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Liberal Alphabet J: Journalism vs. Fake News

On May 29th, 2019 the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Lebanon hosted the tenth event of the Liberal Alphabet series entitled, Liberal Alphabet J: Journalism vs. Fake News – A Battle Between Facts and a Fictional Reality.

As the freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech are crucial to the access of information, FNF Lebanon gave a platform to experts in the field for a stimulating discussion on the impacts of fake news and its consequences on journalism credibility and the perceptions of the general public.

Moderated by President and Executive Director of the Media Association for Peace Ms. Vanessa Bassil, FNF Lebanon was joined by journalist and social media expert Mr. Philippe Abou Zeid and former journalist and current communication coordinator at Notre Dame University Ms. Rouba El Helou. Together, they spoke of the history of fake news and what can be done to avoid falling into the trap of believing misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation.

“We have to have the benefit of the doubt,” advised El Helou. Similarly, Abou Zeid added that for every piece of news read, one should always try to read something of the opposite perspective as well. That way one can form their own opinion based on various sources and versions of the story.

All in all, it was a night filled with interesting insights on a serious contemporary issue with global and regional effects.