The Ministry of Information is Getting Ready to Launch its Zero Fake News Campaign
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PHNOM PENH — The Ministry of Information is finalizing the last details of its campaign to promote the diffusion of factual information, which will soon be launched in the country.
Tep Asnarith, spokesperson for the ministry, said on Jan. 4 that the campaign will start with the promotion and dissemination of measures whose goals will be to prevent the spread of fake news, promote the effective use of social media and share information.
“Due to the digitized world we live in, technology delivers happiness and convenience to people,” he said. "At the same time, the spread of fake news is becoming a serious concern.”
The Ministry of Information intends to help raise public awareness regarding the consequences and dangers of fake news, Asnarith said, adding that combating fake news is something that is being mentioned not only in Cambodia but throughout the world.
“The ministry is looking forward to seeing active involvement from all people, especially from social media and internet users, to take part in combating fake news,” he said.
People should verify the source of an information, check whether it comes from credible and reliable sources before trusting what is being said, Asnarith said.
In addition, a person should take the time to think before sharing any information on social media, or sharing it with friends or family, he said.
To combat fake news, Asnarith also called on journalists to only report factual information and this, from several angle and with reliable sources. “Journalists are the key players to counter fake news,” he said.
Puy Kea, a Cambodian veteran journalist and the president of the Club of Cambodian Journalists, said on Jan. 6 that fake news are being seen nearly everywhere. When a fake news is being spread, the main sources including governments, the authorities should take immediate action through their ministers and spokespersons, he said. Without delay, they should explain or present the facts to the professional journalists, post any required correction, statement or disclaimer to refute fake news, Kea said.
The public should also have a good understanding of social media, he said. Simply put, they should reflect on the issues before sharing on social media, he added.
“In addition to the public, citizen journalists are now also playing an active role in disseminating the news,” Kea said. “To avoid the dissemination of fake news, citizen journalists should also adhere to professional ethics and strengthen their professional skills.
“Professional journalists also play an important role in verifying immediately any false information or fake news with the relevant institutions,” he said.
“To answer how effective this Zero Fake News Campaign will be,” Kea said, “this heavily depends on the above-mentioned actors who play the important roles in countering fake news.”
Nop Vy, executive director of CamboJA, said the Zero Fake News Campaign has been implemented for two years already. Having a successful campaign is quite hard to achieve unless the public has a good understanding of fake news and how to counter fake news, he said.
“Only to promote the dissemination of factual information will not fully get rid of the main sources of fake news,” Vy said on Jan. 6. “Training on fake news should be provided to the public, as I personally believe this will be more effective than just verifying a fake news once it is already being spread.”
Journalists should ask at least two credible and reliable sources before reporting any news, Vy said. Any news without enough sources or with anonymous sources should not be published, he said.
