Govt mulling legal measures to curb fake news: Information Advisor
Photo Collected
Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zaheed Ur Rahman said that the government is considering taking legal measures to prevent the spread of fake news.
Zaheed Ur Rahman said that spreading fake news is a crime. But many do not understand that this is a crime. Prevention of this is not very difficult but some legal measures have to be taken. The government is trying to prepare for this.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Zaheed ur Rahman said this while speaking as the chief guest at a seminar at Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) seminar room on Circuit House Road near Shantinagar in the capital on Saturday afternoon. Rumors and misinformation in the media: who is the victim? PIB organized this seminar titled ‘Who is Shikhari?’
The Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser said that the aim of the government is to build a fair democratic environment in the country. At the same time action will be taken against fake news in such a way that the media and the general public can be assured that effective measures are being taken to curb specific crimes.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Noting that the rumors have a link to global right-wing politics, the information adviser added that the crisis in the region is deeper than in other South Asian countries. Because, people’s media-related knowledge and digital knowledge are relatively less here.
Over the past 16 years, various structures and institutions of the state have weakened, democratic values have also been damaged—the effects of which are still present, the Information and Broadcasting Adviser points out.
Mentioning that many issues have become a kind of culture in the society due to 15 years of autocratic government, Zaheed Ur Rahman said that the policemen who were appointed and trained at that time are following the path directed by Sheikh Hasina. The same trend can be seen in mass media. Media workers who have been recruited in the past have worked for some purpose. Such intentional activities are associated with the tendency to spread fake news. Just as governments, individuals, institutions need accountability, media also needs to be accountable.
Regarding Bangladesh’s position in the index of freedom of media, the information and broadcasting adviser said that this was not the fault of the current government. This happened last year. In 2001, Bangladesh became the champion of corruption for the first time. It was not the BNP government’s fault, it was the previous government’s fault. In the next four years, Bangladesh improved its media freedom index. He expressed optimism that Bangladesh will improve in the media freedom index in the future.
In the speech of the special guest at the seminar, Susan Vaiz, Bangladesh representative of UNESCO, said that it is necessary to increase the information verification program to prevent the spread of false information. Journalists have to confirm it within a certain period. For this, he emphasized on improving the skills of journalists.
Susan Weisz says journalists need to have a clear understanding of artificial intelligence and algorithms. Besides, the ability of common people to understand news-related information should also be increased. At the same time, he called on the civil society to be vocal and the government to be careful about these issues.
Rajshahi University professor A-Al Mamun said that the right wing is spreading the most rumors in America. The right wing has a close relationship with Godi media in India. If we read the reality of the last two years in Bangladesh, it can be seen that there is a positive relationship between rumors and the right wing. Rumors are not just being spread, they have deep political connections.
Incidentally, the phrase Godi Media is primarily a negative or satirical term used in the context of Indian journalism and politics. It refers to a class of media which shows blind loyalty to the ruling government rather than playing an impartial role.
In the seminar, journalist and teacher Nazia Afrin Manami said that spreading fake information is a structural problem. Big economic forces work behind it. At the same time there may be political patronage.
Mamun Aur Rashid, expert in language technology, presented the keynote at the seminar through power point presentation.
It says that monetization (the process of making money from Facebook, YouTube or other social media) and political agendas can be linked to spreading rumours. The tendency to spread fake information increases when election or power transfer process comes up. Online media spreads this information more. Facebook is the most popular social media. The most common targets are governments or political figures.
PIB director general Farooq Wasif said in the president’s speech at the seminar, sometimes oligarchs (rich and influential people), big media, corporate media earn money by spreading false information. Their accountability to the government and people is important.
Dhaka Post Acting Editor Kamrul Islam, Fact Checker Kadruddin Shishir, Daily Samakal Senior Reporter Rajib Ahmed and others spoke in the panel discussion at the seminar.
0%
0%
0%
0%
