In East and Southeast Asia, misinformation is a visible and growing concern | Poynter

Efforts to control or manipulate the public information space to influence people’s beliefs and opinions are certainly not new in Asia. Misleading rhetoric, cherry-picked factoids, gross exaggerations, made-up news and other fallacious messages have long been part of the communication tactics adopted by political leaders, hyper-partisan groups, some media outlets and religious extremists.

While the phenomenon itself is not unfamiliar, its impact has become increasingly visible as many Asian countries have embraced transformative digital technologies, especially smartphones, that altered people’s lifestyles and media consumption behavior. Like in other parts of the world, the word ‘fake news’ has entered into the everyday lexicon in many Asian countries. However, conversations around misinformation and disinformation are taking varying forms across East and Southeast Asia.