POLITICS has always relied on more than just facts – ideological frameworks are often composed together and carved out accordingly to fit the political divide between left and right.

However, in present day, these frameworks have become increasingly muddled and are now being driven by identity politics and deception.

We can agree that fake news is extremely harmful as most people tend to believe everything they read and assume that the facts come from verified sources. Sometimes, we come across stories that were intended as satire, but were passed on as facts and lies being endorsed as absolute truths by those who propagate them.

Deception and propaganda have always been powerful tools in both warfare and political activity. Nazi Germany’s second most powerful man was their Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels, who popularised the concept that “If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.”

And this is exactly where our great political battle exists – the present ruling regime has taken more than just a chapter from this book; they have perfected the art of misinformation through decades of uninterrupted rule and bending the rule of law to fit their malicious intent.

The growing torrent of fake news emerging from the internet had made efforts to counter the spread of lies difficult; fact checking is ineffective because it takes too much time and while most fake news flourish online, the speed of its reach often surpasses real news and especially those from traditional media.

Today’s social media battles of information are mostly driven by blogs, fake accounts and hired troopers. Attacks come from both sides of the divide – dishonest sources, clickbait headlines, inaccurate information and so much more, have resulted in our diminishing capacity to comprehend what we read, digest the information we come cross and scrutinise the authenticity of information.

Without a doubt, media manipulation is not a new phenomenon but how increasingly easy this has become in our generation is a definite cause for concern.

Everyone is in on the game and we are all stakeholders in this new realm where fake news thrives. The lure of sharing posts on social media or spreading mass messages through messaging apps must be done responsibly, though, there is always the danger of giving into the appeal of ‘caving into gossip’. The fact is, news that focuses on sex, violence and death are more fascinating than stories of peace.

There is without a single shred of doubt that we must seek to discourage the spread of fake news, but just how can we do this?  For starters, there needs to be deeper way of understanding the human psyche and what compels us to spread or believe stories from unverified sources.

A strong sense of social responsibility must take shape to make sure that contents are examined – when something looks too good to be true, it probably isn’t and when something looks ridiculously menacing, it probably was nothing more than defamation.

The world we live in today, is becoming ever-increasing Orwellian where truth has become a rare commodity but the outcome of our pending future does not have to as bleak as the dystopian novel. As a society that appreciates freedom, liberty and democracy, the onus is on all of us to uphold and guarantee such values are not easily compromised. – March 10, 2018.

* Syerleena is a councillor at the Penang Island City Council (MBPP). She is a Malaysian who believes that our life experiences shape us into fascinating beings.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.