Experts Reiterate Need To Fight Disinformation

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Victor Bolorunduro |The Peninsula

Doha, Qatar: With lots of misinformation and disinformation going on in the media space globally, rebuilding and restoring trust in the media is one of the major challenges facing mainstream media practitioners, and the challenge is even more difficult with the irresponsible usage of social media by many nowadays, media experts have said.

Speaking during a panel discussion at the second National Consultation in Qatar on Media and Information Literacy (MIL) organised by Unesco, in collaboration with the Qatar National Committee for Unesco and Al Jazeera Media Institute held at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), the experts noted that technology has significantly accelerated the speed at which information travels, and, unfortunately, one of the dangers with that is that consumers are constantly bombarded with genuine and fake information almost at the same time, making it difficult to separate the proverbial wheat from the chaff.

Earlier in his opening address, Dr. Ali Al Maarifi, the secretary general of the Qatar National Commission to Unesco, expressed that the objective of the consultation is to enhance comprehension of the MIL framework within the country. Furthermore, it aims at pinpointing areas that require assistance and establishing a comprehensive plan of action to promote the development and dissemination of MIL in Qatar.

The panel discussion, titled“The Role of the Media in Promoting MIL', featured the Editor-in-Chief of Al Sharq Newspaper, Jaber Al Harami, the Director of Qatar Media Center, Iman Al Kaabi, Gulf Times Editor-in-Chief Faisal Abdulhameed Al Mudahka, and Associate Professor, Department of Media, Qatar University, Kamel Hamidou.

“To mitigate the situation, our tested and trusted media institutions bear a responsibility to keep pace with this scenario and to have a presence in it. All hands must be on the deck to ensure that misinformation is combated as much as possible by practicing responsible reporting with a focus on providing balanced and objective coverage that prioritizes accuracy and context over speed,” Al Harami said.

Al Harami noted that the global media is experiencing a decline in trust primarily due to the prevailing rate of fake news and disinformation being pushed out on a daily basis, and that the media is facing a daunting task in maintaining its status as the primary source of information and educating the public.

“I've always emphasised that it is better to be late in publishing the news than to end up doing a recall or issuing an apology. Facts and accuracy must always be chosen over speed. But unfortunately, we are now in a world where speed is all that matters to many, with almost everyone competing to be the first to push out the news, notwithstanding whether it is factual or not. This must be looked into with all the seriousness it deserves,” Al Harami noted.

Kamel Hamidou emphasized the importance of the media in promoting MIL, stressing the necessity for media organizations to incorporate MIL principles into their operations to uphold quality journalism.

“The world is at a threshold where the need for responsible journalism cannot be overemphasized considering the proliferation of fake news that is out there. This kind of gathering could not have come at a more auspicious time. The lessons learnt from this gathering will no doubt impact positively on the media landscape in the region,” he said.

In her contribution, Al Kaabi underscored the Qatar Media Center's commitment to the promotion of media and information literacy in the country as well as its role in fostering a safe digital environment in the country.

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