Media Matters for Democracy (MMFD) launched “Project Disinfo”, an initiative aimed at equipping the Pakistani editorial rooms with institutional guarantees to counter the growing challenge of disinformation.
The project aims to approach what MMFD describes as “systemic and operational risks” posed by false and deceptive content, which often bypasses the exam and wins a disproportionate scope online.
According to the organization, the reduction of income from the editorial room, political and owners’ interference, and the domination of the distribution models focused on the platform have further weakened the editorial authority, making the editorial rooms vulnerable to disinformation.
MMFD executive director Asad Baig said the initiative is designed to go beyond “ad hoc responses” to verification and responsibility in workflows in the editorial room.
“Our objective is to recover credibility and rebuild the public’s confidence in journalism by equipping the editorial rooms of protocols which are not only practical but adaptable to the pressures they face daily,” he said.
The project envisages a deployment in three phases: the integration of the leadership of the press room, formalization of standard operational procedures (SOPS) and institutionalization of capacity building through workshops and simulations.
Developed by consultations with publishers, journalists and managers from all of Pakistan, Project Disinfo offers operational editorial standards that go beyond ambitious driving codes.
Although the initiative is rooted in the media landscape of Pakistan, the MMFD said that its framework could also be applied in other southern Asian countries faced with similar challenges.
