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Misinformation Versus Freedom, Rights and Science

A GroundUp series on the right to be informed

We have argued that a right to be informed is urgent.

We are bombarded with more information than ever in history. It is becoming extremely hard to separate fact from nonsense. GroundUp has written an 11-part series called The Right to be Informed.

Today we publish the last article in our series. We discuss how strongmen rulers in several countries have used misinformation to erode trust in science, violate human rights and damage constitutional democracy.

Here are the articles in the series:

  1. Why we need a right to be informed (published 19 May)
  2. How the world has changed (published 19 May)
  3. Platforms versus publishers (published 19 May)
  4. What we can achieve with a right to be informed (published 21 May)
  5. How dangerous are the new technologies? (published 21 May)
  6. Omitting to publish (published 27 May)
  7. How the news industry has changed (published 27 May)
  8. Freedom of expression and the right to be informed (published 27 May)
  9. The attack on science (published 29 May)
  10. Principle of best current evidence (published 29 May)
  11. Misinformation vs freedom, rights and science (published 3 June)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Van der Merwe is approached by SANRAL one day who want to build a new highway through his donkey farm. Van is really concerned with how his donkeys can get from one side of the farm to the other without having to cross the highway and risk being injured or killed. He is promised that they will build bridges the highway so that his donkeys can cross under the highway. Van agrees and gives them the go-ahead.

    The highway is built and a year later the same rep goes to the farm to go see how Van and his donkeys are. He eventually finds Van under one of these bridges chipping away at the roof of the tunnel with a hammer and chisel.

    \”Mnr Van de Merwe, what are you doing damaging the highway bridge?\”

  2. Domkop – idiot [dom-kop] Similar to the German “dummkopf” or Dutch “domkop”, this term literally translates to “dumb head” and is a derogatory term used to describe someone who you think is stupid.Example: “Ag! You domkop! You broke my cell phone!”