PCOO: Stop the Spread of Fake News

With the spread of fake news running through the online news websites and portals, the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) launched in Bohol, ‘Dismiss Disinformation’ Campaign along with the establishment of the Provincial Communication Officers Network (PCONet).

“Disinformation is the main issue for every spread of fake news,” said PCOO Chied Jose Ruperto Martin Andanar, who came in for the official launching held at the posh Bohol Tropics Resort here.

The issue on fake news and its spread grows even more alarming with “Filipinos [are] ranked as first in terms of using the social media and internet [usage], according from the compiled data by ‘We Are Social’, a London-based consultancy group.

63% out of 105.7 million people are accounted as the internet users in our country, and based on their 2018 report, Filipinos spend 9 hours and 29 minutes a day on the internet, a report that puts the country on top in their last year’s data report, cites PCOO Princess Pebbles Duque.

According to the PCOO, ‘Disinformation is false information that is spread with the intent to mislead’.

But, Filipinos are [too] eager in reading the news and thus have difficulties in differentiating what is the real news from fake news, observers have commented.

Fake news uses the headlines in catching the reader’s eye, that, before sharing anything about the news; readers are encouraged to read carefully the entire post of the catchy headline, PCOO reminds.

Fake news usually have obvious mistakes such as misspelled words, incoherent thoughts, sketchy photos, and other items that seem out of place in the content, these type of errors helps the reader to determine if the information shared is fake news, PCOO pointed out.

Posts that make the reader unsure about the information is also considered fake news, people are encouraged to verify the news from other reliable websites and pages to check if these websites are sharing the same information, the presidential communications office added.

Overall these, news guardians also suggest: look at the comments with warnings and counter-arguments from other people that are familiar with the story on the post can help from distinguishing fake news.

After reading the entire post, readers should think first upon sharing the information, how it would affect the other people and would they benefit and learn something from it, PCOO capped.

At that, PCOO warns, fake news would still run around the internet and spread entirely causing chaos in the society.

[Let us] help stop the spread of fake news, Andanar urged. (rtctIntern/PIA7-Bohol)