Rumors Spread by Internet & What To Do About It

Honorable Ajay Prakash Sawhney,

In light of the viral rumors about kidnappers spread by social media such as Facebook and WhatsApp, and the recent mob killings of innocent people, I would advise you to proactively step in to curb rumor-mongering on social media. Proactive communication is particularly critical in this day and age – especially for us looking to engage our communities and fight back rumors online.

Rumors Page

Our goal is to squash the rumors in their tracks and put the conversation to rest. In order to achieve that goal, I would recommend creating a Rumors Page that offers accurate information countering false statement being read by the public. This will be a separated page on our government’s official website and will be managed by the Director of Communications in the Ministry of Electronics and Information.

How It Works

In a nutshell, the Rumors Page posts the right information to serve the public and then use social media platforms to push that information to a greater number of people in a short period of time. The Page should allow the government to share accurate information and links to resources for residents and include an easy tie-in with social channels to allow for fast sharing among different social media platforms.

The Director of Communications should have a check-in meeting with the counterpart at each other Ministry periodically to align and ensure all communications are consistent and on the same page between each department and Ministry. During the meeting, if any of the Directors discovers that there are false statements floating around (in our case, kidnappers), it will be corrected on the Rumors Page. Then social channels across all Ministries will share the same message with the accurate information leading readers back to the Rumors Page for more in-depth coverage. Proactive and collaborative communication across all Ministries as a cohesive unit is the key to tackle online rumors – when issues occur, you can use social media platforms to correct information from any Ministry and lead back to the Rumors Page, which keeps information consistent and constant.

We aim to provide services and information as the government and the Rumors Page informs, interprets, and provides services and information. The Page allows users to come to their own conclusions by providing useful resources. Our job is to be transparent and the Page helps us accomplish this goal. It is important for citizens to easily find accurate information through channels and platforms most convenient for them.

Last but not least, in addition to Rumors Page, we should also consider to strengthen cooperation with the news organization and encourage independent, professional journalism. The general public needs reporters who help them make sense of complicated developments and deal with the ever-changing nature of social, economic, and political events. Many areas are going through transformation and shifts that can create enormous anger, anxiety, and confusion. In a time of considerable turmoil, it is vital to have a healthy news environment that is independent of public authorities.

To sum up my recommendation, I would advise the Ministry to collaboratively create a Rumors Page with other Ministries immediately to address the current issue, and in parallel, encourage the healthy and responsible development of journalism.