KOTA BHARU: Mainstream media should be prioritised as the official source of reference for the public compared to social media, says Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
He said social media users must always be cautious and not easily believe any news conveyed through such platforms.
"(Mainstream media) journalists have a lot of experience (and connections) and can accurately verify their information before sending it out.
"Therefore, I believe that mainstream media should be prioritised over social media,” he told a press conference after having breakfast with the members of the Kelantan Media Club here on Tuesday (Jan 21).
Meanwhile, Fahmi said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is developing a WhatsApp Chatbot, which will be launched soon, to help check and curb the spread of any false information, in addition to the Sebenarnya.my website.
"I have seen the Chatbot created in the form of a 'Beta Trial' version. With this Chatbot, the public can ask for confirmation using artificial intelligence (AI) on whether or not the news is true and authentic.
"We, as social media users, need to be vigilant and not too easily believe what we read on social media,” he said.
However, according to Fahmi, the WhatsApp Chatbot developed by MCMC can only verify information in text form and not verify the dissemination of videos or images. – Bernama
