KATHMANDU: Stakeholders have stressed that the media sector should work to prevent misinformation and hate speech during the election time.
They made such remark at an interaction organised by Nepal Voters’ Right Forum here on Wednesday.
On the occasion, Press Council Nepal Chairperson Bal Krishna Basnet said the media should stop disinformation and hate speech by duly following the code of conduct.
“It is found that non-journalists spread misinformation in the name of journalist rather that professional media during election. The state should take special measures to control misleading and false information from the social media”, opined Basnet.
A separate mechanism should be formed to control the social media, he shared and added that activities could be carried out remaining in the legal framework as press council works as the bridge between the government and media.
Similarly, Chairperson of the Federation of Nepali Journalists, Bipul Pokhrel, expressed the view that media should disseminate only right information by preventing the dissemination of misinformation.
All should be aware about the dissemination of misinformation and hate speech as such matter spread more during the election, added Chair Pokharel. Likewise, Executive Chairperson of Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), Dharmendra Jha, said it has become difficult to prevent the dissemination of misinformation and hate speech as such information is disseminated from outside rather than through the media.
“Other side outside the media is involved in disseminating false and misinformation. How to control such sides? It is difficult to avoid false and misinformation.”
Deputy General Manager of the Nepal Television, Arati Chataut, Editor of Online Khabar.Com, Shiva Gaunle, Editor of Ghatana Ra Bichar, Babita Basnet, and Forum Chair Bhakta Bishwokarma expressed their views on the occasion.
Advocate Santosh Sigdel had presented a working paper on ‘Disinformation/Misinformation and Hate Speech during Election’.
