Fake news is a major concern: Meghalaya CM

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma Friday said fake news is a major concern and stressed the need to create awareness among people about it.

He urged the media to build a reputation and a system of trust and stressed the need for people to be responsible while using the internet.

The chief minister said there is need to create awareness among the people keeping in mind that the digital world is so dynamic which makes it impossible to have any kind of law that will be able to curb it.

Referring to the violent protests at Motphran area which took place earlier this year, he said, "We faced a lot of difficult times in stopping or filtering news because technology was not available ... It was a wake up call and a lot of steps have been taken but they are not enough."

The chief minister said this while addressing a seminar on the theme Journalistic Ethics in the Digital Age organized by the Shillong Press Club as part of the National Press Day celebration held in the city.

 

He said the state government will aggressively take up measures to ensure that available technologies are put in place to help combat and prevent cyber crimes.

"I realise how important it is today to ensure that proper mechanisms, laws and technologies are put in place so that (we enhanced) our digital information and all these crimes committed can be stopped to a large extend," Sangma stated.

Talking about the positive aspect of the digital age, the chief minister said we are taking advantage of technology and use it in communicating the ideas, works and programmes of the government.

"Today we are looking at how a platform could be created for villages to be put into a next level and connect them to the outside world and how technology could be used," he said.

According to him, the opportunities exist in the digital world today must also be harnessed by media sector.

The chief minister also informed the government is in the process of taking up issues and problems faced by the press fraternity in the state.

In his speech, Minister in-charge Information and Public Relations AL Hek said the media plays a vital role in building up the nation. He however urged the media to be a constructive instrument rather than destructive.