Minister Mahato has said that fact-based journalism has become a major need today as misinformation and rumors spread confusion and distrust in society.
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Koshi Province Social Development Minister Ram Prasad Mahato has said that only truthful, impartial and fact-based journalism can build trust in society. He believes that if the state organs - the executive, legislature and judiciary - go astray, the journalism sector should play a role in correcting it.
Inaugurating a training on 'fact-checking' conducted by the Women's Department of the Federation of Nepali Journalists in Basantapur, Tehrathum, Minister Mahato said that journalism is the 'third eye' of society and should never be blurred.
He stressed that journalists should only communicate news after verifying the facts at a time when misleading information, unconfirmed content and rumors are spreading rapidly through digital media and social media. 'The basic basis of journalism is truth and facts,' Minister Mahato said, 'Not every content that comes on social media should be made news, but its veracity should be verified and made public.'
Minister Mahato said that fact-based journalism has become a major need today as false information and rumors spread confusion and distrust in society. Stating that independent, responsible and accountable journalism plays an important role in democracy, he opined that journalists should present factual content without succumbing to any pressure or influence.
He said that the increasing participation of women journalists in the media sector is a positive sign and expressed his belief that training on fact-checking would help make journalism more credible, effective and responsible. 'When women journalists report news on sensitive issues in a responsible manner, it has a positive impact on society,' he said.
Bharat Khadka, Chairman of the Federation of Nepali Journalists' Koshi Province Committee, said that facilitation is being provided on methods for verifying the truth of news, identifying the credibility of sources, verifying photos and videos, and analyzing misleading content spread on social media. Women journalists from Dhankuta, Tehrathum, Jhapa, Sunsari and other districts of Koshi Province are participating in the program.
