Interview with Masato Kajimoto

Masato Kajimoto is professor of practice in the University of Hong Kong’s Journalism and Media Studies Centre, specialising in misinformation research and news literacy education. In 2019, he established Annie Lab, a student-run fact-checking newsroom that debunks misleading stories from around the world. 

Where and when were you born and how has this shaped you?
Nagoya, Japan, in 1970. Although I left Japan 27 years ago, I feel that my roots are always in my home country. Japan is my first reference point no matter what I encounter in other countries, be it weather, food, tradition, common norms, politics, the legal system, or anything else. I wouldn’t be who I am today had I been born and raised elsewhere.

What made you decide to transition from journalism to academia?
Journalism is exciting. It lets you explore different topics, meet people from all walks of life and experience things you wouldn’t have imagined before. But at the same time, it is a fast-paced industry. Personally, I was always interested in research too and decided to apply for a PhD programme so that I could take time to delve deeper into the areas I am passionate about.

What’s one thing you wish everyone knew about misinformation?
It is a technique used in human communication ever since our civilisations existed. We tend to believe and spread false and misleading narratives because we are all human. We are naturally emotional beings. Misinformation preys on our fear, anxiety, frustration, mistrust, hate, envy, confusion, conviction, faith, arrogance, desire, vanity and all sorts of psychological traits. We need to make a conscious effort to learn how to keep calm, think rationally, apply logic and evaluate the accuracy and factualness of information.

What are the biggest trends you’re witnessing when it comes to misinformation in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong is not that different from the rest of the world in this field, although outright political misinformation is no longer conspicuously observable, presumably due to the implementation of relevant laws in recent years. Just like everywhere else, misleading information gains traction when it touches upon socio-culturally divisive issues, emotional topics and uncertain futures. Natural disasters, scandals, wars, public health emergencies, the Olympics, tragic accidents and other big news events often trigger a deluge of questionable claims.

You set up Annie Lab, a student-driven fact-checking newsroom at HKU, in 2019. What made you decide to set it up at that time?
Actually, it goes back to before 2019. I have been teaching fact-checking since 2012. During the two-month-long civil unrest in 2014, often called the Umbrella Movement, our students decided to go beyond the classroom and began publicly showcasing the results of their investigations. It gave us an idea to think about how our journalism programme could contribute to society. Our efforts have gone through a couple of different iterations and, in 2019, we eventually settled on the campus newsroom we now call Annie Lab. It coincided with the year-long intense street protests in our city, and our project instantly gained attention from international media and journalists.

Is artificial intelligence making your job easier or harder?
As an academic, I sift through all sorts of documents, snippets of notes, interview recordings, conference memos and other material every day. I have incorporated some AI tools into my workflow and, so far, it has been very helpful. I have not yet taken advantage of the technology in my teaching, though. In the field of fact-checking, “deepfake” content created by generative AI tools is a concern, and we have been actively testing different ways to tackle the problem. 

How popular are journalism courses in Hong Kong?
Unfortunately, I must say journalism is not as popular a future career choice as it used to be among our students. But journalism courses are still popular because many students understand that the skills they learn and acquire have broader applications in many fields, such as corporate communication, public relations, creative work and other industries.

What are the best and worst things about your job?
I love what I do for a living, which is both a curse and a blessing. It is great because I genuinely feel that my areas of expertise – news literacy education, fact-checking practice and misinformation research – are my calling. My job gives me a sense of purpose and achievement. At the same time, though, it never ends. It gets tiring because it is hard to draw a line and find a balance between work and everything else in life. A lot of projects I am involved in, like the Annie Lab newsroom, are a labour of love beyond what I am expected to do as part of my job duties.

What’s your most memorable moment from when you were a student?
I was an exchange student in Tennessee in my third year at uni. After the programme ended in May, a friend of mine and I decided to drive a car from there to Buenos Aires, Argentina, during the summer holiday. What we had was a junky, 11-year-old station wagon, and it broke down many times on the way. In the end, it took us two-and-a-half months to go through 11 countries. I will never forget that trip.

What advice do you give to your students?
What goes around comes around, even though it might not appear that way. The skills you acquire in journalism education go a long way. Keep it up and your time will come.

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com

CV

1990-94 BA English and American literature, Chuo University
1998-2000 MA journalism, University of Missouri-Columbia
2001-04 Reporter, CNN, Hong Kong
2006-13 PhD in sociology, University of Hong Kong
2006-09 Lecturer, Department of journalism, Hong Kong Baptist University
2010-present Lecturer, assistant professor, associate professor and now professor of practice, Journalism and Media Studies Centre, HKU

Appointments

Alan Chan is joining Singapore Management University as provost, succeeding Timothy Clark. Professor Chan, who has been provost at the Chinese University of Hong Kong for the past five years, will take on the new position in April. Previously he has held roles at the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University. SMU president Lily Kong said that Professor Chan would bring a “wealth of knowledge and experience”.

William Howell is moving to Johns Hopkins University as inaugural dean of the School of Government and Policy. He will assume the new role in January after nearly two decades at the University of Chicago, most recently as Sydney Stein professor in American politics. Johns Hopkins president Ron Daniels hailed him as “an enterprising and dynamic scholar and academic leader”.

Michael Mann will be the University of Pennsylvania’s inaugural vice-provost for climate science, policy and action. He is currently a professor in the department of earth and environmental science. Meanwhile, Lisa Bellini has been named senior vice-president of academic affairs for the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Clare Gough has been appointed chief student officer at Aston University. She was previously academic registrar.

Barbara Stöttinger has been named dean of executive education at HEC Paris, after almost 10 years as dean of the Executive Academy at WU Vienna University of Economics and Business.

Arun Agrawal will be inaugural director of the Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative at the University of Notre Dame. Presently he is professor of governance and sustainability at the University of Michigan.

Jennifer Schlueter is returning to the Ohio State University as dean and director of its Marion campus. Currently vice-provost of academic affairs at The New School in New York, she previously worked in Ohio State’s theatre department.