The Impact of Disinformation: New Zealand’s Perspective

One day during a class discussion, the question was raised about how many of us sat down everyday to watch the nightly news. Surprisingly, the best response was a half-hearted hand raise quickly retracted upon realising that reading news headlines on the Apple News widget did not qualify as staying informed.

 I, too, must admit to occasionally skipping the news. In New Zealand, we often perceive news as distant, happening in some faraway continental country burdened by borders and political extremism. Our disengagement and surprise when distressing events occur reflect a broader cultural pattern. We have heard people dismiss the importance of watching the news or staying updated because of our perceived identity—an undisturbed 'utopia' far removed from the political nightmares of other Western nations, particularly the United States. We are familiar with everyone from Lorde to our next-door neighbors, known for our tranquillity and easygoing nature, rarely causing a fuss when things go wrong.

However, the reality is far from this idyllic dreamland, and this reality has become increasingly apparent for the past few years, but one key example is the occupation of New Zealand’s Parliament in 2022 to protest COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates. The way in which the news is presented here obscures genuine discussions of how disinformation became so rampant; if you only learned about New Zealand from reading mainstream news articles, you would think our only issues concerned economics, and apart from a rental crisis, we’re a happy nation that feels no hatred for one another. But when looking at think-pieces from younger news outlets that don’t provoke much more than a mention on the local radio station, it’s clear that exposure to disinformation is a big issue to many New Zealanders.

Interestingly, a concern was raised about the sources of information. Glancing at Apple News, we encounter a wide range of sources, making it difficult to discern reliable from unreliable ones. The process of determining credibility would require dedicated time and research. I agree with the notion that people should not have to scour the internet to ensure they are consuming accurate information. This raises questions about the responsibility of technology companies. Should they incorporate fact-checkers or warnings beneath links to websites? On the other hand, should the internet remain as it is in the name of freedom of expression?

Today, social media serves as the television of our time, presenting an opportunity to implement further regulations that prevent regular exposure to disinformation, particularly disinformation masquerading as fact. Small banners under a post that indicate it is not true cannot be the final answer in an era full of hazy mistrust against technology companies and their supposed agendas — it will ultimately be impossible to please both sides of the fence especially when many have strayed to extremist platforms, but there does not seem to be a level of urgency when discussing and combatting disinformation.

Every story has two sides, and this situation is no different. It is easy to criticize the use of shallow "infographics" that simplify complex issues into binary decisions with aesthetically pleasing fonts and borders. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that a significant number of young people receive their news primarily through their Instagram feed. Perhaps part of the solution lies in the marketing sphere, encouraging news companies to utilize social media more effectively to deliver informative content. Yet, the issue of disinformation remains challenging to tackle. While hundreds of articles detail the problem, disinformation has spiralled out of control to a point where new forms of regulation may already be too late.

I don’t intend to be intensely critical of New Zealand; we are a genuinely fantastic country and many, including myself, are fortunate to be here. When I criticise our culture and behaviour, it’s because I want the absolute best for the country and especially for my fellow young people who will soon hold the reins over all significant elements of the nation. It would be my dream to start a campaign that encourages my peers to stay informed and to most importantly ask questions. We’ve all heard the ‘no question is a dumb question’ saying, but it’s so important to extend this phrase beyond the classroom and into all areas of life — asking questions will not only get you either an improved understanding or a range of unique perspectives, but it is so fundamental to a functioning and stable democracy that young people have as much access as possible to information in whatever environment suits them, and that could be with a separate class, posters around school, or on the nightly news.

Aman Kaur is a high school Senior from New Zealand.