Fighting fake news. Duty and opportunity towards responsible communication

The answers from the seminar organized by Ferpi and supported by Pfizer Italia

ROME – The ‘Fight against fake news. Duty and opportunity towards responsible communication’ at the center of the seminar of the Italian Public Relations Federation (Ferpi) held in Rome, coordinated by the Ferpi Lazio Delegate, Serena Bianchini, at the headquarters of the national press agency Dire, in Corso d’Italia 38/A.
Sponsored by Pfizer Italia as part of the broader ‘A Dire il Vero’ project to combat misinformation, the seminar is part of the program of the Digital Meet, the largest Italian festival on the literacy of businesses and citizens, which began last October 21 and ends on Sunday October 27. During the event, experts and professionals in communication and information met to discuss a proactive and multi-faceted approach to the problem of fake news. And if there is one area in which fake news is more dangerous than ever, it is health. Hence Pfizer’s involvement in the initiative.

“Fake news in the medical-scientific field – explained Pfizer Communications Director, Biagio Oppi, during his speech entitled ‘An opportunity for PR? The media literacy project A Dire il Vero’ – can cause damage to citizens’ health: we saw it during the pandemic and even more so today. It is a duty for those involved in communication in the pharmaceutical industry to promote responsible communication and correct information, trying to encourage media literacy in the medical-scientific field, especially among the youngest”.
On the same wavelength Maria D’Amico, journalist, spokesperson for the General Director of the Policlinico Umberto I in Rome, in her speech on the topic ‘The journalist and health information’. “The work of the communicator in healthcare is fundamental – she highlighted – because in the health sector and especially in emergencies, those who communicate well fulfill an exercise of democracy and make citizens informed, involved, responsible. In healthcare, communicators are the key figures to start and strengthen the counter-narrative of our national healthcare system against which fake news have acted like demolishing moles“.

On the need for this operation of in-depth analysis and correct information on the topic represented by the meeting, among others, Ruben Razzante, professor of Information Law at the Catholic University of Milan, most recently author of the book ‘The Government of Artificial Intelligence’, who spoke on ‘Artificial Intelligence and Protection of Information Quality’, agrees. “The world of information – he stated – can benefit from the use of Artificial Intelligence solutions, both in the construction and dissemination of quality professional content and in actions to counter fake news, but it is necessary to strengthen the training of journalists in this area so that they are ready to take up this technological challenge”.

On the communicators front,Sergio Vazzoler, partner of Amapola, focused on Responsible Communication, ideally 18th SDGs goal. “Too often – he said – we choose the shortcuts of simple regulatory compliance, of communication standardization, which shuns responsibility, and, even with new digital tools and artificial intelligence, we are subjected to the irresistible charm of prêt-à-porter communication, which gives the illusion of saving precious time and gaining efficiency. But in this way we limit ourselves to providing our personal details as in the police station instead of declining our identity singularities with passion, responsibility and creativity. And instead of addressing the contradictions, we end up just sidestepping them!”.

He was echoed by Massimo Alesii, Owner A.G.T. Communications. “Being on the field, at the center of a catastrophic or emergency event and bringing with you a wealth of professional experience in communication – he asked those present – makes the difference between a journalist sent and a Public Speaker involved in the event for professional or community issues? What principles should Public Speakers refer to when acting to defend and protect the interests of the Organization they work for or even the Community against information attacks that could damage their reputation or worse influence decisions regarding primary, economic or financial interests?”.
“Professional Ethics, present and defined for Journalists and Public Speakers – he then added – is a possible common platform, in some circumstances, that contributes to the prevention and control of disinformation especially if based on the sharing and implementation of social relational processes necessary to address the changes in progress”. “They told us that artificial intelligence can increase information disorder – the intervention of the Director of Giornalettismo, Gianmichele Laino – especially the generative one. Mosai.co has always been committed to defending freedom of the press, to supporting independent publishing. Once again – he informed – we would like to demonstrate that every technology can be or not be good, since the purpose with which the technique is expressed is always and only a human choice. Technology, even if increasingly seen as an enemy of man, could still transform itself into an ally”.

At the end of the seminar ‘Fighting fake news. Duty and opportunity towards responsible communication’, the General Secretary of Ferpi, Daniela Bianchi, reiterated the commitment of the Association, which through training initiatives like this one, aimed at both members and non-members, aims to enhance professional awareness of how and to what extent communication and public relations are first and foremost an act of Responsibility, and to underline the significant impact that these disciplines can have on society. “Disinformation is one of the evils of our time. To combat it – he said – it is not enough to have widespread media and digital literacy or to strengthen professional media, as the Undersecretary for Publishing, Alberto Barachini, rightly underlined. It is also essential that we, as professionals in communication and public relations, recognize our impact and assume the responsibility of conveying accurate and verified information”.
“Only by exercising this responsibility – concluded Bianchi – can we act as a true ‘antibody’ against disinformation”.