DILI (TOP) – Fake content is now as a daily reality in online life with various online sites spreading false information.
Therefore, five online media consisting of The Oe-Kusi Post (TOP), Hatutan.com, Mambae Multimedia, SMNews.com, and VIPTV Online Media have agreed to form the Alliance Against Disinformation (AMD) with the aim of realizing the world of social media in Timor-Leste that is positive and free from slander, sedition and hoaxes and creates an active, peaceful and prosperous society and actively participates in developing the public's ability to think critically.
The alliance will not only fight disinformation circulating on social media platforms but will also improve media literacy so that audiences are not easily consumed by hoaxes and it is not easy to redistribute news on social media before ensuring that the information is correct, according to data and facts. Cooperate with other parties in efforts to combat hoaxes and hate speech. Develop a strong, credible, and accountable organization to achieve its goals.
Tech giants in the world such as Google and Facebook are already trying to reduce the spread of fake news.
A study from Stanford University found that about 50% of fake news circulating on Facebook since 2016. While Google has launched three strategies to “inform, to reduce and to report.
Although there is no comprehensive data on how many people have been victims of disinformation in Timor-Leste, there have been some victims of false information circulating on social media.
Disinformation is a great enemy and a poison to the health of democracy, and also violates the basic rights of people to access correct information. So five online media 5 have formed this alliance to fight disinformation in Timor-Leste.
Spokesman for the Alliance for the Eradication of Disinformation, Francisco Belo Simões stated that, this AMD initiative is to respond to new concerns and challenges in Timor-Leste society about fake news that threatens the health of democracy in Timor-Leste and can also have a negative impact on national stability.
This alliance has been ratified unanimously from the 6 initiator members through a meeting in Dili on 19 October 2021, and representatives from the five online media 5 have declared this alliance at the Raya Media & Entertainment office, Avenida de Portugal, Number 74, Dili, Timor-Leste. Leste on Tuesday, November 30, 2021.
“We will legalize this alliance to a notary, and also to the Press Council because we don't just form it and then just leave it. But the big effort of this alliance will be to adapt to a fact check website so that it can control and counter information that is considered a hoax, and will also be shared in these 5 online media,” Francisco Belo Simões da Costa from Hatutan.com, declared this through a press conference on Tuesday, November 30, 2021.
The former journalist and editor of the Suara Timor-Lorosa'e (STL) daily newspaper also added that this alliance will also provide training to its members who are spread across the five online media outlets that have formed this alliance on how to detect fake news circulating on social media. . This alliance will also build cooperative relationships with related parties such as several other media such as the press council, researchers from universities and also other students.
According to Evangelisto Gantry dos Santos Meilana from the online media VIPTV, that the presence of this alliance is not for a disguised purpose but to provide good support to several other parties who have been fighting disinformation, especially the government which has been trying to campaign against hoaxes.
Meanwhile, the founder of The Oe-Kusi Post (TOP) Raimundos Oki considers this alliance very important to maintain the health of democracy in Timor-Leste.
Oki, who has received training on media literacy and fact checking twice in a row from Google and Facebook in Singapore for several years, admits that disinformation has caused several victims in Timor-Leste, either directly or indirectly.
Raimundos Oki is also grateful to the United States Embassy in Timor-Leste through its program against hoaxes so far it has really helped the people of this small country.
The initiators of this alliance were Raimundos Oki from The Oe-Kusi Post (TOP), Mariano da Costa from SMNews.com, Francisco Belo Simões da Costa and Cipriano Colo from Hatutan.com, Domingos de Deus from Mambae Multimedia, and also Evangelisto Gantry. dos Santos Meilana from VIPTV online media.
