By Morton Sibale, MANA
Minister of Information, Civic Education and Communications Technology, Mark Botomani, has asked journalists in the country to ensure that they always gather correct information from the responsible officials when reporting on issues of Coronavirus in order not to spread fake news and rumors that can instil fear in the public.
The Minister said this on Thursday saying government recognises the critical role that the media has to play in managing the Coronavirus situation, hence the need for responsible reporting.
Minister of Information Mark Botomani
“One important tool in preventing the spread of the virus is awareness of the preventive measures and the media has an important role in achieving that,” Botomani said.
“We commend media houses that are so far already taking an initiative to inform the masses and we urge the rest to follow suit.
Botomani said to ensure the spreading of correct information, media houses should strive to get correct information from institutions such as Ministry of Health, the Cabinet Committee on Coronavirus as well as clinicians and other health officials.
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He, therefore, singled out Capital Radio as one of the media houses that are playing a key role in raising awareness of the preventive measures of the virus.
The radio station has offered 60 free slots for Coronavirus adverts produced by the Ministry of Health and Population.
Botomani assured Malawians that the country remains safe from the virus, saying government is ready to manage the situation if there is a case of the virus.
He, however, urged the general public to guard against spreading fake news that can damage the society.
“People should not believe anything they get on social media without verifying with the responsible offices and health officials.
“Let me also warn against those spreading fake news to stop the malpractice as it has the potential to destroy the society in times of such outbreaks,” he said.
Commenting on the Minister’s remarks, media freedom activist and Chancellor College lecturer of media studies, Jimmy Kainja suggested a formal communication channels should be formed as a way of fighting the spread of rumors and fake news regarding the Coronavirus.
“Government should establish formal channels of information as it is almost impossible to control what spreads on social media,” said Kainja.
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“Government can borrow a leaf from the Republic of South Africa, which is managing the information flow on issues related to Coronavirus.”
He added that fake news finds room to spread when there is a vacuum of information from the formal channels, thereby requiring that officials should be proactive to give out information and not just moving in to dispel rumors when they surface.
Precautionary measures in China
“We cannot win the battle of fake news if we keep chasing rumors. There has to be a pro-active flow of information on issues related to the virus, as opposed to getting officials to comment on rumors once they surface on social media,” Kainja added.
Coronavirus disease, officially referred to as Covid-19, is an outbreak that has since spread to at least 114 countries across the globe.
It was first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019 and has since killed over 4,600 people, with infections exceeding 126,000 cases.
On Wednesday this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak as a pandemic. However, Malawi has yet to register a case of the virus.