Ministry of Home Affairs has launched a campaign to combat fake news.
The four-month long campaign was launched on Monday, and seven prominent figures from media were appointed as ambassadors.
They are; VMedia's chief operating officer Mohamed Asif, Public Service Media (PSM) board member Maryam Waheeda, Mihaaru News' assistant editor Mohamed Hamdhoon, Maldives National University (MNU)'s lecturer Sham'aan Shakir, sports journalist Abdulla Azmeen, Vaguthu Online's Hussain Arban and former journalist Hussain Hassan.
This campaign, held in partnership with Baiskoafu, aims to make the public more aware through media and will use its ambassadors to do so.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Home Minister Imran Abdulla stated that safeguarding the community or a fellow citizen against the consequences of spreading false news stories is every citizen's duty.
The minister said that every citizen is burdened with the responsibility to stop the spread of fake news due to its consequences on society.
According to the minister, today's modern world is heavily influenced by the media. He stated that media influences not only corporations or institutions but also molds the government policies and the behavior and mindsets of individuals.
Therefore, he highlighted the negative impact of fake news on a global scale and the importance of addressing the issue.
Spreading fake news can destroy families, bankrupt businesses, create chaos and public unrest and possibly incite a war between countries. Therefore, the media is a very delicate communication tool.Minister of Home Affairs Sheikh Imran Abdulla
The minister also highlighted that one of the modern changes observed on a global scale is that the everyday social media savvy citizen is ahead of the media in the spread of information.
Hence, in today's modern world, every citizen is a journalist who has a broadcasting station in the palm of their hand.
