CMR-Nepal conducted the sixth phase of the Misinformation Landscape Study discussion in Surkhet, the capital of Karnali Province, on January 24, 2023.
The program aimed to deepen the understanding of misinformation issues in the province and was attended by 25 participants, including political party representatives, youth, students, health workers, women’s groups, journalists, and social media influencers.
During the event, participants highlighted the prevalence of misinformation in various domains in the province, including politics, youth issues, journalism, civil society, and social media.
Kamala Tiwari of Mid-Western University spoke about unregistered online news media as the main source of misinformation and the misrepresentation of women in such information. Dinesh Gautam of Riti Foundation pointed out that popular personalities and social media influencers were involved in spreading fake news and misinformation through social media.
A student shared her experience of encountering misinformation mainly on social media and called for media literacy programs in schools and universities. An agro-based entrepreneur also talked about the negative impact of misinformation on businesses, citing the example of bird flu in Kathmandu, which caused a decrease in chicken prices in Surkhet, affecting local farmers.
Kumar Thapa, a social media influencer from Motteygang, highlighted the importance of providing factual information about events in the province and holding governing agencies accountable through responsible reporting. He shared that their efforts in producing stories that bring about changes in the community have contributed to the popularity of their Facebook page in the province.