1 video explainer to recap the main takeaways of the lesson. 

From the WHY questions raised by your students earlier, you may gauge their interest on possible next topics to discuss in class. Check out the complete list of Disinfo Hub lessons here.