PROLIFERATION OF FAKE NEWS CHALLENGING TO TACKLE, POSES RISK TO CREDIBILITY OF MAINSTREAM MEDIA - EXPERTS

By Ahmad Erwan Othman

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 28 (Bernama) -- The proliferation of news portals on social media with extensive reach has made tackling fake news increasingly challenging, and poses a risk to the mainstream media's standing as a reliable source of accurate information.

Journalists are tasked with reporting events based on verified information, and violating the Journalism Code of Ethics by disseminating inaccurate news is considered a serious offence.

Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) journalism lecturer Fadzillah Aishah Ismail cautioned that the spread of unverified or fake news could trigger "new disasters" if left unchecked, negatively impacting media practitioners and companies.

Citing recent articles from several portals claiming that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was among the world’s wealthiest leaders without credible sources, she expressed concerns about hidden agendas aimed at tarnishing the leader's reputation.

"If these portals rely on unreliable sources, it erodes readers' trust in their writers and the credibility of the news outlets in the long term. Even if they later report accurate stories with credible sources, readers will remain sceptical," she told Bernama.

"The situation worsens when political opponents exploit this, damaging the Prime Minister’s image and fostering public distrust," she added.

Fadzillah Aishah further explained that from a legal perspective, false news publication could harm the Prime Minister's reputation, and the aggrieved party could pursue legal action against the journalist or the media outlet.

"This often happens because inexperienced journalists fail to distinguish between credible and non-credible sources in their rush to be the first to publish sensational news online. When they encounter such information, they get excited and report it without verification.

"Additionally, new journalists may lack access to more relevant sources. Such articles should not rely on a single source but instead verify facts with media officers, the Prime Minister’s Office, or other credible channels," she said.

Meanwhile, Assoc Prof Dr Mazlan Ali, a lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s (UTM) Perdana Centre, Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, argued that such reports often had specific agendas, such as aiming to sensationalise issues or undermine the credibility of prominent figures.

He dismissed claims listing Anwar as the 17th richest leader among 18 globally as baseless, noting that many Malaysian leaders or politicians possessed greater wealth but did not declare their assets.

Mazlan clarified that the information was derived from a November 2022 report when Anwar, also the PKR president, declared his net assets.

"Looking at Anwar’s track record, he has never been implicated in integrity issues or self-enrichment, even now as Prime Minister.

“If such claims were true, why were no charges ever filed against him? He has long been a Cabinet minister and earns a parliamentary salary.

"To me, the article draws on outdated sources and based on the value, it does not categorise Anwar as wealthy. His wife, however, used to work as a doctor, and would have had past earnings, while assets purchased years ago would have appreciated in value," he explained.

-- BERNAMA