I&B Ministry drafts proposal to tackle 'Fake News'

Amidst a growing acceptance of the anomaly that is ‘fake news’, the BJP-run government at the centre feels that television channels should authenticate reports before broadcasting, said government officials on Friday.

Citing recent incidents where doctored material sourced from social media was being passed off as news, the information and broadcasting ministry plans to issue an advisory requiring television channels to run scrolls that alert viewers to the source of their information, reported The Hindustan Times.

In addition, if the television channels run a story that has its origin in social media, they will be required to issue a disclaimer specifying the source of the story.

The ministry’s plan of action is believed to have transpired in the wake of reports of unverified feed aired by television channels leading to panic and distress among the general public.

One such incident was reported earlier this week when Gujarat-based VTV was taken off the air for a day after it broadcasted controversial footage showing children being beaten purportedly at a state orphanage. The incident had actually occurred in Egypt.

Assam-based DY365 was also ordered off air from December 15 to 18 after it telecast a programme showing newborns being tossed in the air as part of a bizarre ritual.

When questioned over the expected notification, the News Broadcasters Association refused to comment on the proposal.

Since the inkling of a precise proposal is still in the works, an official notification from the ministry of information and broadcasting to television channels showcasing stories from unverified sources is yet to be issued.

Fake news is a type of yellow journalism or propaganda that consists of deliberate misinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional print and broadcast news media or online social media. It often employs eye-catching headlines or entirely fabricated news stories to increase readership, online sharing and Internet click revenue.

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