Information &Broadcasting Team to Counter Fake News

NEW DELHI: The government has taken serious note of rising incidences of fake news on social media and digital platforms and has decided to set up a fact-checking module under the ministry of information and broadcasting, the government’s public relations arm, to identify such cases and take corrective action.
The decision was triggered by a spate of “fake” reports online, the latest being one in a section of Bangladeshi media that claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated CJI Ranjan Gogoi over the Ayodhya verdict. While the government was quick to clarify that the report was “malicious” and “fake”, sources said the matter led the PMO and the I&B ministry to conclude that a formal mechanism to tackle such fake news was needed urgently.

The government’s FACT Check module, which is to be initially manned by information service officers, will work on the four principles of find, assess, create and target (FACT), which involves round-the-clock monitoring of online news sources and publicly available social media posts. Since misleading information often finds traction through online influencers who are not bound by standards of ethics applicable to traditional media outlets, the team will also identify themes or stories that promote false and misleading information relating to the government and its agencies.

With the aim of protecting and insulating the government against such attacks, the team, which is expected to begin work shortly, will also assess the scale of engagement with the risk identified and establish whether it is appropriate to respond to the content. “The information will be flagged to relevant ministries or departments that it pertains to, with a recommended approach to response,” a government functionary privy to the development.
Sources said the team of information officers has also been mandated with creating appropriate content to “rebalance” the narrative and promote the government’s official position, and to target content to ensure that the government versions are visible and accessible to public. The FACT check mechanism, which will largely focus on online and digital content for now, will also be expanded to the electronic media later.

Source: TOI

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