Strategies for checking misinformation: An approach from the Global South

Abstract

The manipulation of information to suit one’s vested interests is a growing hazard. It has elements of disinformation, misinformation and fake news, and lacks authenticity. Such manipulation and distortion of facts can have serious consequences for a community, especially in a diverse nation like India. It calls for strict measures and awareness to check this spread. Technology further catalyses such dissemination. Institutions, libraries, governments and the media are all deliberating effective means to distinguish fake news from authentic news. This article details some such initiatives. It discusses the Government of India’s Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, to curb such deceitful dissemination, elements of which can be replicable in other geographies. It spotlights the issue and underscores the need for media and information literacy for all to be more discerning during the reception, consumption and assimilation of information before responding to it. Further, the fact-checking initiatives and Information Technology Rules as taken and framed in India may be replicated in other countries.