Misinformation has a direct impact on the credibility and image of governors as, if it goes to an information attack, denigration from outside, the main goal is to discredit the authorities, the elite of a state. Secondly, misinformation confuses the citizens, society and a level of subculture in society is thus established, PR and political communication expert Aurelia Peru, doctor habilitate in political sciences, stated in IPN’s public debate “Why information resilience is needed and how it can be ensured”.
Aurelia Peru said misinformation aims to generate fear in society or inside particular social groups. “The humans are built so that they are predisposed to believe something dangerous, negative, ugly rather than something nice. For example, they allow to be influenced in the case of a lie, misinformation, media lynching, defamation of someone – an opinion leader, a politician. Try to then come with a statement to condemn and refute a lie. You will not be believed. The people will remain faithful to the first information as a result of which you became the victim of media lynching. That’s why the lesson in communication, in a crisis situation is: keep silent as the conflict is only extended if you try to defend yourself,” she stated.
Aurelia Peru noted that the main instrument used in media, information wars is the influencing of human psychology that is the target when an opinion is tried to be changed, an electoral behavior is to be determined by inducing the fear of revolution and violence. In the current election campaign, the national information space wasn’t invaded by misinformation coming from outside. However, there were several geopolitical statements: of the director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service Sergey Naryshkin about the influence of the West and the reaction of a high-ranking official of the U.S. Department of State. “These two statements stirred things up in the context of the competition for the presidential office, from outside. Instead, the conspiracy was omnipresent. The element of conspiracy appeared when Socialist MP Bogdan Țîrdea in a book launch said that a mega-modern army of NGOs that spend millions of lei provided from outside and that promote and electoral candidate work in the Republic of Moldova,” stated Aurelia Peru.
“I see a big problem here. Education, political and civilizational culture in society are needed. On the other hand, the role of civil society, nongovernmental organizations is very important. In this connection, I want to say that these NGOs attacked by Bogdan Țîrdea also bear the blame as they should work more on the idea of humanizing the image of NGOs in Moldova. In Moldovan society, it is believed that there is an elite caste, well-trained, but closed people. Not many have access to these NGOs. This is a stereotypical approach that should be annihilated so as to change the perception of the image of NGOs in the Republic of Moldova.”
The public debate “Why information resilience is needed and how it can be ensured” was the 159th installment of the series “Developing political culture through public debates” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
