Govt to launch campaign vs online misinformation, disinformation

The Marcos administration said it will implement a nationwide program that will fight misinformation and disinformation online.

File photo: Facebook's web interface

PH government vs fake news

According to a report by CNN Philippines, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Cherbett Karen Maralit said through the campaign, the "most vulnerable communities" will acquire the knowledge and resources they need "to be discerning of the truth as they engage in various social media channels and platforms."

We will work to improve the citizenrys ability to think critically and analyze information. The first step towards this end is identifying reliable and credible sources of information, the government official said in a statement.

The PCO said Maralit announced this during a side event at the 67th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) at the UN headquarters in New York.

The campaign will be done through a "context-based and factual grassroots approach." This will also include a collaboration of the PCO and the private sector, specifically the broadcast industry.

Maralit said the PCO "wish[es] to achieve this goal with both sensitivity, balance and respect for constitutional rights."

She noted a study will be done this month to identify the communities where media literacy is needed most, as well as the social media platforms through which these communities are most vulnerable to fake news. This will also list the topics that misinformation and disinformation mainly focus on.

Once completed, the government will launch a nationwide campaign and hold a media literacy summit by the end of the year.

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Via: CNN Philippines