"Fake news and deepfakes, as they are called, are a significant feature of so-called post-truth, that is, a reality partially created by the media that causes misunderstandings in the public sphere. For younger generations it is particularly difficult to distinguish between fiction and falsehood. “Digital natives” are excellent at using social media, but when it comes to assessing the veracity of the information flowing through these channels, they are easily misled ” Fr Makuła explains.
The article then goes on to offer readers a definition of what "fake news" is - defined as information published by the media, which gives the impression of being verified and describes facts, but which actually deceives the public by giving credence to the unconfirmed information, data and unverified sources contained in them - and what "deepfakes" are, i.e. content generated by artificial intelligence that is becoming increasingly common and convincing.
Pope Francis, the author explains, has also referred to the issue of fake news on several occasions. In 2018, he dedicated the message of the 52nd World Day of Social Communications to this very phenomenon. Over the years, he has also encouraged educational and legal initiatives to counter disinformation in the new communicative context. Moreover, in his post-synodal apostolic exhortation Christus vivit, the Pontiff drew attention to the dangers of fake news and the misuse of modern media, which can cause loneliness, manipulation, violence, isolation, progressive lack of contact with reality, difficulties in relationships or cyberbullying.
Also referring to the news that emerged during the years of the pandemic, Pope Francis spoke several times of "fake news", recalling that "an infodemic, a distortion of reality based on fear, is spreading along with the pandemic."
In the wake of Pope Francis' warnings, the Church in general is therefore adopting concrete measures to prevent the negative effects of these processes; media education is therefore becoming a huge challenge.
The full article, exploring the important topic of fake news and deepfakes, can be downloaded here at the bottom of the page and is available in Italian, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Polish.
