Youth Key against Disinformation

News Desk

Islamabad: Experts at a seminar on Tuesday were in consensus that youth can play an effective role in countering misinformation and disinformation during the upcoming elections.

They said that it is the prime responsibility of the youth to counter fake news circulating on social media platforms in order to make the general elections successful.

They were speaking at a seminar arranged by Accountability Lab, an Islamabad-based non-development organization, at Islamic International University, Islamabad (IIUI).

The purpose of the seminar was to explore strategies to counter misinformation/disinformation and the role of youth in holding free and transparent general elections.  The role of media and journalists particularly digital media journalists came under discussion.

Zile Huma, a deputy director of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), said, “It is the duty of journalists to seek facts and provide authentic information to the public to reduce the risk of spreading misinformation/disinformation in public.

NACTA Director Communications and Outreach Dr. Munir Ahmed said, unfortunately, the unchecked spread of disinformation/misinformation has created a culture of intolerance in the society, which is fueling further religious, political, and social extremism.

He said it is very important to see who gives importance to fake news and circulate it on different social media platforms.

This is the youth of the country who need to be vigilant while using social media apps in order to discourage the spread of misinformation/disinformation in the public.

Digital Media Experts Waqas Naeem said it is important for social media platform providers to continue their efforts to understand the risks of cascading ‘fake news’ and its influence on society at large.

Hence implementation of the fact checking-tools is significant in reducing the spread of fake news, and building trust and confidence in society, Waqas Naeed added.

Social media platforms provider should ensure that there is continuous monitoring of online activities triggered by the spread of fake news, he added.

Print/digital media journalist Shazia Mehboob said that countering misinformation/disinformation is an even more challenging problem where individuals with limited digital literacy skills are joining the online platforms in increasing numbers.

She said educational interventions focusing on increasing the ability of individuals to identify fake news should be increased to counter this complex issue.

The speakers of the seminar overall expressed serious concerns about the rising trend of fake news on social media platforms and urged the government to take immediate steps to tackle this complex issue.

Speakers also emphasized that efforts should also be made to counter misinformation through educational interventions