Standing tall against fake news in Singapore : perceptions of impact, effectiveness of governmental intervention and the role of key stakeholders in promoting public education

Abstract

In recent years, the world is experiencing a growing phenomenon of falsehoods known as ‘fake news’. Advancement of digital technologies and with greater ease of access to social media and instant messaging platforms, fake news could be easily disseminated to millions of internet users within split-second. Singapore is not immune from this occurrence as fake news could strain ethnic and religious fault-lines in its multiracial society. This paper will investigate the contemporary empirical evidences and implications of fake news on Singapore’s society. It will also examine the perceptions of impact of fake news in Singapore and the effectiveness of governmental intervention. Through both qualitative and quantitative analysis, this paper argues that the best way forward to combat fake news is through public education such as digital and media literacy programmes. The prospects and challenges of such educational campaigns, and the role of key stakeholders will also be explored.