KUCHING, Nov 7 — Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s (GPS) lawmaker Miro Simuh today suggested to the state government to form a State Media Council to counter the widespread of incorrect information being posted in social media.
He said what is being posted on social media has caused confusion among the people on what are fake or genuine information.
“Therefore, it is not too late for the state government to come up with a mechanism to counter the incorrect information being posted in the social media,” he said during the debate on the state Budget 2020 in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly here
Miro, who is also the Serembu State Assemblyman, said the tasks of the media council should also include coordinating the role of media organisations and act as a ‘bridge” between the media organisations and the state government.
He said it could also coordinate media reports on the activities of the state government, including the overseas promotion of the state.
“The council should be made up of journalists, editors and media publishers,” Miro said.
He said he has also received a proposal from the media practitioners for the state government to set up the Sarawak Media Institute whose roles will be to organise training courses and programmes on journalism.
He said the media organisations are seen as playing an important role in disseminating correct information and policies of the government to the public, adding that only those with integrity are capable of performing that role.
He said the emergence of social media has made the setting of the media council and media institute as a matter that should be viewed as necessary.
