Press House sponsors initiative on the topic of "Fake News in the light of Corona pandemic and how to verify it"

Gaza - Press House

On Tuesday, 18-8-2020, Sponsored by Press House -Palestine (BAS) journalist Mohammed Abu shahma organized an initiative on the topic of "Fake News during Corona pandemic and how to verify it‏"‏.

A number of journalists participated in the initiative, which was held in Khanyounis City, in presence of  Ministry of Health spokesman in the Gaza Strip, Ashraf al-Qadra, Deputy of Journalists Tahsin Al-Astal, chief editor of the local Palestine newspaper Mufid Abu Shamla, and Al Jazeera reporter in Gaza Hisham Zakout.

The ministry of health spokesman Ashraf Al-Qadra began by emphasizing that his ministry worked during the previous period to reduce the rumors significantly, through several measures, most notably holding meaningful meetings with the information center, which was announced immediately after the Corona pandemic.

Mr. Al-Qadra confirmed, that the investigation of information from its official sources by journalists contributed to the control of the current news situation, pointing out that his ministry put all local and international press institutions in the form of the latest epidemiological situation through 52 press briefings and a comprehensive daily report issued by the Ministry in Arabic and English.

"If we encounter a problem or confusion in a news story that has been published and circulated among the people, we will contact the ministry's team with the publisher and ask them to amend or delete the news, which has led to the absence of rumors and the reduction of false news," Mr. Al Qadra said.

Tahsin Al-Astal, Deputy of Journalists ‎in Gaza, stressed that the Palestinian journalist is aware of the real news of the Fake news, explaining that it is difficult for false information to pass on journalists in Gaza as a result of the great and repeated experiences they have gone during their hard work.

"In covering disasters and crises, there is no journalistic precedent, but there is a social responsibility on journalists," Al-Astal  said, noting that the union contributed to support media professionals during the Corona pandemic by providing the necessary protection against the deadly virus, particularly in Gaza and Jerusalem.

On the coverage of the local media and its experience in publishing accurate news, the chief editor of the local Palestine newspaper Mufid Abu Shamla‎, said that adherence to the methods of journalistic work and truth-finding must be taken by all media, pointing out that his newspaper worked during the coverage of the updates of Corona to verify the information and not publish it despite obtaining it in advance except provided that it is officially announced by the competent authorities.

Mr. Abu Shamla announced that the percentage of false news circulated about the news of the Coronavirus in the Gaza Strip during the last period was limited, and did not reach the extent of the phenomenon.

From his part, Mr. Hisham Zakout,  reporter of ‎ Al Jazeera channel in Gaza, said that social media sites were used in a double way during the coverage of news related to Corona, but major source returned again to the traditional media, which characterized the accuracy of the information and its dissemination after confirming the authenticity of its source.

The initiative also included a recorded intervention by Rowan Al-Daman, director of the Arij Media Network for Arab Investigative Journalism, during which she talked about the tools of verification of information and why rumors spread and how social media users receive and republish news.

At the end of the initiative, the participants expressed their thanks to those who carried out it, during useful interventions through which they reviewed many vague details about the mechanisms of the work of media and government institutions, especially the Ministry of Health, so that they do not fall into fake news.