The Consul General of the US Consulate General, Jenifer Larson, and Telangana DGP, Anjani Kumar, expressed concern about the spread of false information on social media. They highlighted the importance of having trained professional journalists to combat this trend. The officials also urged journalists to be more responsible when dealing with unverified information.
Larson, while delivering a keynote address at a training project for Urdu TV journalists, emphasized that both India and the US were being targeted by those who want to disrupt peace and hinder growth. She stressed that these actions are not spontaneous but well-planned, with the intention of preventing the evolution of democracy.
Larson urged journalists to exercise caution when handling unverified information, as sharing it with the public can create real problems. The objective of the training program is to equip journalists with tools and techniques to verify the authenticity of information. The hope is that this training will create a network of well-informed and responsible journalists.
Anjani Kumar, as a guest of honor at the event, emphasized the importance of self-control before forwarding messages. He advised people to think multiple times before forwarding messages, even if they are true, as it can have a negative impact if done at the wrong time. He emphasized the need for individual vigilance and later the responsibility of fact-checkers.
The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at Osmania University, in collaboration with the US Consulate General Hyderabad, organized an 8-month-long training program for 37 Urdu journalists. The aim was to empower these journalists with fact-checking skills and tools to prevent misinformation from spreading in mainstream media.
Around 30% of the trainees were women journalists, and eight were students from Maulana Azad National Urdu University. The chairman of Telangana Press Academy, Allam Narayana, and member of the Press Council of India, MA Majid, were also present at the event.
