Journalism and disinformation: the challenges facing the digital generation during the Night of Ideas

"Reporting in the Age of Fake News" is the challenge that led yesterday's Buenos Aires panel of the new edition of the Night of Ideas , following its launch this Thursday at the French Embassy.

In a world marked by global crises and accelerated transformations , the Night of Ideas returns to Argentina with a vision that invites us to reflect on the present and imagine possible futures. Under the motto "The Power to Act," this ninth edition runs until May 20, with activities in eight cities across the country, including Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza, Rosario, Santa Fe, Tucumán, Mar del Plata, and Tandil.

Organized by the Institut français d'Argentine, the French Embassy, ​​the Alliances Françaises network, the Medifé Foundation, and the Franco-Argentine Centers, the event brings together intellectuals, artists, and scientists in an interdisciplinary dialogue sponsored by Ñ magazine.

The Festival opened in the city of Rosario , where activities took place on May 14, 15, and 16, with the presence of the French ambassador, Romain Nadal, and the French-Venezuelan writer Miguel Bonnefoy, who highlighted the importance of intellectual exchange between Argentina and France.

At the Alliance Française in Rosario, the exhibition "Escape, Numérique Generations" explored the dilemmas of the digital world, from the rise of Big Data to the impact of artificial intelligence. At the University Cultural Space, experts such as Julieta Zelicovich, Christophe Ventura, and Claudio Díaz analyzed Latin America's role in the new geopolitical landscape.

Meanwhile, at the Municipal Museum of Decorative Art, philosopher Tomás Balmaceda discussed the risk of "collective stupidity" in the age of artificial intelligence. The program also included a tribute to Juan José Saer at the Lavardén Platform and a screening of The Royal Lemon Tree at the El Cairo Provincial Cinema.

In Buenos Aires, the Teatro Colón is the epicenter of events past and present, with conferences, debates, and performances in the Experimentation Center and the Golden Hall.

How to change misinformation? This was the key question posed this Friday at the Colón University, during an activity for students from the Jean Mermoz High School , moderated by members of the Media, Speech, and Politics Department of the National University of San Martín (UNSAM) with journalists and information specialists:

The panel included Anita Pouchard-Serra , a French-Argentine photojournalist focusing on issues of identity, migration, territory, and women's rights; Giancarlo Summa , an Italian-Brazilian journalist specializing in political communication and international relations; and Olivia Sohr , Director of Impact and New Initiatives at the website Chequeado. The panel was moderated by Celeste Gómez Wagner, Mariana Comolli, and Leonardo Kordon of UnSaM.

Before an attentive group of French-Argentine students between the ages of 14 and 16 , Piuchard-Serra explained what photojournalism is and how it relates to fake news. “Just as colleagues in radio, print, or TV use words to tell stories, we do it with images. We have the same craft because we investigate, we question, we cross bridges, we go into the field, we spend time interviewing people, to try to take photos that can convey a message,” he explained to the students.

Regarding the claim to offer a true image, the specialist opined that an image "was never capable of offering truth" and cited, as an example, the case of a 19th-century photographer in Ecuador who eliminated indigenous people from all his photographs.

“The reasons and methods may be varied, but they have always existed,” Anita emphasized, clarifying that this bias can be evident not only in post-production, when the photograph has already been taken, but also in the mere act of choosing one approach and discarding others, subjectivity is already at play.

“We all have a perspective; we understand the world from our perspective, from our culture, from our experiences. We can be ten photographers in a situation, and there can be ten different ways of seeing the same thing,” he said.

Pouchard-Serra also told an anecdote to exemplify how easily an image can be decontextualized : “The other day, I was in Uruguay for the elections, the Broad Front has the colors of the Russian flag, I could have easily taken a photo and written: 'Pro-Putin Assembly'.”

Regarding the images created with Artificial Intelligence , she said they might not be called photographs because, in fact, they're just "prompts" (instructions or directives) that someone posts in the GPT chat, and that becomes an image, so the two can coexist. "Otherwise, we'd be like the painters when photography arrived and said, 'Painting is what counts,'" the photojournalist pointed out.

Olivia Sohr , Director of Impact and New Initiatives at the website Chequeado, explained that they use an eight-step method to determine whether a news story is true or false.

First, a relevant, widely disseminated claim is selected. Second, the claim's impact on public opinion is analyzed. Then, the source that issued the claim is identified to determine its support.

The information is then verified with official agencies or public documents. Data is compared with experts, research, or reliable media; it is contextualized, that is, the historical, social, and political context in which the claim was made is analyzed; and then, a determination is made as to whether the information is true, misleading, or false. Finally, the information is classified as "True," "Misleading," "False," among others.

The journalist gave many examples of how they carry out verification work and explained that "it's very difficult to prove that someone didn't say something. It's always easier to prove that someone said or did something than that they didn't say or do it." She explained that, in this case, the verifications become more arduous and exhaustive, and take much longer, just as they do when something is created with AI. "I think the most important thing is to have a very critical mind when we read the news," Sohr summarized.

The director of Chequeado asked the students how many of them searched for news to read, and she only saw two or three hands raised. But when she asked how many consumed the news they found on social media, most agreed.

“Perhaps we used to have a more routine time to consume news; we read the newspaper in the morning or watched the news on TV at night. Today, we come across content on social media, and in the middle of a photo of my friend, my cousin, or someone else's birthday, you'll see a news story, you don't pay much attention, you see the title, the photo, and you move on to another topic,” Olivia argued, which is why she emphasized that “it's important to awaken a critical sense.”

" Professional journalism is fundamental to democracy , and democracy works when citizens trust their leaders and institutions. But that trust depends on one key element: information," said Italian-Brazilian journalist Giancarlo Summa .

In a hyperconnected world, where social media has multiplied the speed of data circulation, disinformation has become a global phenomenon, capable of altering perceptions and political decisions.

Today's teenagers, "the first generation born completely immersed in the digital universe," said the expert, face an unprecedented challenge .

"They don't know what the world was like before social media, and we don't know what the world will be like for them afterward," he reflected. The problem is how to convey the importance of verified information without falling into a "dialogue between the deaf," Summa said.

Giancarlo Summa explained that, from the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which exploited Facebook data to influence elections, to vaccine disinformation campaigns during the pandemic, fake news has proven to be a powerful tool in the hands of those seeking to manipulate public opinion.

"When an election approaches, there are always those who try to influence voters with distorted information," Summa warned, referring to those often behind false information with a recommendation for children: "Before sharing shocking content, ask yourself: Who benefits from this information?"

In armed conflicts, the actors involved use propaganda as a strategy, distorting data to further their own interests. "During the pandemic, messages like 'vaccines make you sick' or 'the Chinese will control your mind' were circulating. Who was promoting this? Demagogic groups that were against science and vaccination ," explained the Italian-Brazilian, who served as UN communications director in Brazil, Mexico, and West Africa.

The challenge facing journalism in the digital age is clear: "Serious media outlets can make mistakes, but they don't fabricate information," emphasized Giancarlo Summa. In a context where truth and lies seem to be on the same level in the digital world, journalists face the pressure of teaching new generations how to prioritize information.

"You can't reflect in three minutes, like the logic behind the proliferation of fake news. Good discussion, like good information, takes time ," the expert concluded.

After the event, students from the Franco-Argentine Jean Mermoz High School shared their impressions of the talk with Clarín . Marcos said the event "was great," especially when photographer Anita Pouchard spoke about the role of images in the construction of digital reality.

Benito recalled a situation in which he shared information about a friend without realizing it was false : "I felt really bad when I found out." Salvador recounted an episode in which a friend's photo was used in a video with inappropriate content , seriously affecting the victim: "It was a terrible time for him, and this conversation helped me understand the effect that can have on someone."

Marcos pointed out that some AIs generate misleading content , while Benito acknowledged that he uses them to confirm studies, although "sometimes they send me just anything." Luisa, for her part, highlighted their usefulness in creating summaries , although she admitted that sometimes the results are inaccurate: "I tell them they're telling me everything wrong, and then they apologize," the student commented.

The Night of Ideas continues until May 20. See the full program online .