TASS actively fights fake news — news agency’s management
ASTANA, April 16. /TASS/. Russia’s TASS news agency is actively fighting the spread of false information, as evidenced by its involvement in launching the Global Fact-Checking Network (CFGN) initiative, TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Kalmyukov said.
"We need to fight fake news, and we are doing it. This year we have created a special international platform, the Global Fact-Checking Network. We've invited journalists, researchers, public opinion leaders from different countries to join it and try to counter harmful disinformation that disrupts our shared understanding of the world as a unified information space," he said at the 2nd Central Asian Media Forum held in Astana.
According to him, traditional media should educate their readers and subscribers and teach them to critically consume information from various sources, including social networks. "We can fight individual fake news stories, one by one. But we cannot fight an avalanche of fake news, both large and small. Besides, there is no point in doing so. We have other things to do, we should educate the population to be critical thinkers, to analyze information received from various sources," Kalmyukov pointed out.
The TASS official emphasized that this is especially true about social media, which is consumed widely by children and adults alike. "It is very important to teach the population to work with our information. Because TASS also publishes it on social media. We cannot run away from technology, and we must work on all available platforms," Kalmyukov said.
The Global Fact-Checking Network was launched in April and is now available to users. TASS was one of the founders.
The 2nd Central Asian Media Forum is taking place in Astana on April 16-17. Its main topic is media as an instrument of strategic development. Politicians, media corporations, and journalists from Central Asia, Russia, China and European countries are taking part in it.
