Social media has become an important mode for the public to communicate and obtain relevant information by virtue of its unlimited access.
However, due to the lack of online supervision and user anonymity, the line between true information and misinformation is not always easy to distinguish, which makes the public often face the risk of being misled when accessing relevant information.
Meta, owners of social media giant Facebook, in attempts to minimize the spread of false news on its platform has started the #NoFalseNewsZone campaign to help people identify false news and educate them on the actions to take when they identify such news.
This initiative is being done in partnership with EIB Network.
As part of the campaign, Meta unveiled the #NoFalseNewsZone comic book in collaboration with the Comic Republic, a three-part series featuring the stories of an experienced nurse, an intern journalist and a university student who are on their journey to educate people on how to curb false news, and also join the fight against misinformation to help create a #NoFalseNewsZone online.
“At Meta, we are committed to the wellbeing of the individuals and communities that use our platforms and take responsibility in helping to minimise the spread of false news seriously,” Oluwasola Obagbemi, Meta’s Corporate Communications Manager for Anglophone West Africa said while commenting on the launch of the campaign.
“Misinformation is something that we are passionate about because we know that it’s a conversation that we need to have now. We are taking a local approach to it which is why we are partnering with people on the ground. Misinformation is something that affects everyone. This is our way of seeing how we can come together as a team to address the issue,” she added.
Speaking on the collaboration, GHOneTV’s General Manager, Nana Aba Anamoah said, “For us at GHOne TV and EIB Network, the #NoFalseNewsZone Ghana campaign is our way of contributing to the broader discourse about what people consume and create online. We see a unique opportunity to use one of our cardinal mandates, education, to create awareness on why false news does not have a place in today’s daily information cycle.”
The Chief Executive Officer of Comic Republic, Jide Martin elated about the project, also noted that his outfit “is uniquely placed to harness the power of visuals and storytelling to create a compelling campaign that can educate people on the importance of correct and true information. With our art, we are hoping to educate people on how to identify false news and take steps to report it too.
