Seminar on ‘Challenges of Fake News in the Current Scenario’
Raipur, Feb 16
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that presently, fake news is not only affecting Chhattisgarh, but is a matter of grave concern for the entire country and the world. Earlier fake news were published only during Holi festival as a prank or joke, but now fake news has become a business. It has become a medium of defaming, provoking violence and winning elections, but now we need to understand that how far the news items can be considered as truth.
Chief Minister said aforementioned words in his address to the seminar held in Kushabhau Thakre Patrakarita Evam Jansanchar Vishwavidyalay, Raipur, on topic ‘Challenges of Fake News in current scenario’. He said- it is extremely said that our educated youth are getting affected by the fake news the most. A major reason behind this is that the youth no more reads newspaper and rather look on social media for news.
Chief Minister said that it is because of those misleading advertisements, citizens of the state lost a whopping Rs 10 thousand crore to chit fund companies in state. They kept advertizing misleading offers and their events marked presence of political people, which further helped them fool the people. This matter was politicized to a great extent, but what concerned me more is that that amount swallowed by chit fund companies included parents’ saving for daughter’s wedding, children’s education, pension money and some even had sold their property to get the amount to invest. We need to be careful about believing just any other advertisement we see.
Keynote speaker of the seminar was Prof (Dr.) Mukesh Kumar, Dean, Faculty of Mass Communication SGT University Gurgaon, told that fake news is spread to manipulate sentiments of people to provoke violence, disturbance and hatred among communities. It is important to promote media literacy in present time. Cyber Law Expert, New Delhi Mr. Virag Gupta and Editor of Digital BBC Hindi New Delhi Mr. Rajesh Priyadarshi also addressed the seminar, considering fake news trend as epidemic, which is needed to be controlled at all cost.
Vice-Chancellor of the university Prof. (Dr.) MS Parmar, while presiding over the programme said that technology and words are the tools that may be used for development or for destruction. Constitution of India has given us the freedom of speech and expression. If the current era of information technology promotes violence, communalism and radicalism, it should be stopped and controlled.
The programme was attended by Raipur West MLA Vikas Upadhyay, Advisor to Chief Minister Vinod Verma, Media Advisor Ruchir Garg, Commissioner and Director Public Relations Taaran Prakash Sinha, senior journalists, editors, and intellectuals along with large number of university students were also present.
