Editorial | Sift fake from real

Any big situation has a potential of generating misinformation. If the fake and fictitious is deleted from history, voluminous  books will reduce to small pamphlets. In our age of swift and ever generating information, it has become even bigger a challenge. Governments around the world are finding it hard to stop wrong and problematic information from being disseminated. And given today’s means of communication it is just not possible. That is the reason the emphasis has now shifted to sensitising people about the information they receive on various things, while at the same time try to develop cyber laws so that those deliberately spreading false information can be dealt with. The problems posed by false and fake information compound in a crisis situation. At a time when the world is fighting this huge battle against covid pandemic, the challenge to discern fake from real is no less formidable. When people are already gripped by a fearsome situation, and the anxiety levels are high, some people don’t desist from spreading wrong information.

It adds to the atmosphere of stress, and also shifts the focus of the people to other things. So it is important that as responsible members of the civil society we all stay alert and don’t allow ourselves to be carried away by any false input on covid crisis. There are authentic sources that keep us updating about the spread of this disease, and also guide us on how to behave while fighting this pandemic.  We should rely on the information coming from these authentic sources alone. We should share that information with others as well, so the pool of right and credible information widens. At the same time we must equip ourselves to identify fake information, and then apprise our friends and family about that. This way the impact of false news can be minimised. In this hour of stress, anxiety, and fear it is very crucial that we stay informed, and refuse to become targets of any fake information.

   

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