"Do you think you know how to recognise fake news on the web?" was the question asked by PXR Italy to Italians in its latest survey on 10 June. The result is that almost 6 out of 10 people (57,4%) believe they do not know how to recognise fake news; this figure reveals a certain awareness on the part of Italians of their 'weakness' to fake news. But let's ask ourselves: 1. why is fake news a serious problem? 2. how many Italians actually know how to recognise fake news?
Why is fake news a serious problem for Italians?
Let us assume that fake news is not an invention of the 21st century; rather, it can be said that it is as old as humanity. Several historians and anthropologists recognise that incorrect and inaccurate information plays a decisive role in power games and conflicts between peoples; having said that, we can say that the phenomenon of fake news has spread exponentially thanks to the affirmation of the web and social networks (source: OrizzonteScuola.it). Yes, fake news is a serious and growing problem; and in recent months it has turned out to be a pandemic within a pandemic.
There are two factors that make fake news a very dangerous weapon (including a political one): first of all, it should be considered that each person makes decisions on the basis of the information he or she has available. It goes without saying that if we have false or inaccurate information, we will make decisions or behave in a way that is unhelpful or even harmful. It goes without saying that if we have false or inaccurate information, we will make decisions or behave in a way that is self-defeating or even harmful.
Secondly, it can be said that fake news is just like a highly contagious virus: people who read fake news often share it (verbally or via social networks), and in doing so, spread the fake information to other people, who in turn may pass it on to others. But without going too far back into theory, one only has to look at how politicians of many nations and factions seek support through social media, often spreading fake news. For example, Trump, Salvini and Bolsonaro were among the politicians who spread the most fake news in the world (source: BBC via Wired).
How many Italians know how to recognise fake news?
Since 2016, Italy has periodically been among the countries most affected by the phenomenon; while PXR Italy, in accordance with studies by Swg and Demos and EumetraMr, shows that 6 out of 10 Italians believe they do not know how to recognise fake news. Other studies (from 2018) attest that more than 80% of the peninsula's inhabitants would not be able to distinguish between true and fake information (source: ANSA).
The phenomenon of misinformation has worsened during the Coronavirus pandemic; out of the total amount of news related to COVID-19, almost 5% of the information is false or misleading (source: Agcom). On 10 June 2020, European Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová announced that she had evidence showing that Italy was one of the countries most affected by fake news, especially from China and Russia (source: RaiNews). Whatsapp has also adopted countermeasures to prevent the spread of fake news, limiting the message forwarding functionality to one chat at a time.
In conclusion, it was found that almost 6 out of 10 people (57,4%) believe they do not know how to recognise fake news (source: PXR Italy). This data shows that Italians are largely aware of their 'weakness' to fake news. Is it possible that Italians are realising the fundamental importance of correct information?
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