CEC Gyanesh Kumar asks officers to counter misinformation on social media
New Delhi, July 3
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Friday cautioned ECI's Media and Communication Officers against false narratives propagated on social media, asking them to counter the spread of misinformation.
Addressing the ECI's Second one-day Conference for Media and Communication Officers, CEC Gyanesh Kumar asked the participants to engage proactively to prevent social media misinformation, said an official statement.
Speaking to over 260 Media and Communication Officers, CEC Gyanesh Kumar also discussed strategies to spread awareness and blunt attempts to erode trust in institutions.
The participants included Media Nodal Officers (MNOs) and Social Media Nodal Officers (SMNOs), along with District Media Nodal Officers/District Public Relations Officers (DPROs) from various districts of the 16 participating States/UTs, and senior officers from the respective State Departments of Public Relations (DPRs).
He added that the highest ever voter turnouts in the recent Assembly Elections were proof of the trust that the Indian electors have in the country's electoral system.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar emphasised that every action of the Commission is based on the Constitution of India, Electoral Laws and written instructions issued from time to time in a transparent manner.
Addressing the participants, Election Commissioner Vivek Joshi said that in today's digital world, AI, Deepfakes, synthetic content with an intent to mislead and even mischievous content are spread by motivated actors to erode trust in institutions.
Joshi urged the Media and Communication Officers to counter such attempts based on the rules, instructions and guidelines of the Commission. He also called upon engaging young voters through Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELCs).
The conference began with a wide overview of communication strategies across the election cycle from roll to poll, ECINET, important constitutional provisions, and laws relating to media matters, said the statement.
Practical sessions were also organised on planning press notes and amplifying them through media and social media, tackling misinformation and narratives, engaging young electors through ELCs, and communicating ECI initiatives to the public.
As part of the programme, participants were also taken through a demonstration of the preparation of Electoral Rolls, Polling Process, and Counting Process in groups, followed by a guided walkthrough of the Exhibition and Media Corner, said the statement.
The one-day conference facilitated experience-sharing by the officers from the States, which went to the polls recently and the dissemination of best practices, it said.
The conference concluded with a question-and-answer session between the participants and the Commission, the statement added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
CEC mentioning highest voter turnouts is encouraging. But we need more than just countering misinformation – we need to stop AI-generated deepfakes before they spread. The young voters outreach through ELCs is a great step, but let's see the actual impact.
As someone who works in media, I appreciate the focus on constitutional basis and transparency. But the real test is how quickly misinformation is fact-checked and corrected. One-day conferences are good, but sustained efforts matter more. Let's hope it's not just a photo op.
The ECI walkthrough of voting process is a smart move. Many people, especially in rural areas, don't understand how EVMs work, leading to unnecessary suspicion. If officers can explain this clearly on social media, it will definitely build trust. 👍
Good initiative but I hope they don't become too aggressive in censoring legitimate criticism. There's a fine line between countering misinformation and stifling dissent. The ECI must ensure that 'countering' doesn't become 'suppressing'. Let's see how this plays out.
The emphasis on Electoral Literacy Clubs is key – we need to catch voters young. But the practical sessions on 'tackling misinformation' need to be more than just theoretical. Give officers actual tools and training to identify deepfakes, not just generic advice. Otherwise, this is just another meeting.
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