Don’t be gullible. Be vigilant. Be safe

I REFER to the Sunday Star report, “Most fake news related to governance” (Oct 11, online at bit.ly/star_ beware).

Fake news is a modern-day scourge that is not likely to go away anytime soon. So the public needs to know how to live with it and know how not be deceived by it.

As most would know, fake news is incorrect information presented as credible news. It is often generated to damage the reputation of persons or governments or for making money or political advantage.

Fake news worldwide is so pervasive that people often mistake the good for the bad or vice versa and are consequently clouded in their thinking, leading to negative or harmful thoughts and actions.

In the end, it’s the general public that has to bear the consequences, especially during elections and other occasions when public opinion is formed.

Malaysia is not spared. Since 2017, when the authorities started monitoring fake news, a whopping 11,000 tip offs have been received by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). Its portal, sebenarnya.my, has received more than 200 million hits by a public anxious to know whether a particular news item is true or false. And that is probably only the tip of the iceberg. The most prevalent fake news is related to governance at 37%, crime 14 %, health 14%, consumerism 13%, and security 9%.

Fake news undermines trust in the traditional and serious news media – the newspapers, radio and television. It imposes an unnecessary burden on journalists who have to sieve through facts and verify the truth of events before publishing the real news. This is an unnecessary burden on those working hard to keep the public correctly informed.

How will the public cope and how should they respond when they come across shady tales and twisted information? We must resist the temptation to immediately pass news on to others through such platforms as WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, Line, etc. Pause, ponder and check before sharing with friends, family and colleagues. Consult fact check sites on the Internet. For Malaysia-generated news, check with Sebenarnya.my.

And if these portals say the news is fake, delete it at once.

We already have Covid-19, economic woes, a climate crisis and other issues to occupy our minds and energy without having to waste time on fake news.

There was a time when some newspapers resorted to harmless April Fools stories on April 1, but these were quickly debunked the next day. It was a prank devised to provide comic relief. But today’s fake news is designed to cause irreparable harm and damage to individuals, businesses and governments. So don’t be gullible. Be vigilant. Be safe.

TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE Chairman, Alliance For a Safe Community