Over 60 percent of Filipinos think that social media or the internet and television are the leading sources of fake news about government and politics, based on the results of the Pulse Asia survey released on Tuesday, Oct. 11.
In the non-commissioned Ulat ng Bayan survey conducted from Sept. 17 to 21 with 1,200 adult respondents, Pulse Asia said that “sizeable majorities” identified either social media or the internet (68 percent) or television (67 percent) as their source of fake government and political news.
Radio and friends/acquaintances make up a second group of fake news sources (32 percent and 28 percent, respectively).
For 21 percent of adults aware of fake political news, they got such news from family/relatives.
The least often mentioned sources of fake political news are community leaders (4 percent), newspapers (3 percent), and religious leaders (1 percent).
“Small to huge majorities in most areas and all socio-economic groupings encountered fake political news online (60 percent to 78 percent and 62 percent to 78 percent, respectively) and on television (66 percent to 85 percent and 52 percent to 72 percent, respectively),” Pulse Asia said.
“Most Visayans (63 percent) also cite radio as their source for such news. In Mindanao, basically the same percentages came across fake political news on the internet (47 percent), on television (47 percent), from friends/acquaintances (47 percent), and on the radio (38 percent),” it added.
58% says social media influencers, bloggers/vloggers top fake news peddlers
Meanwhile, social media influencers, bloggers, and/or vloggers are seen by most Filipino adults (58 percent) as peddlers of fake news about government and politics.
“For a small majority of adults (58 percent), social media influencers, bloggers, and/or vloggers are responsible for spreading fake political news in the country—an opinion shared by most Metro Manilans (69 percent), those in the rest of Luzon (67 percent), and those belonging to Class ABC and D (69 percent and 58 percent, respectively),” Pulse Asia said.
“Most Visayans (67 percent) identify national level politicians as one of the entities spreading fake new about government and politics. In Mindanao, the most often mentioned responses are social media influencers (43 percent) and journalists (41 percent),” it added.
As for those in Class E, they are most inclined to consider social media influencers, bloggers, and/or vloggers (49 percent) and national level politicians (40 percent) are among those peddling false political news.
Most Filipinos think fake news is a problem in PH
Eighty-six percent of Filipinos think that false news or fake news is a problem in the Philippines, while only 14 percent said that it is not a problem.
“The predominant opinion among Filipino adults (86 percent) is that fake news is a problem in the country,” Pulse Asia said.
“This is the prevailing sentiment at the national level (86 percent) as well as in each geographic area and socio-economic grouping (77 percent to 92 percent and 74 percent to 93 percent, respectively). Agreement with this opinion is more pronounced in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon than in the Visayas and Mindanao (87 percent to 92 percent versus 77 percent to 81 percent) and in the better-off Classes ABC and D than the poorest Class E (87 percent to 93 percent versus 74 percent),” it added.
Pulse Asia also noted that an “overwhelming majority” of the country’s adult population (90 percent) have read, heard, and/or watched fake political news.
Almost the same percentages of adults have read, heard, and/or watched false news about government and politics a few times a week (26 percent), a few times a month (25 percent), or at least once a day (21 percent).
Meanwhile, the rest of those aware of such fake news have read, heard, and/or watched fake political news once a week (17 percent).
Only 10 percent of Filipino adults are not aware of untrue news regarding government and politics.
44% says political news they are reading is not false or untrue
Pulse Asia pointed out that a big plurality of the adult population in the country (44 pecent) said they are sure that the political news they are reading is not false or untrue.
Meanwhile, another 44 percent of adults cannot say if they are sure or unsure that the political news they are consuming is not.
The rest of Filipino adults (11 percent) admitted they are uncertain about the veracity of news about political and government that they come across.
Pulse Asia also found that most adults (55 percent) are confident in the ability of Filipinos to determine whether the political news they encounter is truthful or false.