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Herald Malaysia
30-05-2025
- General
- Herald Malaysia
Malaysian Catholics embrace the call to gentle communication
The theme for this year, drawn from 1 Peter 3:15, Share with gentleness the hope that is in your hearts, speaks powerfully to Malaysia's multiracial and multifaith setting, where communication must be thoughtful, respectful, and focused on building bridges across differences. Across Malaysia, World Communications Day is being marked with reflection, prayer, and renewed commitment to using media for unity, not division. This year the Episcopal Regional Commission for Social Communications (ERCSC) of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, prepared a suite of resources for dioceses and parishes. These include: • A prayer booklet (in English and Bahasa Malaysia) • A video explanation of the Pope's message • A poster promoting the Church's role as a voice of hope and reconciliation All resources were widely shared across dioceses to support parish-based activities ( Diocesan Celebrations In the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu , over 30 Catholic media practitioners gathered on May 17 at the Archdiocesan Catholic Centre for a reflection session based on the theme. The session concluded with Mass celebrated by Msgr Nicholas Stephen. In the Diocese of Keningau , the diocesan radio, Radio Online Kekitaan (ROK) aired a series of interviews over nine days with Catholic media practitioners reflecting on Pope Francis' message, culminating on June 1. Meanwhile, in the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur , parish communicators were invited to the opening and blessing of Cahayasuara, the diocesan communications centre. The event included a short historical presentation, the signing of a commemorative plaque, and a keynote address by ecclesiastical assistant Fr Dr Clarence Devadass, who introduced new diocesan-parish collaboration initiatives. There was also a prizegiving for the winners of the art competition held earlier based on the theme.
Al Manar
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Manar
Iran Does Not Seek Conflict but Will Not Submit to Threats and Bullying: President
President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran is seeking increased cooperation and interaction with other countries, especially its neighbors, but it will never bow to any threats or force to relinquish its rights. Pezeshkian made the remarks on Saturday at the inauguration ceremony of communication and information technology projects, coinciding with World Communications Day. 'We seek peace, not conflict, but we will not submit to force and bullying either,' he said in reaction to some Western media reports that Iran is prepared to relinquish its scientific and research accomplishments as it engages in indirect talks with the United States. The president stressed that the Islamic Republic will never succumb to threats and 'will not give up on any scientific achievements across all sectors.' Saying that the world is changing, he emphasized the need to 'move towards excellence using the know-how of experts and scholars.' Pezeshkian also called for unity and avoidance of division to defeat 'unilateralism and totalitarianism of the United States,' adding that if Iranian elites show devotion and strive for the country's honor and pride, all problems and crises will be solved. The president said that every knowledge-based company must adhere to the necessary standards to be able to work properly. 'We need transparent and up-to-date data for management, policy-making, and monitoring, in order to reduce costs and increase the quality of work,' he added.
Malay Mail
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
AI-generated fakes and conspiracy theories fuel misinformation campaigns Pope Francis opposed, following his death
WASHINGTON, April 26 — The death of Pope Francis drew tributes from mourners around the world — and with them a wave of disinformation, old and new. Swarms of fake and misleading content interrupted the global rush of condolences that poured online for the 88-year-old Argentine reformer ahead of his funeral Saturday. The outcome was in some ways par for the course for the 12-year head of the Catholic Church, who spoke out fiercely against disinformation but was also a frequent subject of it. 'The tragedy of disinformation is that it discredits others, presenting them as enemies, to the point of demonising them and fomenting conflict,' Pope Francis wrote in a 2018 message for World Communications Day. He likened modern-day 'fake news' to the 'snake-tactics' employed by the serpent in the Christian origin story described in the Bible. 'There is no such thing as harmless disinformation,' he argued. 'Even a seemingly slight distortion of the truth can have dangerous effects.' Two years earlier, the pope had found himself an unwilling yet central character in one of the most prominent lies of the 2016 US presidential election, when a hoax saying he endorsed Donald Trump exploded online. The false story garnered the most engagement on Facebook of any election story in the three months before the vote, BuzzFeed News reported at the time. Several of the falsehoods that trailed his death appeared similarly aimed at misrepresenting his actions and connections. One widespread video appeared to show him swatting the hand of President Trump, whose deportation policies the pontiff had denounced. The clip was manipulated, however, and had originally aired as a joke on a comedian's late-night TV show. Another video, claiming to show Satanic rituals on display at the pope's funeral, turned out to be unrelated footage from Spain. In a third case, a photo of the pope meeting Holocaust survivors in 2014 was misrepresented as evidence that he was beholden to the wealthy Rothschild family, a favourite target of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. People gather along Via della Conciliazione street ahead of late Pope Francis' funeral ceremony, near the Vatican in Rome April 26, 2025. — AFP pic 'Content follows attention' The rash of disinformation underscores how bad actors seeking to farm engagement or push targeted narratives work to exploit the buzz around major events. Similar campaigns followed the deaths of other public figures such as Queen Elizabeth II, whose passing in 2022 inspired false claims about vaccines and paedophilia. 'In general, content follows attention,' digital literacy expert Mike Caulfield, the author of a book about verifying information online, told AFP. 'When someone dies, as morbid as it seems, people run to where the spotlight is and try to put on their show,' Caulfield said. 'For some people it's a chance to promote an agenda, and they connect the event or the figure to whatever political cause or conspiracy theory they generally promote. For others, it's just about the money, the trolling or the attention.' Numerous images generated by artificial intelligence — including an AI creation of Pope Francis draped in a rainbow LGBTQ Pride flag, and the now-infamous depiction of him wearing a white puffer coat that became an internet sensation in 2023 — also resurfaced after his death. They were joined by new fakes spread in multiple languages, one of which portrayed the pope's body in an open casket. Some AI-enabled images circulated alongside malicious links that led to scams or fraudulent websites, according to research from Check Point, a cybersecurity company. The pope cautioned against such deception in January, saying AI technologies 'can be misused to manipulate minds.' The message became one of his final warnings about disinformation. — AFP
Herald Malaysia
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Herald Malaysia
Pope's death triggers surge of disinformation
One widespread video appeared to show Pope Francis swatting the hand of US President Donald Trump Apr 26, 2025 Pope Francis (C-L) shakes the hand of holocaust survivor Eliezer Grynfeld (C-R) during his visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum in Jerusalem commemorating the six million Jews killed by the Nazis during World War II. (Photo: AFP) By AFP, WashingtonSwarms of fake and misleading content interrupted the global rush of condolences that poured online for the 88-year-old Argentine reformer ahead of his funeral on April outcome was in some ways par for the course for the 12-year head of the Catholic Church, who spoke out fiercely against disinformation but was also a frequent subject of it."The tragedy of disinformation is that it discredits others, presenting them as enemies, to the point of demonizing them and fomenting conflict," Pope Francis wrote in a 2018 message for World Communications Day. He likened modern-day "fake news" to the "snake-tactics" employed by the serpent in the Christian origin story described in the Bible. "There is no such thing as harmless disinformation," he argued. "Even a seemingly slight distortion of the truth can have dangerous effects." Two years earlier, the pope had found himself an unwilling yet central character in one of the most prominent lies of the 2016 US presidential election, when a hoax saying he endorsed Donald Trump exploded online. The false story garnered the most engagement on Facebook of any election story in the three months before the vote, BuzzFeed News reported at the time. Several of the falsehoods that trailed his death appeared similarly aimed at misrepresenting his actions and connections. One widespread video appeared to show him swatting the hand of President Trump, whose deportation policies the pontiff had denounced. The clip was manipulated, however, and had originally aired as a joke on a comedian's late-night TV show. Another video, claiming to show Satanic rituals on display at the pope's funeral, turned out to be unrelated footage from Spain. In a third case, a photo of the pope meeting Holocaust survivors in 2014 was misrepresented as evidence that he was beholden to the wealthy Rothschild family, a favorite target of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. 'Content follows attention' The rash of disinformation underscores how bad actors seeking to farm engagement or push targeted narratives work to exploit the buzz around major events. Similar campaigns followed the deaths of other public figures such as Queen Elizabeth II, whose passing in 2022 inspired false claims about vaccines and pedophilia. "In general, content follows attention," digital literacy expert Mike Caulfield, the author of a book about verifying information online, said. "When someone dies, as morbid as it seems, people run to where the spotlight is and try to put on their show," Caulfield said. "For some people it's a chance to promote an agenda, and they connect the event or the figure to whatever political cause or conspiracy theory they generally promote. For others, it's just about the money, the trolling or the attention." Numerous images generated by artificial intelligence -- including an AI creation of Pope Francis draped in a rainbow LGBTQ Pride flag, and the now-infamous depiction of him wearing a white puffer coat that became an internet sensation in 2023 -- also resurfaced after his death. They were joined by new fakes spread in multiple languages, one of which portrayed the pope's body in an open casket. Some AI-enabled images circulated alongside malicious links that led to scams or fraudulent websites, according to research from Check Point, a cybersecurity company. The pope cautioned against such deception in January, saying AI technologies "can be misused to manipulate minds." The message became one of his final warnings about
NDTV
26-04-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Pope Francis' Death Triggers Surge Of Disinformation He Fought Against
The death of Pope Francis drew tributes from mourners around the world -- and with them a wave of disinformation, old and new. Swarms of fake and misleading content interrupted the global rush of condolences that poured online for the 88-year-old Argentine reformer ahead of his funeral Saturday. The outcome was in some ways par for the course for the 12-year head of the Catholic Church, who spoke out fiercely against disinformation but was also a frequent subject of it. "The tragedy of disinformation is that it discredits others, presenting them as enemies, to the point of demonizing them and fomenting conflict," Pope Francis wrote in a 2018 message for World Communications Day. He likened modern-day "fake news" to the "snake-tactics" employed by the serpent in the Christian origin story described in the Bible. "There is no such thing as harmless disinformation," he argued. "Even a seemingly slight distortion of the truth can have dangerous effects." Two years earlier, the pope had found himself an unwilling yet central character in one of the most prominent lies of the 2016 US presidential election, when a hoax saying he endorsed Donald Trump exploded online. The false story garnered the most engagement on Facebook of any election story in the three months before the vote, BuzzFeed News reported at the time. Several of the falsehoods that trailed his death appeared similarly aimed at misrepresenting his actions and connections. One widespread video appeared to show him swatting the hand of President Trump, whose deportation policies the pontiff had denounced. The clip was manipulated, however, and had originally aired as a joke on a comedian's late-night TV show. Another video, claiming to show Satanic rituals on display at the pope's funeral, turned out to be unrelated footage from Spain. In a third case, a photo of the pope meeting Holocaust survivors in 2014 was misrepresented as evidence that he was beholden to the wealthy Rothschild family, a favorite target of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. 'Content follows attention' The rash of disinformation underscores how bad actors seeking to farm engagement or push targeted narratives work to exploit the buzz around major events. Similar campaigns followed the deaths of other public figures such as Queen Elizabeth II, whose passing in 2022 inspired false claims about vaccines and pedophilia. "In general, content follows attention," digital literacy expert Mike Caulfield, the author of a book about verifying information online, told AFP. "When someone dies, as morbid as it seems, people run to where the spotlight is and try to put on their show," Caulfield said. "For some people it's a chance to promote an agenda, and they connect the event or the figure to whatever political cause or conspiracy theory they generally promote. For others, it's just about the money, the trolling or the attention." Numerous images generated by artificial intelligence -- including an AI creation of Pope Francis draped in a rainbow LGBTQ Pride flag, and the now-infamous depiction of him wearing a white puffer coat that became an internet sensation in 2023 -- also resurfaced after his death. They were joined by new fakes spread in multiple languages, one of which portrayed the pope's body in an open casket. Some AI-enabled images circulated alongside malicious links that led to scams or fraudulent websites, according to research from Check Point, a cybersecurity company. The pope cautioned against such deception in January, saying AI technologies "can be misused to manipulate minds." The message became one of his final warnings about disinformation.
