New Delhi:
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said on Saturday that fake news is a big threat to democracy today. Even conscious citizens sometimes fall into the clutches of fake news. Riots, demonstrations and even sit-ins occur even in developed countries due to misinformation. This is the reason why the platform on which fake news is published should also be brought under the ambit of responsibility. This is being debated all over the world.
The Press Council of India organized a function on the occasion of National Press Day at the National Media Center in New Delhi. This function was addressed by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnav. National Press Day is celebrated every year on 16 November to highlight the important role of a free and responsible press in the society.
Ashwini Vaishnav said that, content creators and platforms, the algorithm is being made in such a way that more and more people come to the platform. More such content is posted on these platforms. But in our country where there are many religions and languages, using it responsibly is a big challenge.
Ashwini Vaishnav said that the perception of media has changed with time. The biggest challenge for the media today is to present accurate, fact-based news to the public. The media has fought a long battle for freedom of the press. First during the British rule and later during the Emergency of 1975.
He said that there are 35 thousand daily newspapers and one thousand registered news channels in India. News is now reaching millions of people through digital platforms, increasing the reach of media.
While acknowledging the rapid growth of digital media in India, Vaishnav expressed concern over the spread of misleading and fake news. He said that the job of media is to educate people and increase awareness. An important issue today is to identify who is responsible for spreading fake news. People living in remote villages also remain updated with the news of the country and the world through mobile phones. Therefore, digital media should focus on providing fact-based content.
Vaishnav said that the last biggest challenge is Artificial Intelligence (AI). This is a big challenge for real content creators. We should look at these challenges as a society and country. To create a developed India in 2047, we need a harmonious society.
The rise of artificial intelligence presents ethical and economic challenges for creators whose work is used to train AI models, he said. He stressed the need to protect the intellectual property (IP) rights of the original creators. The minister questioned, “Today AI models can generate creative content based on the vast datasets on which they are trained. But what happens to the rights and recognition of the original creators who contributed to that data? Should they Are they being compensated or recognized for their work?” He said, “This is not just an economic issue, it is also a moral issue.”
(Input also from IANS)
Also read –
PIB will create fact check unit to stop fake news, ministry issued notification
Facebook accounts created in China were spreading fake news by posing as Indians: Meta
