"The proliferation of fake news is real and this has negative
impact in our world today."
Secretary Martin Andanar of the Presidential Communications Operations
Office (PCOO), the current chair of the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for
Information (AMRI), pointed this out during a roundtable discussion with the
Information Ministers of the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN).
The meeting, with the theme, "Countering Fake News and
Communicating the Right Information", was held in Quezon City on Saturday
(September 9) at the Seda Hotel North Vertis
Andanar said he proposed the holding of the round table discussion so
that the ASEAN Information Ministers "can exchange ideas and find ways to
collectively address the negative consequences brought about by the spread of
fake news."
The Roundtable Discussion focused on four topics: Country Experiences
on Fake News; Practical Measures to Counter Fake News; Possible Government
Initiatives to Ensure that the Right Information is Communicated; and Possible
Cooperation Initiatives on Countering Fake News and Communicating the Right
Information.
Joining Andanar in the Roundtable Discussion were the Information
Ministers from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Representatives from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and
Communications (MIC) of Japan also sat as observers.
Andanar proposed the setting up of a mechanism for regular monitoring
of news among the ASEAN member-states, especially on significant issues of
interest. This monitoring/nerve center, which can be called the ASEAN
Communications Centre (ACC), Andanar said, can be housed at the ASEAN
Secretariat in Jakarta, with inputs to be provided by the official news
agencies or information ministries of the ASEAN member-states.
Andanar recalled that years ago, there was an ASEAN News Exchange
Mechanism (ANEX) composed of the official news agencies of the ASEAN
member-states, but this was overtaken by the advent of the internet. This can
be revisited and considered for revival, he said.
At present, he said, the ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information
implements the ASEAN Television News (ATN) project.
The PCOO Secretary noted that the materials exchanged among the ASEAN
member-states, through Brunei Darussalam as the country coordinator, are mostly
feature stories since these are sent only on a weekly basis and even less
often.
Andanar suggested that the participants conduct a dialogue with Google,
Facebook, and other social media sites to explore how these social media
networks can help ASEAN in countering fake news and communicating the right
information.
Oscar Franklin Tan, columnist of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, shared
practical measures on how to deal with and counter fake news, especially those
that proliferate online.
The other members of the Philippine delegation were Undersecretary Noel
George Puyat, PCOO; Dino Apolonio, GM, PTNI; Harold E. Clavite, Director
General, Philippine Information Agency; Demic Pabalan, Executive Director,
RTVM; Rizal Aportadera, Director, RP; Benjie Felipe, Director, MMPM and Atty.
Kristian Ablan, Assistant Secretary for Policy and Legislative Affairs,
PCOO.###ASEAN-CMASC
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