PHNOM PENH, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The representatives of media and think tanks from Southeast Asia have made a joint appeal for combating fake news, saying that it has fueled societal divisions and obstructed informed public discourse.
Kin Phea, director general of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia (IRIC), an arm of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said on Saturday that the joint call was made during a gathering titled "Third Mekong Journalism Training Workshop on The Role of Media in Combating Disinformation and Fake News in (Artificial Intelligence) AI Context for Regional Peace, Stability, and Prosperity" in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, on June 5-6.
The workshop, organized by the IRIC in partnership with the Club of Cambodian Journalists, was attended by more than 70 media practitioners and academics from several Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia, he said.
"Seeing that social media platforms have unfortunately become fertile grounds for the proliferation of fake news, the representatives of media and think tanks from Southeast Asia, who participated in the workshop, have called for joint effort and collaboration to combat disinformation and fake news," Phea told Xinhua.
"They understand that disinformation and fake news have fueled societal divisions and obstructed informed public discourse," he added.
According to a joint statement released after the workshop, the participants appreciated the role played by the media and think tanks in combating disinformation and fake news in the AI context and collective efforts in promoting regional peace, stability and prosperity.
They agreed to jointly call upon journalists, media platforms, governments, and other stakeholders to adhere to the highest ethical standards, prioritizing fact-checking and verifying all information before publishing to ensure accuracy and credibility in the content, the statement said.
They also encouraged social media companies and platforms to develop solutions using advanced technology to identify fake content.
They called for the strengthening and updating of the regulations related to AI to prevent fabricated and manipulated "news" sites, the statement said, adding that countries should assign spokespersons to disseminate accurate information according to countries' context.
The statement said an ASEAN platform to combat disinformation and fake news should be established. ■