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Media urged to strengthen role as watchdog against fake news, propaganda — UN special rapporteur

November 17, 2017 10:58pm
By JESSICA BARTOLOME, GMA News

A United Nations special rapporteur urged the media to cover the dissemination of fake news to help address the issue.

Professor David Kaye, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, made the comment in a video message during the Regional Fake News Conference in Dusit Thani Manila on Friday.

"Journalists should cover fake news stories, because of their relevance. And they, and fact-checking organizations should address disinformation and propaganda, not only after the fact, but they should develop tools of debunking (fake news)," he said.

The forum was held by human rights advocacy group Centerlaw and the Advocates for Freedom of Expression Coalition-Southeast Asia (AFEC-SEA).

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The media, he said, has a critical role for it remains to be the watchdog of society.

"The media should support appropriate self-regulation, strive to achieve the highest standard of accuracy. They should also include coverage of the phenomena of dissemination (of fake news) and propaganda...in line with their watchdog role in society," Kaye said.

State actors, he said, should also avoid disseminating and spreading fake news, and instead promote accurate information about government, public health, and the environment, among others.

Private sectors, such as social media and search engine companies, also have a significant role in the fight against fake news, because it is both a technology and human problem.

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