Mitex LeoWithout electricity for more than one and half an hour. Because DESCO is having issues with their billing servers 🙄
One of the most pressing issues in Bangladeshi journalism today is the misuse of press freedom. Respected newspapers and television stations frequently make significant errors without issuing corrections. Only after direct confrontation do they take minimal steps to amend their mistakes.
Just yesterday morning, we spent hours countering a flood of fake news concerning Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the freedom fighter status of four of our independence heroes. Despite our clarifications, some news outlets took hours to remove the false stories, and most did not express any regret. Nevertheless, their reports led millions, including Indian media, to accuse the Interim Government of pursuing a "revisionist agenda."
Later that night, one of the country's leading news outlets made a grievous translation error regarding the "Humanitarian Corridor" issue. Despite our repeated clarifications that no such corridor was being offered, the mistranslation falsely attributed statements to a top UN diplomat in Bangladesh.
This led to a surge of angry reactions on social media, with respected politicians citing the incorrect translation and demanding explanations from the Interim Government. The newspaper quietly removed the erroneous translation without -- initially -- acknowledging the correction, leaving other outlets and commentators unaware. I had to contact DW Bangla at midnight to remind them to rectify their mistake.
Since assuming my current role, monitoring and combating fake news in social and mass media has become a significant part of my daily responsibilities. The prevalence of disinformation is so extensive that it would require a dedicated team of 200 to effectively address it. The most disheartening aspect is witnessing influential individuals, commentators, and politicians disseminate falsehoods without any accountability.
Fake news has real-world consequences. The spread of disinformation contributed to the 2017 Rohingya genocide, which remains a major foreign policy and humanitarian crisis for us. Fake news can destabilise political environments and has the potential to incite violence against legitimate governments.
A researcher once suggested that misinformation surrounding the BDR Dal-Bhat program may have played a role in the 2009 massacre of 57 military officers. Globally, fake news and disinformation have led to violence against minorities, including thousands in India, the world's largest democracy.
In Western countries, media outlets face substantial penalties for disseminating false information. For instance, Fox News agreed to pay $787.5 million in damages for broadcasting false claims about the U.S. election. British newspapers regularly incur fines for publishing defamatory content about public figures.
In contrast, in Bangladesh, prominent TV commentators often spread misinformation about celebrities and public officials without verifying facts. Their demanding schedules leave little time for fact-checking, and the lack of repercussions means there's little incentive to ensure accuracy.
When spreading falsehoods carries no consequences, there's little motivation for anyone to invest time in verifying facts.
- Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the Chief Advisor
#DhakaDiary#Bangladesh #Freedom #Journalism #News #Politics
Just yesterday morning, we spent hours countering a flood of fake news concerning Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the freedom fighter status of four of our independence heroes. Despite our clarifications, some news outlets took hours to remove the false stories, and most did not express any regret. Nevertheless, their reports led millions, including Indian media, to accuse the Interim Government of pursuing a "revisionist agenda."
Later that night, one of the country's leading news outlets made a grievous translation error regarding the "Humanitarian Corridor" issue. Despite our repeated clarifications that no such corridor was being offered, the mistranslation falsely attributed statements to a top UN diplomat in Bangladesh.
This led to a surge of angry reactions on social media, with respected politicians citing the incorrect translation and demanding explanations from the Interim Government. The newspaper quietly removed the erroneous translation without -- initially -- acknowledging the correction, leaving other outlets and commentators unaware. I had to contact DW Bangla at midnight to remind them to rectify their mistake.
Since assuming my current role, monitoring and combating fake news in social and mass media has become a significant part of my daily responsibilities. The prevalence of disinformation is so extensive that it would require a dedicated team of 200 to effectively address it. The most disheartening aspect is witnessing influential individuals, commentators, and politicians disseminate falsehoods without any accountability.
Fake news has real-world consequences. The spread of disinformation contributed to the 2017 Rohingya genocide, which remains a major foreign policy and humanitarian crisis for us. Fake news can destabilise political environments and has the potential to incite violence against legitimate governments.
A researcher once suggested that misinformation surrounding the BDR Dal-Bhat program may have played a role in the 2009 massacre of 57 military officers. Globally, fake news and disinformation have led to violence against minorities, including thousands in India, the world's largest democracy.
In Western countries, media outlets face substantial penalties for disseminating false information. For instance, Fox News agreed to pay $787.5 million in damages for broadcasting false claims about the U.S. election. British newspapers regularly incur fines for publishing defamatory content about public figures.
In contrast, in Bangladesh, prominent TV commentators often spread misinformation about celebrities and public officials without verifying facts. Their demanding schedules leave little time for fact-checking, and the lack of repercussions means there's little incentive to ensure accuracy.
When spreading falsehoods carries no consequences, there's little motivation for anyone to invest time in verifying facts.
- Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the Chief Advisor
#DhakaDiary#Bangladesh #Freedom #Journalism #News #Politics