State capture: Mpofu and the bid to bamboozle the public
In an era of post-truth “alternative facts”, smoke and mirrors tactics have become the new currency of political gamesmanship Read full article
Media
#FakeNews and lies are amplified on social media
Anti-foreigner hashtags continue to swirl around local Twitter, together with misleading claims and links to fake news sites. Don’t be fooled, warns a UCT research unit. Read full article
OP-ED:The politics of the base and the contestation for global dominance threaten democracy
The key threat to democracy today is not ideological, in the sense that opposing or alternative ideologies threaten to replace democracy. Rather, it is how the politics of the base can be exploited to undermine democratic processes and institutions, and skew democratic outcomes. Read full article
Peak of the week: South Africa’s weekly trends: November 12 – 19
This is a summary of the trending, highest impact and most active themes and their narratives related to social cohesion and division in South African public-domain social media conversations for the week ending 19 November 2020. This is a summary of the trending, highest impact and most active themes and their narratives related to social …
Peak of the week: South Africa’s weekly trends: November 12 – 19 Read More »
Disinformation in a time of Covid-19: Weekly trends in South Africa
A crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic creates a perfect opportunity for those who wish to cause confusion, chaos, and public harm – and mis- and disinformation enables them to do just that. This week we look at elections and the actions of Real411. Read full article
PEAK OF THE WEEK: South Africa’s weekly trends report to 5 November 2020
This is a summary of the trending, highest impact, and most active themes and narratives related to social cohesion and division in South African public-domain social media conversations for the week ending on 5 November 2020. Read full article
#PutSouthAfricansFirst peddling malicious, divisive untruths about human trafficking
A social media movement using the tag #PutSouthAfricansFirst has been found to peddle malicious, divisive untruths about human trafficking that have the potential to incite xenophobia. Read full article
Jean Le Roux Expose – Part 3 of 3. Fake News – Not just an American problem!
This is the 3rd episode in the 3-part series recorded with Jean Le Roux, a Research Associate at the Digital Forensic Research Lab. In this episode Jean explains what misinformation and disinformation mean for us as South Africans, he explains how it is that ‘fake news’ affects us here in southern Africa and what we …
Jean Le Roux Expose – Part 3 of 3. Fake News – Not just an American problem! Read More »
Jean Le Roux Expose – Part 2 of 3. Guptabots and disinformation in South Africa
This episode, the 2nd in a special three-part series with Jean Le Roux, Adam and Jean discuss Jean’s career trajectory, how he went from a qualified lawyer to forensic analyst to digital detective. Jean’s story starts with his seeing journalist being attacked online in November 2015, the journalist was being challenged online for exposing possible …
Jean Le Roux Expose – Part 2 of 3. Guptabots and disinformation in South Africa Read More »
#putsouthafricansfirst: Spreading hate speech, inciting violence, breaking the law
Real411 is affiliated to Media Monitoring Africa and enables the public to report disinformation, hate speech, incitement to violence and harassment of the media. This article outlines Real411’s findings and what constitutes hate speech. It’s important to report posts and tweets on social media that sow seeds of division and create resentment, anger and hatred …
#putsouthafricansfirst: Spreading hate speech, inciting violence, breaking the law Read More »
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