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Fake News and Democracy
15 August 2017
It’s a pest indeed, the sudden rise of so-called fake news distributed via the internet and social media channels trying to influence public opinion. Authorities are panicking and their reactions may even prove dangerous to our societies, more dangerous than the fake news themselves.
Passing legislation making platforms block and/or erase fake news and their authors is censorship that opposes the right of free speech! This right is essential to democratic societies granting to express your opinions and beliefs, even it is mere nonsense. There are other and better ways to tackle the problem.
Yes, in digital environments also nonsense spreads rapidly. On the other hand, digital environments also react to nonsense at the same speed. The impact of fake news is limited since almost immediately another wave of corrections will be out. The problem is only for those serious media adopting too fast and un-reflected to something that appears to be spectacular.
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H.E. Ambassador-Designate of China Lin Songtian arrives in SA
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 Speaking to the press upon his arrival at O.R Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, Ambassador–Designate Lin Songtian said he is back in South Africa, recalling his many visits to the country before.
Having served on the African Continent, as Ambassador to Malawi and Liberia and having visited many African countries, he has considerable experience in China – Africa relations.
“Since the very first time when I set foot on the African continent in 1999, I have fostered a deep commitment to the cause of China-Africa friendship and cooperation and thereafter forged an unbreakable bond with my African friends,” he said.
Dr. Anil Sooklal, Head of Asia relations at the South African Department of International Relations who met Ambassador-Designate Lin on his arrival, referred to the caliber of the representative from China as an indication of the relations between China and South Africa.
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