DIGITAL MEDIA: DEALING WITH MISINFORMATION DURING PANDEMICS (By-Niraj Kumar Seth)
DIGITAL
MEDIA: DEALING WITH MISINFORMATION DURING PANDEMICS
Authored By-Niraj Kumar Seth
“Satyamev Jayate”
(From the Indian Emblem, meaning “Truth alone
triumphs”)
Introduction
To Digital Media
Digital Media has proliferated at an
exponential pace in the 21st century.
It offers a multitude of advantages by seamlessly connecting people at an
affordable cost. Facebook and Twitter have made social or digital media the new
buzzword for communication. Even official announcements of governments and
international organizations like World Health Organization, are published over
twitter these days. WhatsApp has become a household name for messaging and
video calling. Falling cost of internet data, proliferation of smartphones,
widespread digital literacy among masses and popularity of social media sites
have spurned a digital media revolution. While digital media offers many
benefits, it also poses certain challenges to the governments all around the
world over content regulation. Misinformation and Disinformation is the single
biggest threat that digital media brought with it in our lives.
Misinformation
Or Disinformation
Misinformation basically means an
information that is misleading and false, at least in some respect.
Disinformation on the other hand is the deliberate act of spreading fake
information. In recent times, there is a raging debate over fake news and
misinformation being proliferated over social media in public domain. Doctored
videos with superimposed audios and manipulated graphics have become a law
& order issue, especially during times of elections. False narratives are
created to alter public opinion to one’s favor. Cambridge Analytica is a case
in hand. It carried out profiling of millions of users of social media site,
Facebook. Such organized data on user profiles are then used to feed them with
misinformation and disinformation. Biases and prejudices of individuals are exploited
to create a suitable narrative which favors the perpetrators of such
misinformation campaign. Women, marginalized sections of society, children are
at a higher risk of being targeted by such malignant elements. Reputations
could be tarnished overnight with lethal consequences. False and misleading
videos and information, emanating from doubtful sources with no credibility can
trigger crimes or change the fate of an election in a short span of time. The
effects are devastating on the society as a whole.
Digital
Media V. Traditional Media
Lately, traditional media outlets
like newspaper, radio and even Television, are shrinking in size, reach and
presence. The reason is obvious, social media and digital news, available at
click of a button, are technologically superior and much more convenient to
viewers than traditional media. They are much more affordable and offer more
flexibility. Traditional media are losing touch with common folk. Advertisement
revenues are declining with fall in viewership/readership. This has only fueled
the ability of digital media to amplify the effect of misleading news on
public. With readership or viewership as large and diverse as traditional
media, digital media has a vast disinformation potential. Any fake news that is
posted over internet, doesn’t get verified and crosschecked as has been the
rule in traditional media. As a result, the unverified information gets
forwarded and shared among huge number of people at a lightening pace. Print
media has virtually become economically unviable and there is an increasing
number of newspaper outlets, adopting digital platform to publish their news
content.
Misinformation
During COVID Over Digital Media
COVID 19 was the latest theatre of
misinformation and fake news over digital and social media. The pandemic caused
by novel coronavirus has caused around 3 million deaths till date. It had
brought the government and administration to its knees. There was an acute
shortage of medicines, oxygen supply, ambulances and even hospital beds. People
were struggling to get space in crematorium for their loved ones who succumbed
to COVID. At such a moment of time, the least we expected was some credible
information relating to COVID, medical facilities and vaccination drives. But
that wasn’t the case. Misinformation had been the rule and credibility an
exception. The most shocking instances of misinformation include the rumors
about use of cow excreta or urine as an effective alternative to allopathic
medicines. The most dangerous fake news situation was created at the inception
of pandemic when a particular community was being targeted for spreading COVID
19. Fake news and disinformation propagated by certain mischievous sections
portrayed a community as the cause of explosion in COVID cases, with an aim to
polarize the public opinion against them.
Policy
Recommendations
Governments all across the world are
baffled on the issue of misinformation over digital media. Regulating
activities over internet is not an easy task. Even the US government couldn’t
prevent misinformation campaigns that led to the victory of Donald Trump and
polarization in American society. How should India deal with misinformation and
disinformation on COVID like pandemics in future? Policymakers need to design a
uniform and effective policy to curb the menace, which may include the
following measures as its core –
·
As
a start, education and awareness about disinformation and misinformation among
public should be prioritized.
·
A
regulator should be established with exclusive jurisdiction and
responsibilities to look into cases of misinformation or disinformation and to
regulate activities of digital media outlets.
·
Digital
media outlets must be asked to get themselves mandatorily registered and
disclosure regime on periodical basis should be laid down.
·
Every
digital media outlet should have an officer dealing with complaints about fake
news or misinformation over its platform.
·
Stringent
internal review and validation should form part of self-regulation.
·
Government
should immediately enact a law regulating digital media, penalties and
punishment for perpetrators of misinformation, prosecution of offenders and
their black listing.
·
Misinformation
campaign targeting individuals, especially children and women should be dealt
with strictness.
·
Right
to Privacy is now a fundamental right after the judgement of supreme court in
the case of K. S. Puttaswamy. Rights and privacy of patients should be
particularly protected.
·
Any
misinformation on availability, efficacy and price of drugs should be dealt as
criminal offence.
·
Unlicensed
and untested products, posing as ayurvedic or homeopathic medicines for COVID
19 like pandemics should be seized and their manufacturers and sellers shall be
penalized.
·
Any
misinformation targeting a particular community or religion should be dealt
strictly, as it may have law and order ramification.
·
A
war room should be created at central, state and district level to identify
each such instances of disinformation and label them as such.
·
Volunteers
from universities and colleges may be engaged in this activity.
·
Citizen
participation is of utmost importance, as they are the ultimate audience and
consumers of such toxic news.
·
A
portal shall be created to report cases of disinformation by citizens. Awareness
drives in rural areas with involvement of trained ASHA workers can make people
more vigilant about risks of misinformation.
·
Social
media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, etc. should be made more accountable for
any misinformation related to COVID like pandemics on their platform.
·
Online
marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart must delist any product that falsely
claims to be effective against COVID like pandemics or misrepresentations about
approval or certifications.
·
Vaccine
hesitancy caused by disinformation over side effects of vaccines must be
immediately countered with authentic and credible information through televised
press conferences of medical experts.
Conclusion
Misinformation during pandemic may
act as fuel to fire. Government needs to devise effective policies to curb
misinformation and disinformation. Regulation and oversight over misinformation
should no longer be left upon digital media outlets. Right policies, timely
implementation and community participation should be the way forward.