Twinmark Media Enterprises, the digital marketing organization which created and operated the news site Trending News Portal, was banned by Facebook on January 11. According to Facebook, the said company has violated its policies by spreading misinformation and disinformation across its platforms.

The said news site garnered over four million followers before its takedown. Former Presidential Communications Operations OFFICE (PCCO) Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson has shared the TNP content numerous times and was proven to be her primary source of news in disseminating misleading and false news, according to the data provided by Rappler.

Twinmark has violated Facebook’s policies through their repeated use of fake accounts, misrepresentation, inauthentic behavior, and even several spam actions. Further, the organization was discovered to sell unauthorized access to Facebook accounts, generating distribution and profit.

The company was proven to be selling admin rights to Facebook pages, violating Facebook spam policies. This then prompted a series of investigation on the media organization. Subsequently, 220 pages, 73 accounts, and 29 Instagram accounts were removed immediately. This action has been seen as one of the biggest yet in relation to combatting fake news in the Philippines.

One of the most famous techniques executed by fake online sites is changing the name of the page after it generated a large number of followers. Not only does it publish false and unverified content but it also misleads its audience and followers. Here is an example based on the investigation of Facebook.

Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s Head of Cybersecurity Department, clarified that the removal of the company was based on the actor’s behavior that violated their policies, and not the type of content per se. He also reiterated that they are being more vigilant and diligent in uncovering this kind of abuse and will continue to undertake actions to protect its users.

 

References:

https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2019/01/banning-twinmark-media-enterprises/

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/investigative/189639-mocha-uson-trending-news-portal

https://www.rappler.com/technology/social-media/220741-facebook-remove-trending-news-portal-twinmark-media-enterprises

 

 

Over 1,100 lawsuits were filed against journalists and media outlets in Croatia, in what seems to be an attempt of the government to implement media censorship.

In relation to this, hundreds of Croatian journalists held a rally on March 2 in Zagreb, the country’s capital; the protest was organized by Croatian Journalists’ Association (HND). Hrvoje Zovko, HND’s president, claims that the lawsuits are forms of media suppression and attacks on the press.

Most of the lawsuits have been filed by politicians and other influential figures. They are demanding compensation for emotional and mental damages brought by news published about them that tarnished their reputation.

According to Zovko, media harassment in Croatia has been going for on decades already but the present administration is the most aggressive in terms of media harassment. Just recently, 30 lawsuits were filed by HRT (Voice of Croatia), Croatia’s public broadcaster, against journalists including their own, for airing news incriminating of the current ruling parties.

The protesters believe that HRT serves the government’s and its ruling parties interests more, as opposed to its mandate of providing public service. The media company is supposed to be financed through monthly license fee paid by consumers and advertising profits. But in light of the recent legal intimidation, they now believe that politicians are secretly funding its leaders in exchange for silence.

The International and European Federations have reportedly called out HRT management to drop all lawsuits. In addition, Reporters Without Borders says that the government’s interference and attacks at HRT pose a problem to the journalists and the nation as well.

The protesters marched through the capital while blowing whistles and playing drums. The rally, dubbed as “You took over media, we won’t give up journalism” is to emphasize the threats on press freedom and to inform the public of the political pressures and media suppression that the journalists are currently facing.

Links to Resources:

https://www.apnews.com/c5572898624c48c39ccde5d5e9b51398

https://www.rferl.org/a/croatian-journalists-rally-against-censorship/29799988.html

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1460511/media

http://www.pressreference.com/Co-Fa/Croatia.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17217826

Duterte “One of the Best Presidents in the World” – Fake

Bayang Pilipinas published an article on October 1, 2018 stating that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is recognized as one of the best presidents in the world. The headline reads verbatim “Duterte, nangunguna as one of the “Best President in the World”. A video by NewsThatMatter Youtube channel was linked to the post.

The said video contains a montage of random photographs accompanied by a voice over describing why Duterte garnered the recognition. It particularly highlights Duterte’s war on drugs and the decrease in the number of drug incidents nationwide. In addition to this, the video claims that the Duterte administration was able to succeed in their infrastructure projects but failed to provide specific details about the project/s.

Aside from its misleading headline, the post contains false statements based on various sources that have questionable credibility. No empirical data or actual quotations from verified sources can be seen video and post. Most importantly, the headline itself speaks volumes about its inaccuracy. Aside from its grammatical errors, it contains subjective words; therefore, biased and deceptive.

Although this was not the first fake news claiming that Duterte is recognized as an accomplished leader, the said post is still being shared up to this day and the video can still be viewed publicly.

Bayang Pilipinas is a news site that has been publishing fabricated reports in favor of the current administration since 2017. They plagiarize reports from other news sites and outlets and change the headline and other portions of the news to information that are false.

In May 2018, Forbes magazine reported that Duterte is the 69^th most powerful leader worldwide, which may have been the basis of the fake news. The two have different contexts but the original content was altered to convey a much positive image of the President.

Unfortunately, the video was shared over a thousand times by netizens and the post of Bayang Pilipinas was shared over a hundred times. Further, the Youtube channel that uploaded the video had an increase in the number of its subscribers.

Links of articles used to fact-check the report:

https://www.rappler.com/nation/202083-forbes-duterte-world-most-powerful-people-list

https://www.forbes.com/profile/rodrigo-duterte/#90e67c02b412

https://www.manilatimes.net/duterte-in-worlds-most-powerful-list/397861/

Links to the fake news report and sites:

http://bayangpilipinas.com/duterte-nangunguna-as-one-of-the-best-president-in-the-world/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiv65P6q7CM&t=223s

Return of Balangiga Bells Happened Because of Duterte – Fake News

An online site named Bayang Pilipinas published an article on December 12 reporting that a US diplomat is solely crediting President Duterte for the return of Balangiga bells.  This article is fact-checked by Vera Files and is proven to be inaccurate and fake. The report claims that former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russell gave the sole credit to Pres. Duterte for making the historic event happen.

Vera Files confirmed that in the mentioned report, Bayang Pilipinas copied a news article published by ABS-CBN News with a headline that reads “Balangiga Bells back in the Philippines after 117 years”. The site then modified the original headline and paragraphs to false quotations from the US diplomat. In addition, the site also plagiarized the photo used for the thumbnail. It is a photo taken by Reuters in 2016; the news organization confirmed that they did not authorize its usage.

Russell already left his post at U.S. State Department in 2017. He never issued a public statement on the return of the Balangiga bells nor did any legitimate news site or outlet reported on this. Meanwhile, U.S. Embassy Spokesperson Molly Koschina stated in a press briefing that the return of the bells was due to the veterans who protested for decades. She clarified that it was not a product of any particular statement, contrary to the claims of the fake report. Further, no official press release contains any quotations from Russell.

Since its conception in September 2017, the fake news site has been publishing fabricated reports in favor of the current administration. They plagiarize reports from other news sites and outlets and change the headline and other portions of the news to information that are false and could gain positive feedback for the government.

Unfortunately, the fake report has reached over 700,000 people to date and has garnered 6,000 shares from other fake news sites promoting the Duterte administration, most of which are followed by millions of people. The increasing number of verified fake news is alarming particularly because the election period is already near and disinformation and misinformation are common tools of propaganda. It can threaten the nation’s democracy because it has the power to polarize society and induce decision errors beneficial for politicians but can damage the democratic state of the country.

Vera Files is a nonprofit organization that focuses on the production of media products and services based on intensive research and in-depth reporting. Vera Files has been verifying the accuracy of news and information published online especially in social network sites and has already produced corrected and fact-checked news.

The responsibility lies not only in the journalists but also in all citizens – we must all remain vigilant in protecting our democracy as well as upholding the truth.

Link to the fake news site: http://bayangpilipinas.com/

Links of news articles by Vera Files and ABS-CBN News confirming the inaccuracy of the report: http://verafiles.org/articles/vera-files-fact-check-article-claiming-former-us-diplomat-so

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/14/18/fact-check-no-this-us-diplomat-did-not-credit-duterte-with-balangiga-bells-return