The government has called upon the country’s all print and electronic media organizations to remain vigilant and avoid using anonymous, fake, or unregistered platforms as sources of news. This call comes as inaccurate information, misinformation, and false reports containing AI-generated images and contents are creating confusion among the public.
Ensuring Journalistic Standards
In a special notice, the Press Information Department (PID) highlighted that some government-registered and declaration-approved media outlets have recently published inaccurate information, misinformation, and false reports containing artificial intelligence (AI)-generated images and misleading contents. Such practices are entirely contrary to the fundamental principles of objective journalism.
The government has urged all media organizations, including newspapers, television channels, radio stations, online news portals, online editions of daily newspapers, and IP television services, to strictly adhere to the terms and conditions of their signed declarations and registration policies.
Consequences of Non-Compliance
Failure to comply with these responsibilities may compel the government to take action against the concerned media outlets under the existing laws and regulations, said the PID. Verifying the authenticity of the information, maintaining professional and responsible journalistic standards, and conducting fact-checking are essential obligations for all media organizations before publishing any news.
The PID further noted that many media outlets have fallen victim to misinformation by relying on social media and other unreliable sources as the basis for news reporting. Consequently, false information and manipulated contents are finding their way into mainstream media. For this reason, fact-checking prior to publishing or broadcasting any news is indispensable and mandatory for all legitimate media organizations.
In some instances, media organizations have already acknowledged their mistakes, expressed regret over publishing false reports, and issued corrections through their respective platforms.
