AMU: Department of Library Sciences organises lecture on misinformation and fake news

Prof Sanjay Kumar Singh, Department of Library and Information Science, Guwahati University discussed solutions to combat misinformation reaching the academia through wide fake and unauthenticated news spread in a web talk on 'Misinformation and Fake News on Social Media and Academics' organised by the Department of Library and Information Science, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

The talk was a part of the online lecture series on 'New Landscape of Library and Information Science' to commemorate the centenary year of the university.

False information pose a clear danger to academic credibility and it is imperative to keep a check on unauthenticated news spread on social media, which is making way into academic circles through fake and cloned journals and fake publishers, said Prof Sanjay.

He cautioned that the fake publishers print just about anything without a review or expertise in the field.

Expressing wariness on the issue, Prof Sanjay said that unverified, unsubstantiated information should be wrenched from all areas before being injected into the landscape of academic literature.

In the introductory address, Dr M Masoom Raza, Chairman, Department of Library and Information Science, AMU emphasised that educators can make a mark by raising awareness to counter and trace fake news and misinformation.

The lecture coordinator, Dr Muzamil Mushtaq said that Information and Communication Technology has provided us with a good deal of online tools to identify fake news, but still a lot needs to be done to control the flow of false information into academics.

Dr Muzamil conducted the programme and moderated the question and answer session.