Is fake news a new phenomenon? What impact does it have on public opinion and political debate? And what is the role of public service media (PSM) in promoting ethical fact based news? These and other challenging questions were the focus of a lively EBU Media Lunchtime Talk on 29 March 2017.

The event was hosted by the EBU in collaboration with the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ). In her welcoming remarks, Nicola Frank, Head of European Affairs, EBU spoke of the dangers of fake news driving increasingly polarised views in society.  Ricardo Guiterrez, EFJ Secretary-General, stressed that solutions should be found in quality ethical journalism, rather than in counter propaganda strategies. “This world needs dedicated journalists fully playing their role”, he said.

A panel of expert speakers discussed different strategies to combat fake news and disinformation. They underlined that fake news is in fact nothing new. However, with the advent of social media, it has become increasingly widespread and a cause for concern - not least because it has a direct bearing on informed citizenship and democratic societies. Perhaps its most worrying aspect is that people believe what they want to be fact.

Eric Scherer, Director of Future Media at France Televisions, underlined that PSM has a responsibility to inform citizens and provided an overview of France Television’s action plan to fight fake news. The plan is at work on different levels, inside the newsroom and outside, and includes cooperation with online platforms. Media literacy is a top priority, and Scherer underlined that “everyone is a media” in the “post-truth era”. “Facts come only after emotions and it is part of our role to share best practice with citizens who are using our publishing tools.”

Georgina Bowman, Deputy Editor of BBC’s childrens’ programme Newsround, then showed how the BBC is working to empower children between the ages of 6 and 12. This is a particularly vulnerable and hard to reach group, but through videos and infographics BBC Newsround is trying to help children learn how to spot a fake story. Their tools encourage them to “think before they click” and to decide what is right and wrong. Schools now often use BBC Newsroom techniques to teach internet safety practices.

The impact of fake news was pointed out by Inder Bugarin, a Mexican journalist based between Brussels and the United States. He described how manipulated news on the subject of migration during the US presidential election campaign in 2016 amplified existing bias and prejudice toward migrant communities. In the immediate aftermath of the election, he witnessed people from migrant communities stop going to work and expressing concerns they would not see their children again if they brought them to school. “Fake news and the way it spread like a virus within migrant communities had a great economic impact because people did not dare to leave the house anymore”.

With a journalistic background, the topic of fake news is especially close to the heart of Tanja Fajon, Member of the European Parliament (Slovenia, S&D). In her work as a politician she sees herself confronted with the same distrust she experienced during her career as a journalist. “There is a thin line between media freedom and distinguishing legal from illegal content”, she said, which is especially difficult where official measures are lacking. When asked what the European institutions can do to fight fake news, Fajon mentioned financial support for media literacy, support for research on filter bubbles and algorithms, and the provision of ethical guidelines.

Fajon agreed with the other speakers that fake news can be an opportunity for real media to demonstrate their value added, but said to be worried about the balancing act between countering fake news and giving it more publicity. “At the end of the day”, she said “censorship is wrong, but quality journalism should be encouraged”.