Members of Rwanda Journalists for Sustainable Development (RJSD) have urged local government leaders to help in a campaign to enable citizens to discern the difference between journalism, fake news and disinformation. Local leaders including the district mayors, sector and cell executive secretaries are targeted in the campaign so that they get skills to help citizens in a proper interpretation of the information received from the real media houses and social media platforms. The proper interpretation of information and avoiding information that misleads society will help them to make good decisions in their mutual development and thus boost sustainable development for themselves and for the country, the organisation says. These days, everyone with a social media account wants to be a journalist; there are those who intentionally publish fake news that misinforms the public to promote their own interests. There are also those who do it due to ignorance,” said Placide Ngirinshuti, the legal representative of the body. The spokesperson of the newly created organization, Celestine Ntawirema echoed that the biggest challenge the world is grappling with is that most citizens receive different information including false ones which may mislead them. “This negatively impacts the country and citizens. We have to work together with government institutions, civil societies and private sector to fight the proliferation of fake news to ensure the rights of the citizens,” Ntawirema said. He said that the challenge can be addressed through discussions and sensitization of citizens so that they can interpret the information they receive. Dubbed “Virtual Public Mentoring and Public Discussion”, the campaign will last one month. “Citizens should consume accurate information to stimulate their development and for the country as well,” he added. The organization will also work with universities that teach journalism, mass media and communication and help the students in these schools to increase the knowledge they need to become professional journalists.
