Assahafa.com
Fake news constitute a threat to collective memory, shared values and society’s trust in its institutions, said on Wednesday in Rabat the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid.
Speaking at a meeting organized by the Ministry- Communication Department- under the theme “Combating Fake News: Approaches and Cross-Perspective,” Bensaid stated that Morocco, under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, is convinced that building a conscious and resilient society requires the establishment of a healthy media environment in which reliable and trustworthy information prevails.
In the context of the digital revolution, access to reliable information is increasingly under threat, he noted, adding that “information is no longer merely news; it has become a tool that can be used to sow discord, distort facts, undermine institutions and weaken national resilience.”
According to him, the media and digital space in Morocco, like in other countries, is undergoing rapid transformations that affect the way information is produced and consumed, as well as the traditional models of information production and dissemination.
The rapid spread of information, in the context of changes imposed by the “digital revolution,” disrupts the process of verifying information, which increases the spread of fake news and rumors and, by extension, can lead to disinformation and the falsification of facts, he observed.
In this regard, the minister emphasized that “this context calls for strengthening national public and private media and producing information in a transparent and timely manner,” highlighting the importance of supporting investigative journalism specialized in fact-checking, considered the first line of defense for the credibility of information.
This meeting, he noted, reflects the recognition that the fight against disinformation can only succeed through the pooling of efforts and the complementarity of perspectives across different sectors and fields, stressing the importance for young people to move from passive consumption of information to a more critical and analytical approach.
Reviewing the main stages of the process of strengthening freedom of expression and consolidating the role of professional journalism in Morocco, he underlined that the Kingdom’s institutional and legislative development has reinforced the role of professional journalism in accompanying and raising citizens’ awareness, noting that the 2011 Constitution crowned this process by reaffirming the right to a free, pluralistic and responsible press.
Morocco continues to develop its legal framework governing the professions of the press and the media, while strengthening mechanisms dedicated to promoting the economic model of media companies, he said.
Bensaid also stressed that media companies must intensify their efforts to bridge the digital divide by guaranteeing the public’s right to information and protecting society from the dangers associated with fake news, through fact-checking and the development of critical thinking.
The ministry is fully committed to strengthening media literacy through several initiatives, training programs and educational guides developed by the Higher Institute of Information and Communication, he noted.
This meeting, which brings together various institutional and professional stakeholders in the sector, as well as experts in the fields of information and digital technologies, is part of the continuation of the efforts deployed by the ministry to address certain phenomena, including fake news, through a social and sustainable approach based on dialogue, cooperation, and the sharing of experiences and best practices.
Source: map
