MANAGING THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA: NEWS VS FAKE KNEWS

Social Media can be defined as a collection of online platforms and tools (websites) which enable users to create and share content, profiles, opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives facilitating conversations and interactions online between groups of people.
Some examples of social media sites and applications include Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Histogram, Snap chart
These Social Media have rapidly become major source of information/ news. Yet the speed at which it is evolving is so fast such that the public is not given an opportunity to learn how to use it appropriately and effectively.

Today one can share information across the world within a blink of an eye through the use of internet and social media. Social media has broadened people’s worldview and scope, while reducing the world to mere village. Social media’s ability however, to share a large number of news items in a very short time, means that users might not take the time to research and verify the validity of each item. It is very difficult to censor information that flows around the world since everyone has the freedom to post and share any piece of news/information without being validated.
As a result, the notion of FAKE NEWS has come more profound than before. Fake news is news or stories created to deliberately misinform or deceive readers. They include, hoaxes and propaganda (Wolokoso) which are intended to influence views or political opinion.
False news is not something new in communication industry but the term “Fake news” has specific implication to news industry. It increasing make people doubt the validity of each news whether false or not. It has created mistrust of news industry that is DOUBTING TRUTH VS LIES has increased. The idea of Fake news can lead to irrational decision when people believed the false news. This is a big problem when it comes to the struggle to promote good governance in society.
This presentation will help us determine the kinds of fake news that exist and provide tools to evaluate the information we receive for its reliability and truth before we share it on social media.
Mathias Omega Ssekanjako

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