Phumzile Van Damme Profile picture
Sep 25, 2020 8 tweets 2 min read Read on X
“Some of America's most experienced foreign policy leaders are sounding the alarm about disinformation. From disinformation, from a few fabricated facts to full-scale propaganda campaigns, it has gotten serious.”
“The power of disinformation has spread so fast and so far, that in only a few short years it now infects almost every aspect of our lives... We can't keep treating it as a distant danger. Disinformation now needs to be treated like other top global risks.”
“So, what does it mean for a company to take a strong stand against disinformation? First, it's about recognizing that the problem has become bigger than your brand.”
“Companies need to invest in marketing campaigns that do more than sell a product or service, they help inform the public. Include more educational elements into your advertising.”
“And it's about more than the marketing budget. Companies have a substantial self-interest in creating more tools and technology to track disinformation. They will be one of the major beneficiaries of making content more credible.”

businessinsider.com/us-foreign-pol…
I feel a little like those people who raise alarm about a looming danger no one take seriously. Disinfo is one of the biggest threats to democracy globally. LGE2021 is going to be rough. Disinfo tactics have changed. Most get this info on social media. 99% in SA have smartphones
But y’know, I’ll do my bit ✌🏾 You cannot deal with disinfo with a letter to the editor, a rebuttal or ad, Disinfo tactics are much more covert, sinister & sophisticated. Measures must be in place to prevent possibly irreparable damage to your brand be it public or private.
The internet matters. What is said on the internet about you or your brand matters. If it is disinformation it may stick. People are more likely to believe negative over positive information. Have a Good Friday y’all. Sorry for the making it so bleak with this info. 😬❤️😘

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More from @zilevandamme

Jun 7
STOP posting photos of your kids online. Man arrives at kindergarten, says he’s 3 year old girl’s Dad. Her real parents arrive. At interrogation he reveals that he had found her photo online, needed to have her, found her school, looked for an open day & planned to kidnap her.
If you think this will never happen to you, please jolt your system into shock by watching this.

Start here if you don’t have time to watch the whole video. Image
Read 7 tweets
May 31
I don’t know what the takeaways from this election are, but so far it’s:

-CR: probably best to resign. The ANC’s performance was dismal. I don’t think he is an awful person. He means well. I like him. But to spare SA what could be months of ANC warfare. When elephants fight…
-Zuma: My Lord. 🙆🏾‍♀️ I don’t think democratic South Africa has or will see anytime soon this incisive, masterful & diabolical a strategist. His career ended on a very sour note. Through this MK effort, he has added an epilogue to his story of a Phoenix rising from the ashes.
Steenhuisen: Image
Read 11 tweets
May 27
The final instalment. Only the top 3, I’m afraid, these take a lot of time. 🥲

I don’t think this analysis is interesting, however I hope it will foster deeper understanding about why ANC voters continue to vote ANC.

Election 2024: The ANC and the Politics of Loyalty.

A 🧵🪡
1. We all know the ANC’s dismal record, including the party itself and its voters. The question of why the ANC continues to lead the country despite this knowledge is intriguing. The answer, in a single word: LOYALTY.
2. “ANC voters are stupid.” This grates me to no end. It’s a paternalistic view devoid of any attempt at understanding the complex dynamics that make the ANC supporter loyal.
Read 29 tweets
May 27
Campaign Messaging analysis continues. By popular demand: the Economic Freedom Fighters.

Election 2024: The EFF and the Politics of Anger.

A thread 🧵🪡
1. Preface: I mulled over whether I wanted to do this because I feared it would be misinterpreted and I’d have to spend time explaining. Anger is such a difficult concept to discuss as it relates to black people, given the harmful Angry Black trope.
2. The Angry Violent Black Savage trope has provided the perfect scapegoat to the Swart Gevaar tactician. I considered not wading into deeply complex territory that requires so much nuance. I did not want to provide fodder for those who trade on Swart Gevaar.
Read 27 tweets
May 26
The DA has spent this entire election hawking fear.

Shall we analyse the campaign messaging of the various parties & the underlying strategy behind each? Let’s.

I’ll start with the one I know best.

Election 2024: The DA and the Politics of Fear. #RescueSA

A thread 🧵🪡
1. The "politics of fear" refers to the use of fear by political leaders & parties to influence public perception & voter behavior. This approach often involves emphasising or exaggerating threats, dangers, or crises to gain support and consolidate power.
2. The politics of fear has as its specific goal is to distort the political reality of a nation by creating fear in the general population that is hugely disproportion­ to the actual dangers that the subject of the fear is capable of posing. It has various elements.
Read 26 tweets
May 25
1. If I may, I am really tired of the willing ignorance and mischaracterization of the role social media plays in South African politics by political "experts." I explained the what and how of social media data around politics y'day. Today is the why.

A thread. 🧵
2. Upfront, I must say that the role SM plays in politics is not determined anecdotally. It is evidence-based, scientific, theoretical work that merges data science, political science, behavioral science, comms strategy & others. It is a growing academic field and profession.
3. Perhaps let me start by explaining my work & how I can speak authoritatively on this subject & not "trust me, bro." I consult on disinformation combatting, digital rights & human-centered digital development. I typically work with development agencies, foundations, and NGOs.
Read 23 tweets

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