Dr Sara Chinnaswamy, associate professor of Mara University of Technology, Malaysia, presently working as a visiting professor of Melbourne University, Australia, attended a one-day lecture series held at Ambedkar University, Mhow, on “new media policy and women empowerment’’. She was felicitated by the vice chancellor of the university, Prof Asha Shukla.
While talking to The Pioneer, Sara Chinnaswamy said that presently, she is doing an extensive study on the emerging trend of fake news on social media platform in South East Asia. She said that internet is becoming a tool for fake news and for misinformation and political hoax.
The trend is that information is manipulated to influence people’s voting behaviour. It confuses people and hinder decision. Due to fake news, media has a difficulty in reporting the truth. Indian media consumption is very big.
Now, time has come for the people to be media-litereate.
Every country should have a digital policy and the digital policy should be at par with the latest technology. Parents need to educate children regarding the truth and fake aspects of social media and how to differentiate between the true and false information present on social media platform. Social media literacy should be spread in society and parents should learn technology gadgets so they can keep vigil on their children’s activity on social media. Cyber bullying is very high and we should educate our children not to be afraid of cyber bullying. The Government should impose penalty on fake news provider and it should be punishable under the law. The public relation officer of Ambedkar University, Dr Keshav Patel, was also present.