CMR-Nepal’s Misinformation Study wrapped up with a discussion in Dhangadi, the capital of Sudurpashchim Province, on January 26, 2023.
The objective of the program was to investigate the misinformation problems prevailing in the province.
The event witnessed the attendance of 30 participants, including representatives from political parties, youth, students, health workers, women’s groups, journalists, and civil society activists.
The discussion revealed that misinformation in the province is impacting diverse groups, including lower-caste communities, women, and people with disabilities. Sunita Rana, a representative of Nepal Student Wing, stated that the male-dominated society’s mindset and opinions created as a result are hindering women’s progress in the region.
Nandaraj Bhatt, a representative of the disabled community, emphasized that news media’s insensitive use of language is hurting the sentiments of the disabled community.
Bhuwan Bhandari, a journalism educator, highlighted the importance of media literacy from an early age and cautioned against sharing unverified information on social media.
Other participants identified politics as a significant cause of misinformation and stressed the need for self-restraint while sharing such information on social media.