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Vice-Chancellor and Principal at the University of Pretoria Professor Tawana Kupe joined FABIans at the Monday Morning Meeting on 13 July for a discussion on ‘fake news’ in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic. The discussion was sparked by FABI PhD candidate Quentin Guignard who had expressed his concern at the proliferation of ‘fake news’ pertaining specifically to the COVID-19 pandemic and how scientists could counter this misinformation.

Professor Kupe started the discussion by dismissing ‘fake news’ as actual news. “If it is fake, it’s not news,” he said. He said the spread of false information to drive a certain agenda was not a new phenomenon, but new technologies and especially social media in this century had made it more widespread. He said the speed at which individuals spread information on social media meant that it could not be verified or corroborated. 

Professor Kupe said the closure of various publications and the retrenchment of journalists left audiences with less protection from false information. He said the public had to be more “discerning” of the information they accessed and disseminated. He expressed concern at the attacks on scientists, sometimes by influential political leaders. He said this “fundamental assault” on scientific knowledge and expertise contributed to the spread of misinformation. He emphasised the importance of checking facts before sharing news to prevent the proliferation of misinformation.

He commended the role that platforms such as The Conversation had played in “serious translation services” by making the credible work done by researchers and academics more accessible to the public. FABI has been a strong supporter of this platform with several students and researchers having published article on it. He said academics should also create their own online platforms and participate in public debates to expose the public to the diversity of knowledge. Evidence-based decision making should lead all discussions.

Professor Kupe was the former Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of the Witwatersrand and chairs the boards of AmaBhungane Centre of Investigative Journalism Unit and Media Monitoring Africa. He has recently been elected to the Council of the International Association of Media and Communication. 

Quentin has also complied a guide to identifying fake news that is attached to this news item or can be viewed by clicking here.

FABIans’ publications in The Conversation:

Slippers B, Visser M, Roux J. (2020) Why it’s so critical to continuously monitor and manage plant diseases. The Conversation https://theconversation.com/why-its-so-critical-to-continuously-monitor-and-manage-plant-diseases-139423#comment_2251101

Wingfield MJWingfield BD, Crous CJ. (2020) Tree diseases can change entire landscapes and must be taken seriously. The Conversation https://bit.ly/3b5ptAP

Paap T. (2020) Trees in South Africa are under attack. Why it’s proving hard to manage. The Conversation http://bit.ly/2twjJ3e

Slippers B, Alisic E. (2019) African science needs more leaders. Here’s how to develop them. The Conversation https://bit.ly/3fzLJ8V