The fifth phase of the Misinformation Landscape Study discussion was organized by CMR-Nepal on January 17, 2023, in Hetauda, the capital of Bagmati Province.
The objective of the program was to enhance the comprehension of the problem of misinformation in the province.
The program was attended by 35 participants, including representatives from political parties, youth, students, health workers, women’s groups, journalists, and social media influencers.
During the event, Laxmi Jimba, the Ward Chair of Bakaiya Rural Municipality-5 in Makwanpur District, blamed “dirty politics” for the spread of misleading information across political and societal domains.
She shared how her affiliation with a political party prevented her from speaking freely about certain topics.
Jimba also pointed out that journalists and news media have failed to counter misinformation due to their affiliations with various political parties, but she held politicians responsible for this problem.
“If journalists are given the freedom to work independently, the spread of political misinformation would be largely controlled,” she added.
The discussion also highlighted the media’s role in spreading misinformation in the field of agriculture.
An agro-entrepreneur from Hetauda shared how news media present misleading data about profits from agriculture, often framing turnovers as profits.
A local journalist and educator, Suresh Shrestha, explained that he and others were engaged in media literacy campaigns in Hetauda to encourage students to read news media and develop an understanding of written texts.