Disinformation Undermines Democracy, Damages Social Cohesion: Sneha Mehra IPS

Hyderabad, March 13: Disinformation undermines democracy, shapes public opinion, and damages social cohesion, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crime) Ms. Sneha Mehra I.P.S. Addressing the first offline workshop on Countering Disinformation for Urdu Journalists, the 2018 batch IPS officer said “Disinformation promotes distrust between the news organization and the public. Furthermore, it can also hinder public health efforts such as the anti-vaccination mindset of certain sections of the public during the Covid-19 pandemic.

 She added that “the public perception of information is dependent on the portrayal of information by journalists” which makes it even more important to provide accurate information. 

Speaking about the current disinformation landscape in India, she said “disinformation can even affect democracy.” Citing examples of Covid-19 misinformation, farmers’ protests against laws, and the Delhi riots of 2020 regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act created a false narrative that led to communal violence.

Challenges in Countering Disinformation:

It is difficult to identify disinformation until its too late. The lack of accountability of ‘news creators’ on social media gives them a free hand to propagate misinformation and disinformation. But there are strategies to counter disinformation. 

Strategies for Countering Disinformation:

Building media literacy and critical thinking, promoting digital literacy among the public, supporting independent and learned journalism, and building partnerships between civil society organizations and government bodies can help counter disinformation.

Interacting with Urdu media journalists, she lauded the contributions of fact-checkers and expressed confidence that a synergy between media organizations, government bodies, and civil society organizations can help journalists better fight fake news propaganda.

Steps to Identify Fake News:

Identify the source

Read beyond the headlines and check if fineprint matches the subject

Assess the author’s background – who is writing about what.

Verify if the information is supported by established or authorized sources.

Check the date –  when was it posted? Is it relevant today?