We live in a world where even the information we receive can be plastic – Misinformation and Disinformation during a pandemic.

 

Amid one of the deadliest pandemic the human race has ever seen, it is only natural to receive information from anywhere and everywhere, but the real question is – should we take it at face-value? We live in times where Hybrid Media or just about anyone disrupting information, is more prevalent than ever. Anyone who is sitting in the Middle East can create a ripple in the Delhi elections. Episodes like this from the past, makes all of us question the authenticity of the information we receive, and despite this, most of us still blindly forward messages without cross-checking the facts. Even though these are dreadful times, there is always something that we can do.

Mr Sumit Pande, an accomplished Associate Executive Editor at News18, talks about how misinformation and disinformation can be very tricky to recognise amidst the ongoing pandemic and things that we, as the audience can do to tackle it. It may be with respect to the symptoms of the coronavirus, the government institutions set up to aid those infected or the updates on the three indigenous vaccines that are being developed by our scientists. He also talks about the seemingly ’unbiased’ role of the media in providing citizens with the information. The webinar was definitely an eye-opener and very helpful for everyone in attendance since no one is spared from this pandemic.

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