By Kumba Leigh
The campaign against misinformation and disinformation, initiated by the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, in partnership with Wave Gambia, has officially come to an end with engagements with local authorities, who vowed to weigh in the campaign.
They promised to raise awareness and invest resources in combating information disorder in order to protect societies and encourage access to diverse sources of information, pluralise news sourcing and free and open discourse to enable informed democratic debate.
Amie Njie, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, warned that information that has to do with products, food, clothing, and medicines could sometimes be deceiving in content; thus, she advised that people are careful of such information.
Ansumana Bayo, Councilor of Latrikunda Sabiji Ward, said local authorities must explore constructive roles they can play in reinforcing the integrity of the information space through implementing policies that ensure transparency, accountability, and plurality of information sources, including traditional media and online platforms.
Malang Kujabi, of Latrikuda Sabiji Alkali, said as society becomes increasingly exposed to multiple sources of information; from traditional media to social media platforms, people need to be equipped with the tools and skills to navigate this complex environment. “There is no silver bullet to combat mis- and disinformation but a long-term and systemic effort to build societal resilience through media, digital, and civic literacy should seek to empower individuals to cultivate critical thinking skills and to identify and counter the spread of false and misleading information”.
Deputy Mayor of Kanifing Municipality, Binta Janneh; and Mayor of Banjul, Rohey Malick Lowe, both cautioned politicians to refrain from spreading false and misleading information.
Mayor Lowe said the scale and speed of false and misleading content have compelled countries to the need to develop a comprehensive policy response, with a view to improving the integrity of the information space. “Governments are increasingly setting up or upgrading their coordination mechanisms, as well as building their capacities to identify and respond to disinformation threats.
Ousman Bojang, Governor of West Coast Region, also called on policy makers to design well-targeted policies and facilitate measured efforts to improve information management.
Muhammed S. Bah, one of the Facilitators, said media, information, and digital literacy initiatives often focus on giving people the tools to make conscious choices online, identify what is trustworthy, and understand platforms’ systems to use them for their own benefit. Media and information literacy should be part of a larger approach to building digital literacy, for example by focusing on elements related to addressing how algorithm recommendation systems and generative AI work, as well as civic education.
In wrapping up the mis and disinformation week-long campaign in the regions of Basse, Mansakonko, Bwiam, Janjangbureh, Kerewan, Brikama, Foni, Banjul, and KM, community members, governors, alkalolous, chiefs, students, security personnels, teachers, women, and youths all acknowledge the knowledge and skills in the awareness creation and promised to spread the message of countering mis-disinformation.
