By reporting on the underlying issues and factors fuelling disinformation, news outlets can play an important role in addressing electoral disinformation and raising public awareness.
Asad Baig, a media development specialist and director at Media Matters for Democracy (MMfD), said this during a webinar titled “Let’s Talk Disinformation” on Monday, October 9, 2023.
Organised by MMfD as part of a series on electoral disinformation, the webinar’s first episode focused on the role of Pakistani news media in combating mis- and disinformation during electoral processes.
The session was moderated by MMfD’s Comms Manager Ayesha Khalid and featured Baig and journalist Majid Nizami as speakers.
Baig stressed the need for a collaborative approach within the local media to effectively counter electoral disinformation, saying that fact-checking initiatives at news outlets have limited impact and the process itself requires time.
News organisations can, however, play a significant role in countering disinformation by reporting on factors that fuel misleading claims during electoral events.
Through such reporting, Baig believes, audiences can be educated about various drivers of disinformation, including the algorithmic set-up at online platforms that facilitates potentially harmful material and enables tech companies to profit off high engagement generated by misleading content.
Nizami remarked the “race” to be the first to report on a given development leads to a compromise in the quality of news. He said it is imperative that news organisations take responsibility for their actions in case of misreporting as it increases credibility issues.
During elections, the charged atmosphere in newsrooms often leads to some developments being attributed to “sources” when their authenticity, credibility, and origins should be of utmost priority, he said.
Baig remarked state intervention could also play a vital role in effectively countering electoral disinformation. For this purpose, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) can launch awareness campaigns in collaboration with nonprofit organisations that are working in the areas of mis- and disinformation.
Moreover, increased transparency is required around “social media cells” that are set up by political parties or their donors locally and abroad to monitor their campaigns.
More details on the webinar here: https://mediamatters.pk/exclusive-mmfd-launches-webinar-series-on-electoral-disinformation/
