Thiruvananthapuram: The police-led arrangement in Kerala to take action against fake news was not targeted at any specific individuals or mainstream media houses and will not affect media freedom in any way, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Thursday. The objective of the Anti-Fake News Division was to bust fake news, share authentic government information, create educational content that encourages people to be more alert and sensitive to misinformation and they work closely with the Police department to bring the culprits to book, he said.
“Fake news is not just a matter of harm or good to any individual, organisation or government, but it’s a disaster that affects the society as a whole. The spread of fake news endangers democracy itself,” he told reporters here. The Left front government last month set up the Anti-Fake News Division headed by an ADGP rank police officer to prevent the spread of misinformation on coronavirus in the state. It has also formed a Fact Check division under the Information & Public Relation Department (IPRD) to check the facts of news and messages, especially on social media.
The Police would take stringent action against those indulging in creating and spreading fake news in the state, it was stated. Vijayan said there have been instances when even the major mainstream media houses have engaged in such activities.
He said the fake news related to COVID-19 should be taken very seriously at this stage. “This move is not targeted at any individual or organisation. It is part of our social commitment, a move to protect the lives and property of our citizens. I request all media outlets that uphold media ethics and morality to fully cooperate in this fight against fake news, Vijayan added. PTI RRT VS VS 09172322 NNNN.
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