HYDERABAD: The State government has issued guidelines to citizens and the media in the wake of numerous fake news on Covid-19 that have been in circulation.
The Director of Digital Media in the IT Department, Konatham Dileep, urged citizens to be educated about the strengths and weaknesses and the positive and flip sides of the digital media platforms.
He also said people should be educated about the consequences of irresponsible use of these platforms.
Dileep said the media, specifically the online editions of some of the mainstream media, web magazines and online news sites, were carrying ‘sensational, misleading and panic-inducing stories’.
He said a few media houses, who were using YouTube to telecast their stories, were posting misleading thumbnails.
“In many cases, the thumbnail and the actual content of the video do not match thereby confusing the citizens. It is ironical that such videos often make a mockery of the government machinery, look them down and strike on their resolve,” Dileep said.