The origins and consequences of news media’s securitization – introducing the concept of news security

• Authors: Filipiak Agnieszka , Wiśniewski Rafal
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

In the past several years, trends in both international security and media environments have led to successful securitization of news media. Amid growing debate about “fake news”, disinformation campaigns and hybrid warfare, news came to be viewed as a weapon of contemporary international conflict. Based on Adam Mickiewicz University’s experience of participation in a global education and research program “News Literacy” (devised at Stony Brook University, New York, USA) the authors would like to propose the concept of news security. It is a relatively new sector of security related to the public’s protection from deliberate disinformation and the manipulation of news. This relatively new and promising area of research is strongly connected to the broader concepts of human security and cybersecurity. Access to reliable and truthful information can be viewed as a human right and a precondition for stable and healthy functioning of democratic societies. At the same time, current threats to news security are highly conditioned by technology revolution in media (driven by digitalization and network effects). The article aims to present the concept of news security and its constituting features as another approach to study and practice of both human security and cybersecurity. It also includes insights and experiences derived from the authors’ participation in the “News Literacy” project, focused on critical media education for a better informed public. Analysis presented in the article focuses on identifying key drivers and characteristics of news’securitization taking place globally. The authors examine the statistical data on digitalization and media consumption patterns, as well as analyze a case study of disinformation. A typology of strategies employed by different states to ensure news security is presented and comments on their effectiveness are made.

Keywords

EN

disinformation; digital media; information security; civic education

• Publisher: Instytut Zachodni. Instytut Naukowo-Badawczy im. Zygmunta Wojciechowskiego w Poznaniu
• Journal: Przegląd Zachodni
• Year: 2020
• Issue: 1 (374)
• Pages: 313-328

Contributors

author

Filipiak Agnieszka

• Wydział Nauk Społecznych i Dziennikarstwa, Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza, Poznań

author

Wiśniewski Rafal

• Wydział Nauk Społecznych i Dziennikarstwa, Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza, Poznań