The Sri Lankan community is vulnerable to fake news and narrative pushing discourse which often grips the nation at pivotal junctures in history. 

Fake news, disinformation and disruptive narrative have been an issue for the millennia. However, with the rapid increase in the speed of information with messages now spreading widely both domestically and internationally within seconds online, today, citizens are overwhelmed by the flood of information, but markers of accuracy (respected publications and media channels) have not kept up with time.  And neither has there been an appropriate progress in the ability to counter false or fake news, and disruptive narratives.

Increasingly visually intriguing or attractive, and often false, sources of information are obscuring publications of records such as newspapers. Such speed of information flow, which are often unverified and targeted to engage selective audiences, provide various opportunities to those seeking to spread hate or to destabilise a state or to push their perspectives to the fore. The situation becomes more complicated to address when some elements of mainstream media (print and broadcast) ignore their ethical boundaries and play politics with such narratives, giving them more credibility. 

The controversial allegations levelled against Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen, and his ‘trial by media’ which snowballed into a witch hunt, is a good example of how fake news and ulterior narratives with political designs can alienate populations, spread distrust and magnify existing divisions within the state.

Given the deep distrust of the State among the Sri Lankan masses, and the fragmented nature of its communities and political landscape, it is prudent for Sri Lanka to view fake news and disinformation as a serious national security threat. Legislation and guidelines on sharing verified news, with a robust mechanism for fact checking is the need of the hour.  A society which is divided, under strong austerity measures, and with long-term community memory of injustices, are especially susceptible to be swayed by fake news, disinformation and disruptive narrative. However, this will likely be difficult as the State is fearful of public scrutiny and does not promote transparency. 

Further, many mainstream political parties in Sri Lanka have in the past often weaponised ethnic and religious narratives to mobilise the voter base for their political benefit. The vulnerability to fake news and narratives, increases risk of public volatility at a time that Sri Lanka needs stability, both economically and politically.

Fake news, disruptive narratives, and wild conspiracy theories are a serious threat to the unity of communities and the governance of a state. Disinformation has polluted information ecosystems on an unprecedented scale, and now, artificial-intelligence tools are being deployed to circulate false, misleading and hateful narratives. By design, this often limits the reach of reliable information, creating a feedback loop — loss of trust produces fertile ground for disinformation, which then erodes trust further. Sri Lanka has seen domestic, foreign and at times State-sponsored elements pushing fake news and disinformation. They are aimed at shaping public opinion, and largely come about in the lead up to elections and or major policy changes. Such disinformation operations are complex but simple to deploy, and often only need free ‘X’ (Twitter) or Facebook accounts to commence operation, or need access to platforms such as WhatsApp or Telegram. A myriad of YouTube channels, influencers and content creators who have little or no regulation, and are not grounded in a strong ethical base, offer a ready supply of ‘channels for hire’. The target demography is largely the young and middle-aged community.

While the Legislature is important to combat fake news and disinformation, awareness building is also important. The ability to respond critically to online fake news, misinformation/disinformation and propaganda is important, especially for the younger generation. Such awareness programmes and media literacy will be vital for Sri Lankan citizen’s democratic competence in the near future. 

Analytical and critical thinking, and knowledge and critical understanding of the world, including the role of language and communication, should ideally be part of school curriculum to ensure a strong democratic culture is sustained.