Unraveling the Web: Mastering Narratives to Counter Disinformation and Shape a Resilient Future for Pakistan Introduction Disinformation as a Tool of Influence Defining Disinformation Its Impact on the Environment The Current Global Landscape (2023) Understanding the Usage Paradox Examining the Pakistan Landscape (2023) The Changing Face of Reality Reality in the Physical World Reality in the Digital World Mixed Reality: Blurring Boundaries The Changing Pakistan Embracing Change Evolving Realities Exploring Different Realms of Reality Relevance to Audience Generating Information in the Evolving Landscape Importance of Credible Sources of Information Dealing with Information Information Disorder and its Implications The Role of Credibility in News Consumption The Fourth Industrial Revolution Shifting Industry Dynamics Balancing Information Accessibility with Credibility The Biggest Risks for 2024 Projecting Risks Faced by 4 Billion People in 60 Countries Conclusion Importance of Navigating Disinformation in Shaping a Resilient Future Encouraging Audience Engagement and Inquiry Thank You Backup Slides Information vs. News: Understanding Credibility Prevailing and Emerging Trends in Media Consumption Industry Realignment: Adapting to Changing Media Consumption Patterns

1. Unravelling the
Web:
Mastering Narratives
to Counter Disinformation
and Shape a Resilient Future
for Pakistan
Understanding
the Landscape
of Disinformation
in the Media Age
Global Trends and
Implications on Perception
and Narratives
AMIR JAHANGIR
The Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies
CASS – LAHORE
25 JANUARY 2024

2. Disinformation as a Tool of Influence?

3. Disinformation?

5. The Environment

6. The Current
Global
Landscape
(2023)

7. 62.8%
14.8%
11.4% 0.7%
10%

8. The Usage Paradox
32.8%

10. The Pakistan Landscape
(2023)

13. Future
of
Jobs
Report
2023
24
Pakistan
Total Population: 238.1 million
Working Age Population: 85.8 million
Dependent Population: 152.3 million
K E Y F I N D I N G S

14. The Changing Pakistan
Youth Population (below the age of 35 years)
27,374,590 175,378,337
146,769,685Working pop
104,612,906Dependent Pop
221,727,789
243,126,637working pop
124,681,817Dependent Pop

16. The
Change

17. With All This,
Reality
Is Also
Evolving..........

18. UPSIDE
---------
DOWN
Reality

19. DOWN
---------
UPSIDE
Reality

20. Reality

21. Now on Internet
Reality

22. Reality
Physical World

23. Reality
Digital World

24. Reality
Mixed Reality

25. The Changing
Face of Reality

26. Reality

28. This Changes the Nature
and Understanding of
Reality

29. A person can be:
 in multiple places at the same
time (metaverse)
 Speaking a fact in one
metaverse can be a lie in
another
 Having different personalities
in different places
 Motivated by different
aspirations
 Can have different talents and
skills
 Will be able to generate and
move wealth digitally

30. You can have
multiple
characteristics
within a
character

33. Your Relevance?

34. With All This,
You Are
Generating
Information

35. Interest in Information
Time
Space
a
b

36. Time
Space
a
b
Importance of Information

37. Why
Do We
Need
Credible
Sources of
Information?

38. Need for Credible Sources of Information:
Information is the basic element of human socialization. According to cognitive and social
learning theories of mass communication information gained by different sources of mass
media is processed by the individuals of the society which stimulates social wealth
economic well-being, political wisdom, and ultimately intellectual asset of the society.
Model: Media Credibility Index: Jahangir, Puruesh, Haseeb, Qaiser: 2012
Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall - Bandura - 1986
http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/DLiT/2006/news/social_learning_theory.htm
Sources of
Information
Credible
Social
Wealth
Economic
Well-being
Cultivates
TRUST
based
Prosperous
Society
Political
Wisdom
Un-Credible
Information
Dilemma
Uncertainty
Distrust
The right information
enables people to make
the right decisions for a
more self-aware process.

39. What To Do With
The Information?

40. Intellectual Asset Model:
Social Economic Political
Individual Social Equity Ownership
Wealth
Activism
Private
Enterprise
Social Wealth
- CSR, CSV, ESG
Awareness
Capital
Wealth
Lobbying
Public Sector Citizens’ Welfare Growth,
Development
Governance
 The intellectual asset is defined as the knowledge, experience, and skills that
individuals have, which a society can use for its benefit.
 The intellectual asset is used by individuals, private and public sectors for their social,
economic, and political objectives to save social order, economic prospects, and
political securities which affects the behavior of the individuals and the attitude of the
societies.
Intellectual
Asset
Model

41. Information Disorder

43. Why The World
Is Concerned
Now?

44. The Fourth Industrial Revolution
Courtesy Source: World Economic Forum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCGV1tNBoeU&t=9s

45. Changing Industry
Dynamics
Courtesy Source: World Economic Forum

46. Impact of the
Fourth Industrial
Revolution (4IR)

47. 240 million
50.01 million
Digitalization Impact
Potential

48. 62.8%
14.8%
11.4% 0.7%
10%
The Ability to Influence the Truth
and Shape Narratives

49. The Moment of
Truth

50. • The world is increasingly being defined by digital disruption,
generative artificial intelligence (AI), and polarizing ideologies,
the need for trustworthy media has never been more critical.
• The media landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and
with the proliferation of AI, the battle to rebuild trust in media and
tackle disinformation has become a pressing concern.
• Trust in news is at an all-time low, with only 40% of the population
worldwide placing faith in the information they encounter.
• Concerns surrounding disinformation, fake news, and the
influence of AI on news consumption have intensified, painting a
disconcerting picture of the media ecosystem in 2024.
What is Happening?

51. information is free
knowledge has a cost

52. The Biggest Risks
for
2024

57. 4 Billion People
60 Countries

62. Question Answers

63. Thank You
aj

64. 25
Under embargo
until May 1, 2023
email: aj@mishal.com.pk | cell: +92.300.855.5161 | X: @amirjahangir | fb.com/amir.jahangir | insta: @ajjano

65. Backup Slides

66. Information vs. News
Characteristic Information News
Definition Refers to knowledge or data about a subject
Specific type of information, newly received
or noteworthy
Timeliness
Can be timeless, not necessarily linked to
recent events
Time-sensitive, associated with recent or
current events
Relevance
Covers a wide range of topics, relevance
varies
Designed to be relevant to the public,
addresses current events
Medium of
Communication
Communicated through various mediums
like books, articles, databases
Disseminated through news organizations
(newspapers, TV, radio, online news
platforms)
Purpose
Educate, provide context, offer
comprehensive understanding
Inform the public about recent events,
developments, or issues
Authorship
Generated by individuals, experts,
researchers, or organizations
Produced and disseminated by professional
journalists or news organizations

67. Information Credibility as News
• Information credibility is one of the most researched topics in
journalism.
• Generally, people evaluate the quality of news based on
information credibility, which can lead to subsequent use of the
news, both as a source and information.
• Credibility is found to be related to public concern and civic
engagement, which are the necessary ingredients for a more
communicated, informed, and engaged citizenry.

68. Trust’s Currency is Credibility
• The reward for trust has been in various forms and currencies,
however, the biggest currency that governs trust in
relationships both individual and/or societal level is and will
remain credibility.
• Credibility is the ability to install trust or belief in a person or
institution, with respect to one's competence, skill, or character.
• It is an invaluable currency that can generate awesome results
when it is built. Credibility is crucial in relationships, and it can
drive whether we get the sale, the next date, or get the attention
of our teenagers.

69. How to establish credibility in Relationships:
Credibility
Building trust
Trustworthiness
Being authentic
Building rapport
Being assertive

70. Source: Media Credibility Index
How to Measure Media’s Credibility:

71. Courtesy Source: World Economic Forum

72. By 2069, Every Person
On Earth Will Have
Internet Access - ITU

74.  The media ecosystem in 2024 is an intricate
web of digital, mobile, and platform-
dominated environments.
 The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift
towards this “new normal,” compelling
journalists and news media to carve out their
spaces to connect with an increasingly
digital-savvy public.
 However, this digital transformation has
brought both opportunities and challenges,
with an ever-growing array of platforms and
channels for information dissemination.
The New Normal?

75.  The declining interest in news is an alarming trend.
 Economic factors are also playing a role in the media landscape.
 High inflation has sparked a cost-of-living crisis, causing people to
rethink their spending priorities.
 Paying for news subscriptions has become a difficult decision,
especially in an era where information is increasingly available for free.
 Global ad revenue for print media has dropped significantly, and the
rise of generative AI threatens to further disrupt business models.
 AI could enable search functionality that doesn’t require users to click
through to access content, posing risks to media business models that
rely on traffic and advertising revenue.
Prevailing and Emerging Trends

76.  Audience preferences are shifting.
 More and more people are getting news
from social media & contributing as well.
 Younger generations exhibit a weaker
connection with traditional news outlets
and a stronger affinity for content shared
via social networks, search engines, and
aggregators.
 This shift in consumption patterns poses
challenges for news organizations striving
to maintain their relevance and credibility.
Changing Content Consumption Patterns

77.  In this evolving landscape, the primary casualty is TRUST.
 Trust in media is declining, and the reasons are multifaceted.
 The Edelman Trust Barometer 2023 reveals that fewer people,
especially those with polarized mindsets, trust the media.
 Trust in media is not only declining but also recognized as a driving
force behind polarization.
 The erosion of trust in the media is both a cause and a consequence
of extreme polarization, indicating a vicious cycle that media
organizations must address.
Erosion of Trust – Rise in Polarized Mindset

78. Industry Realignment
 The media industry’s growth has decelerated, and the
challenges it faces seem tough.
 More than 20,000 media professionals have lost their jobs since
2018.
 More than 40% are doing the same job at lower salaries
compared to 2012-16
 The industry needs to find ways to adapt and evolve to
remain relevant and trustworthy in this rapidly changing
environment.

79. The media
consumption
patterns are
changing!
• Satellite TV Viewership:
• 22 million
• Median age of 45+
• Passive viewing
• Mostly urban and peri-urban
• Declining every month due to migration
into digital
• Digital migrants
Digital Viewership:
• 71 million* a potential of 90+ million (internet users)
• Median age of 15
• Active and interacts
• Mostly urban, peri-urban, and others
• Increasing every month - adopting ICT digital skills
• Increasing numbers of digital natives.
• They love the screen!, which fascinates,