‘Fight fake news to save journalism’
dubai — Journalists and media professionals need to innovate to overcome the challenges posed by an age in which misleading and unverified information “flows indiscriminately” across the digital sphere and “stains the noble notion of news,” according to Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development.
“That challenge, far more than the profitability of newspapers, challenges the traditional concept of journalism itself,” he said while speaking at the 12th edition of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) Middle East Conference in Dubai.
Looking to the future, Sheikh Nahyan called on journalists to strive to retain the core values of their profession — such as verification and independence — while at the same time thinking of ways to survive the challenges of the digital age.
Journalists and publishers must find innovative ways to tackle the challenges of misleading or inaccurate information in the digital age, according to Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development.
Speaking at the 12th edition of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WANIFRA) Middle East Conference, Sheikh Nahyan expressed concern that news skills are being “confronted” by information that “flows indiscriminately across the digital landscape.”
“That challenge, far more than the profitability of newspaper(s), challenges the traditional concept of journalism itself,” he said.
As an example, Sheikh Nahyan pointed to a 2016 study from Stanford University which found that many young Americans — despite being tech-savvy — have difficulty assessing the credibility of information that is found online, such as distinguishing between sponsored content and news items, which the study’s authors called “bleak”.
“I have no reason to believe that young people in other countries are significantly more discerning about the stuff that they read and watch on the Internet,” he said. “I rather suspect that most adults, as well, are at their level.”
The term “fake news”, Sheikh Nahyan noted, “stains the noble notion of news.”
“Whatever we call the stuff on the Internet, even sophisticated audiences find it increasingly difficult to distinguish between legitimate news...and materials that are created to persuade, sell, mislead or exploit,” he said. “Your news organisations may be able to innovate ways to increase the news literacy skills of your potential audience, but I imagine that the issue is the audience that neither reads your papers, nor visits your websites.”
“Your websites may well offer superb classes in news literacy, but few students will attend.”
To combat the problem of “fake news”, Sheikh Nahyan encouraged journalists and other media professionals to support programmes such as the US News Literacy Programme, which was established by journalists to provide young people with the skills they need to become smart, active consumers of news.
“Initiatives will not overnight transform billions of smart phone users into smart readers of news, but surely those initiatives and others like them deserve your fullest support and cooperation,” he said.
retain core values
Additionally, Sheikh Nahyan said that it was vital that journalists retain their core values — such as verification, independence, criticism and a “personal conscience” — while at the same time working to keep up with rapid technological changes in the modern age.
“As you create a firm position in the digital landscape and pay strict attention to your bottom line, you can and must continue to fulfil the central purpose of journalism, to provide citizens with accurate and reliable information they need to function in a free society,” he said. “Journalism that honours these principles must survive and flourish.”
bernd@khaleejtimes.com