Disinformation is becoming an increasing concern, particularly for Māori communities already carrying generations of distrust and mamae.
Now, a new book examining the tactics and rise of far-right movements, The Far Right Playbook, is bringing those conversations into sharper focus, with Tina Ngata among the contributors.
Tina Ngata is an expert in the field and says that those spreading it target people’s vulnerabilities,
“One of the tools of disinformation is that ka pā mai te mamae o te tangata, and so they target sites of mamae, and they target sites that are very emotional, to try and get an instant response out of you, and the most valuable instant response is to share their disinformation. That’s what they want.”
Ngata says: The common definition for disinformation is incorrect information that has been deliberately constructed to deceive and in order to achieve somebody’s agenda.
In Te Taitokerau, local Far North District Councillor, Davina Smolders, has been accused of sharing disinformation in a podcast with Duncan Garner.
In the episode, she claimed a Māori takeover was underway in the region and speculated on unlawful processes that included giving iwi more power to make decisions than was appropriate.
Fellow Māori Ward Councillor, Tāmati Rākena said at the time, “a mātou i tēnei wā ngā kai kaunihera, te nuinga o mātou e titiro tawhiti ana nē.
Wētahi e titiro ana me pēhea te tīkoki i te waka, he pirau kei roto i tēnei whare, nō reira ko taku hiahia i tēnei wā kia rapu ai kei waenganui i ngā tāngata pai kei roto i ngā kai kaunihera pai, he aha rā te rongoā me pēhea ai e tipaki ai i tērā mamae, i tērā momo pirau kei waenganui i a mātou?”
Ngata says it has been a long-standing issue.
“Yeah, co-governance discussions have been drawn into disinformation tactics for years now. Sometimes by bad faith actors online, sometimes by politicians.”
Ngata says the election will bring for Māori its own challenges in working out what is the truth and was is shared in bad faith.
“You know, Māori have very specific political power in a Tiriti-based nation and what we know about elections and disinformation is that the core goal for them is actually voter suppression is to try and tire you out, and to try make you give up, and to try and make you actually not vote?
She adds, “They’re not interested in leading you astray. So much as they’re interested in te whakapōhēhē o te tangata. They want to confuse you. And to the point where you don’t vote at all. And so those are some of the reasons why they target us; it’s our political power.
“But also, we’re very easy targets because we have these sites of mamae because of our experience.”Netsafe encourages whānau to look for evidence and understand the facts before believing what they may see shared."
For more information, the book Tina has contributed to can be found at: https://farrightplaybook.nz/
Nā Rukuwai Tipene-Allen nō Te Kūkupa News
