The problem of fake news has plagued the entire world in recent years and Pakistan is no exception.
In order to counter fake news concerning the Pakistani government and its institutions, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) had launched a dedicated Twitter account in October 2018.
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Titled “FakeNewsBusterMoIB,” the account points out social media posts with false information.
While explaining the purpose behind the creation of this account, the then Information Minister, Fawad Chaudhry, had said:
The objective of social media is information, education, and knowledge sharing. It should be based on truth and should not spread #FakeNews and disinformation, to achieve ulterior motives. Otherwise, it will erode its credibility.
Director-General MoIB’s Cyber Wing, Suriya Jamal, has been spearheading the FakeNewsBusterMoIB since its inception.
Each post on the MoIB’s FakeNewsBuster carries a big “FAKE NEWS” label in red and a statement which reads as:
Disseminating #FakeNews is not only unethical and illegal but it is also a disservice to the nation. It is the responsibility of everyone to reject irresponsible behavior. Reject #FakeNews.
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Journalists, whose stories have been labeled as fake news, have raised hue and cry, claiming that the government has been using FakeNewsBuster to single out journalists critical of its policies. In reality, only a handful of stories are marked as fake and the ones that are, get a proper response from the related parties.
Dr. Arsalan Khalid, Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Digital Media, and Azhar Mashwani, Chief Minister Punjab’s adviser on Digital Media, have rejected the claims of the journalists and vowed to continue separating facts from fabrication.
Via: Arab News
