Press Information Department (PID) Peshawar, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Monday organized a two-day workshop for journalists of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on countering of fake news and disinformation in present era of social and digital media.
The seminar titled “truth in the digital era: strategies for countering fake news in Pakistan” held here at a local hotel. The seminar was addressed besides others by President Peshawar Press Club (PPC), Arshad Aziz Malik, senior journalists Asif Nisar Gayasi and Maeraj Farooq.
On the first day of the workshop, the participants were engaged in brainstorming and an extensive interactive session to combat challenges of negative propaganda, fake news and disinformation, which is spreading fast on social and digital media before verified by the journalists.
PPC President, Arshid Aziz Malik said that journalism was a sacred profession and 4th pillar of the state and credible news and accurate information is the right of people of Pakistan.
He said that fake news and misinformation have posed serious threats to society in the present era of digitalization and great responsibility rests on media outlets, journalists and editors to ensure that the provided information was true before its publication or airing on TV channels.
The speakers highly appreciated the endeavours of PID Peshawar, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for conducting such an important workshop on key topic for journalists of KP.
Enlightening the participants on the importance of countering fake news and negative propaganda, senior journalist, Asif Nisar Ghayasi said that journalists are eyes and ears of society and for the sake of honour and prestige of reporters and anchors should ensure that their filed stories are based on facts, accurate and authentic.
He asked the journalists and writers of Pakistan not to tilt towards a specific political party leader and avoid emotionalism. He highlighted the importance of verifying facts and figures before publication of a news story or column in newspapers, journals or air news or documentary besides keeping national interests and its impact on society in mind.
He said comments of a government official, politician or other personality against whom a story was being filed should also be included and underlined the need of such training to journalists by their respective organizations.
He appreciated PID Peshawar for holding such an important workshop for journalists of Peshawar.
Senior journalist Meraj Farooq said that fake news deprives people of credible information and adversely affects the image of a personality or an organization.
While highlighting the prevailing trend of negative propaganda and fast spreading of misinformation in the society, he said that propagandists impose their own opinion on others and urged journalists to verify their news stories after they surface on digital or social media. The other speakers said that media was an industry which often uses sensationalism to increase viewership and rating for monetary gains.
They said fake news and disinformation lead to weakening of the moral and social fabric of the society and urged media persons to verify social media’s news as it spread quickly before its publication.
The journalists thanked to PID Peshawar for organizing such an important workshop for journalists of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and expressed the hope that more such events would take place in Peshawar soon besides other divisional headquarters for education and information of young media professionals of the province.