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Wazzup Pilipinas!?
In the battle against disinformation, one truth has become abundantly clear: simply presenting the facts isn't enough. Despite extensive fact-checking efforts, the spread of “fiction” dressed as “facts” continues to thrive. A Pulse Asia survey recently underscored this fact, highlighting that the battle against false narratives requires more than just truth—it demands compelling storytelling. This article explores the role of narratives in shaping our beliefs, offering insights into why disinformation often triumphs and how we can learn from movies and TV series that tackle similar themes of truth, deception, and the power of stories.
The Human Mind: A Meaning-Yearning Machine
At its core, the human mind is a meaning-making machine. We seek patterns and simplifications to understand the overwhelming complexity of reality. In the digital age, where we are bombarded with information from all sides, it’s easy to gravitate toward stories that make the world seem more coherent, even if those stories aren’t entirely true. This instinct for simplification is a survival mechanism, allowing us to process the vast amount of information we encounter.
Much like how we consume media, the human brain is more likely to accept narratives that align with pre-existing beliefs or emotions, even when those narratives are factually incorrect. Stories, after all, are powerful tools for making sense of the world.
Why Fact-Checking Fails
For those in the fields of journalism, academia, and fact-checking, the battle against disinformation can feel like a Sisyphean task. Despite their best efforts to correct falsehoods, misinformation often prevails. The Pulse Asia survey points to the fact that mere facts, without context or emotional resonance, fail to compete with the narratives spun by those peddling fiction as truth.
Disinformation is not just about incorrect facts—it’s about telling better stories. The creators of fake news often craft narratives that tap into fear, anger, or desire—emotions that override reason. These stories don’t just present information; they evoke a response, making it easier for people to accept a false narrative because it aligns with their emotions or worldview.
Movies and TV Shows That Reflect This Struggle
Several films and TV shows explore themes of truth versus fiction, shedding light on the power of stories in shaping public perception. Movies like The Social Network (2010) and TV series like The Newsroom (2012-2014) offer a stark look at the role of media in constructing reality. In The Social Network, the rise of Facebook shows how a platform, founded on truth, can become a breeding ground for misinformation. It reveals how technology can amplify narratives that are more compelling, if not more accurate, than the truth.
Similarly, The Newsroom, with its idealistic portrayal of journalism, delves into the conflict between presenting hard facts and telling a story that resonates with viewers. The show’s central conflict revolves around the ethical responsibility of journalists to balance truth and audience engagement—a challenge that mirrors our current struggle against disinformation.
Films like Wag the Dog (1997) and The Truman Show (1998) take the theme of manipulated realities even further. In Wag the Dog, a fictional war is created to distract the public from a political scandal, showing how easily the media can craft a narrative that overrides reality. In The Truman Show, the protagonist’s entire life is a scripted narrative, questioning the nature of truth when everything around you is a constructed story. These films emphasize how powerful a well-crafted narrative can be in shaping what we believe to be true, even when it's far from reality.
The Power of Storytelling in the Battle Against Disinformation
If we want to combat disinformation, we must recognize that facts alone won’t suffice. Instead, we must learn how to tell better stories—stories that are not only accurate but also meaningful. The challenge here is significant. Many of those fighting disinformation are often detached from the very people they seek to influence. Intellectuals, scholars, and fact-checkers may be well-versed in facts, but they often fail to understand the emotional and cultural narratives that resonate with the audience.
This disconnection is beautifully captured in the TV series Veep (2012-2019), where the political elite's failure to connect with everyday people often leads to disastrous consequences. The show humorously yet sharply critiques how those in power sometimes view the masses as “beneath them,” forgetting that understanding the audience is crucial for influencing public opinion.
To tell better stories, those tasked with upholding truth must step away from their ivory towers and engage with the lived experiences of the people. This is a lesson that The Wire (2002-2008) teaches through its exploration of systemic issues in Baltimore, showing how stories rooted in the experiences of the city’s residents provide a deeper, more accurate view of reality than the abstract data and policies created by distant lawmakers.
Why We Must Tell Better Stories
In the battle between truth and fiction, the key lies in making facts meaningful to the audience. Without context, facts are inert; they lack significance and fail to resonate with people. In contrast, a good story gives facts context, making them relatable and engaging.
This is the underlying lesson of 12 Angry Men (1957), where a single juror’s story—one of doubt and questioning—ultimately sways a jury and changes the course of justice. The film emphasizes that stories don’t just inform; they transform. They offer new perspectives and challenge preconceived notions. This is why those who spread disinformation are so effective—they are masters at crafting narratives that tap into emotions, fears, and biases, making their stories feel more “true” even when they aren’t.
In contrast, to win the story wars, we must craft narratives that connect facts with the experiences, emotions, and values of the people. This is a challenge that many who fight disinformation today still struggle with—especially those in academia or the media who, like the characters in The Big Short (2015), often fail to recognize that their audience isn’t always receptive to the dry, detached presentation of facts. The real key is to make the story behind the facts compelling and human-centered.
The Road Ahead: A Call to Action
To win the fight against disinformation, we must embrace the art of storytelling. This means not just presenting the facts but weaving them into stories that are meaningful, relatable, and engaging. It’s not enough to merely “educate” the public; those fighting misinformation must engage with the world of everyday experiences—“the shadows and dust” where real people live.
Movies like Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) remind us that journalism once had the power to change the world by telling the truth in compelling ways. Today, those who seek to correct the record must take a page from these films: they must tell better stories. Only by weaving facts into stories that resonate emotionally and culturally can we hope to turn the tide against disinformation and ensure that truth wins in the end.
In the world of storytelling, it’s not just the facts that matter—it’s how we tell them. To win the story wars, we must all learn how to tell better stories. Only then can we hope to create a more informed, more truthful world.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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