About 45% of the world’s population is expected to participate in elections in 2024.
However, amidst an era of Artificial Intelligence-led misinformation and disinformation, research suggests that partisan-funded pink slime news sites may outnumber legitimate local news outlets in the United States of America.
This phenomenon is likely to be replicated in other parts of the world where elections are scheduled for this year.
President and founder of DC Media LLC and a former managing editor of USA TODAY, Donna Leinwald Leger, warned that if left unchecked, this trend could significantly dilute the media landscape and erode trustworthiness among journalists.
Addressing 13 African journalists participating in the 2024 International Visitor Leadership Program on Media Responsibility in An Age of Disinformation, under the Edward R. Murrow program for Journalists, Donna stressed the urgent need for professional journalists to enhance trust among their audience and differentiate themselves from pink slime news sites.
She highlighted how politicians and vested interests deliberately exploit social media and other online platforms to disseminate falsehoods for their own agendas.
Donna also demonstrated how politicians and unscrupulous individuals might use Artificial Intelligence to replicate the voices of political leaders, celebrities, and other dignitaries to mislead the public.
Moreover, Donna mentioned that in the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has banned AI-generated robocalls following an incident in January where a phony call, mimicking President Biden’s voice, advised New Hampshire voters to stay home during the state’s primary.
The FCC’s decision stems from the 1991 Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which prohibits marketing calls that use artificial or prerecorded voice messages. Callers utilizing AI technology must obtain prior consent from the individuals they are contacting.
The Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists – Media Responsibility in an Age of Disinformation, organized under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, aims to equip journalists in the African region with the skills to detect and combat misinformation and disinformation in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
The program introduces participants to experts from academia, the media industry, and other stakeholders, facilitating the exchange of best practices.
The 13 participants hail from Ghana, Algeria, the Central African Republic, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Eswatini, Haiti, Kenya, Liberia, Morocco, Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Africa.
They are expected to share their experiences with their colleagues back home to collectively combat the menace of disinformation.
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