The Tool Against Disinformation

Ferdinand L. Sanchez II, Juan Felix and Robert Komiks

Since the 2016 national elections, disinformation in the Philippines has evolved adapting to dominant interventions against fake news. Fact-checking, digital literacy, and platform moderation became go-to-solutions, but disinformation actors developed ways to circumvent these tools, impacting Filipino society in the succeeding elections. Disinformation then became more than spreading lies. It exploited systemic vulnerabilities and deepened social cracks leading to further inequality and polarization.

While not all is lost, our tried-and-tested efforts alone do not suffice. Robert Komiks’ cartoon emphasizes the robust toolset needed to effectively and holistically respond to disinformation’s impacts. Counter-disinformation tools and their artisans must draw from the expertise of different sectors to sustain innovation and collaboration. Diverse and new actors can offer unique perspectives to address immediate and emerging problems of disinformation.

About the artist

Arvee D. Lao/Robert Komiks is a mechanical engineer and a self-taught illustrator/graphic designer based in Marikina City and Lucena City, Philippines. His cartoons focus on societal issues, social media trends, and slices of life, tackling various themes such as the spread and evolution of disinformation, corruption and incompetence of politicians, international affairs, etc.

Previous Image: Art against Disinformation

This illustration is part of the Academics and Artists addressing Social Challenges initiative

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