FILE PHOTO by Kammutty VP © The Peninsula
DOHA: Portraying responsible attitude of the community towards the rising issue of ‘fake news’ particularly on social media platforms, an overwhelming majority of people have supported non-circulation of anonymous news and information to stop spreading of rumours.
In an online survey being conducted by the Ministry of Interior on “rumours and their impact on society”, 97 percent of the respondents have said that non-circulation of anonymous news and information will contribute to stop the spread of rumours.
To the question asked by the Ministry of Interior, “Do you agree that non-circulation of anonymous news and information contributes to stop the spread of rumours?” 97 percent people took part in the survey agreed with the statement which reflects community’s level of understanding towards news media and the credibility of news.
The Ministry on January 7, 2018 launched the online survey on its website under its “Current Discussion” program themed “rumors and their impact on society”.
The survey is concluding today (March 31).
“A rumour is a piece of information or news that affect the issues of society and is circulated and transmitted quickly without being based on a reliable source. This kind of information is considered harmful to the community while some may resort to rumour-mongering to achieve a vested agenda,” the website writes.
The respondents were offered three options to choose from regarding the statement; I agree completely, I do agree and I do not agree. As many as 2,673 people which make 70 percent of total sample completely agreed with the statement that non-circulation of anonymous news and information would stop spreading of rumours while 1,041 people (27 percent) agreed with the statement.
In the online poll, only 120 respondents (only 3 percent) did not agree with the statement. A total of 3834 people took part in the survey.
