After the People Power Revolution ousted Ferdinand Marcos, the Filipinos vowed that neither the Marcoses nor the tyranny of martial law would ever return to Malacañang Palace. About forty decades …
All the Web’s a Stage: New Media, Micro-Celebrities, and Fake News in the Philippines
“Celebrity” in Philippine politics can manifest in more ways than one. Most notoriously, celebrity makes itself evident when film and television stars participate in politics as candidates during …
This Musk Be a Joke
“Elon Musk he’s such a f***ing moron” (Conover, 2022) said Adam Conover in relation to Elon Musk on the Trillionaire Pod, a podcast. Elon Musk who recently bought Twitter in an effort to “clean house” …
Singapore’s Fake News Law: For or Against Democracy?
On October 2, 2019, Singapore’s fake news law came into effect amidst much controversy. Against a backdrop of growing viral misinformation around the world, the country’s government authorities have …
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Your Political Beliefs May Be Programmed
We’ve all seen it – fake social media accounts blasting blatant disinformation and propaganda. Your uncle Bill retweets them and your cousin Sally shares their links on Facebook, but they don’t know …
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Kenya’s Troubling Relationship with “Fake News”
Following drastic changes to its constitution, along with a notably peaceful election cycle, Kenya seemed to be making great strides in its democracy during the 2010s decade. However, the pervasion of …
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WhatsApp Drives a Double-Edged Sword Through Nigerian Democracy
Social media and democracy often share a love-hate relationship in the Global South. In many cases, the blessing of free communication arrives alongside an infectious misinformation curse. In Nigeria, …
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How Asymmetric Polarization in the Media Ecosystem Drives Democratic Erosion
A grandfather, estranged from his family and relatives, unable to visit his grandchildren because their parents worry about his growing vitriol. A daughter who rarely visits home any longer, save for …