Citizens need credible information, not misinformation or fake news!

Misinformation on health emergencies, climate change, politics and various other sectors continue to haunt people on a daily basis

Sri Lankans faced a dilemma on Tuesday evening when the Police media division made contradictory statements regarding an assassination of an individual in Kolonnawa. The official media release indicated details of the incident which also added that the corpse had been sent to the mortuary of the Colombo National Hospital. But the Police media division later contradicted its official press release and went onto claim that the individual was in fact alive and is receiving treatment in the ICU. 
Citizens rely on official news channel as they don’t have to do the additional job of verifying information. But contradictory statements issued by public institutions undermine public trust not only in these institutions but on media as well. On Tuesday, three shooting incidents were reported and citizens who do not have access to social media rely on SMS alerts. But when law enforcement authorities make contradictory statements regarding an assassination, it certainly is a matter to worry about. 
One might recall the amount of misinformation, disinformation and fake news that did the rounds during the COVID-19 pandemic paving the way for an ‘infodemic’ amidst the pandemic. Therefore newsrooms felt the need to train journalists to check the veracity of information circulated on social media prior to publishing them on official media channels. There have been numerous instances when edited images were circulated on social media were published on newspapers, highlighting the dangers of misinformation and fake news. Tools to verify photos and fact-checking groups were later introduced to minimize the damage caused by misinformation and disinformation. 
Misinformation on health emergencies, climate change, politics and various other sectors continue to haunt people on a daily basis. While some may pass them as misinformation, it would have a negative impact on the majority of society mainly due to the fact that misinformation could polarize citizens. One of the downsides of fake news and misinformation on health emergencies is the fact that it would lead people to make decisions which would be harmful to their health. Research studies indicate that state propaganda and rumors attempt to suppress public discourse, which have been shown to negatively impact the populous, particularly in drawing connections to the instigation of violence, and influence voting behaviour. 
Sri Lanka is a country that promoted a herbal concoction made by a questionable medical practitioner during the COVID-19 pandemic. The then regime instilled a fear psychosis among the public by mandating COVID vaccinations and vaccine cards. However it did little to shed light on long term impacts of COVID vaccines and potential vaccine injuries. Citizens were left in the dark as they didn’t have access to accurate information regarding treatments etc. 
Over the past decades, misinformation has fueled the flames of conflicts and wars. Fake news erodes political trust. Some sources of misinformation, however, can be portrayed more accurately as working to shift trust from mainstream institutions to fringe organisations, or from one political entity to another. While a citizen decline in political trust can be harmful, an unwarranted increase in public confidence based on false stories would be similarly problematic. 
According to the United Nations Development Programme, information pollution is affecting citizens’ capacity to make informed decisions. Accurate information in the public domain is a vital element in a democracy. People have a right to make informed choices. In Sri Lanka, the ‘Right to Be Informed’ is enshrined in the Constitution through the 19th Amendment and is further regulated by the Right to Information Act, No. 12 of 2016. 
The alarming relationship between misinformation and violence has repeatedly manifested itself in numerous contexts, including the US, India, and Brazil. Misinformation fuels violence, racism, hatred among minorities and many other negative consequences causing severe divisions in society. Sri Lanka cannot afford to go down the same path of racism and communal violence due to misinformation. Therefore, public institutions, particularly the Police which is the apex body to maintain law and order in the country should be more responsible when issuing statements regarding assassinations and violence. There is absolutely no hurry for citizens to know the truth immediately, as long as they get the most credible information first.