Odisha to formulate social media policy for govt communication; strict fact-checking system soon
Bhubaneswar, Oct 9 (IANS) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday announced that the state will soon formulate an effective social media policy for government information and communication, keeping in view the needs of today’s digital age.
The Chief Minister made the announcement during an event on “Emerging Trends in Social Media” organised for Information Service Officers at the Lok Seva Bhawan here on Friday.
“A seamless digital information and communication mechanism will be established in the Information and Public Relations Department, extending from the district level to the state headquarters. A stringent fact-checking system will also be implemented to counter misinformation and rumours spread through digital platforms,” said CM Majhi.
The CM also noted that today’s youth are far ahead in their use of social media and artificial intelligence platforms compared with the reach of traditional media. Advising the Information Service Officers, he said that the government, too, must adopt these cutting-edge trends of the contemporary era for effective communication.
Elaborating on the importance of social media, the CM noted that the present era is no longer limited to traditional print and electronic media but is also the age of social media and the creator economy. The mobile phone in every citizen’s hand has become a newspaper, television, radio, and a means of multiple forms of communication all rolled into one.
“Therefore, government officials must not remain confined merely to issuing press releases but must carry out their responsibilities as skilled communication professionals. They must promptly capture public feedback and grievances through social media monitoring and social listening,” emphasised Majhi.
The Chief Minister said that communication should always be based on three key principles: accuracy, promptness and simplicity. Errors in government information or statistics are unacceptable. He pointed out that in the digital age, delays in providing information create an information vacuum, which is often exploited by some people to spread false and misleading information. Therefore, accurate information must be delivered to the public quickly and in simple language that ordinary people can understand.
Emphasising storytelling over dry statistics, the Chief Minister urged Information Service Officers to highlight human stories and beneficiary testimonials as the true proof of government service delivery.
Highlighting the major challenges posed by deepfakes, cloned voices and artificially generated videos in the age of artificial intelligence, the Chief Minister warned that fake news spreads quickly before the truth can emerge. Therefore, it is essential to verify the authenticity of any information before sharing it.
“Government officials must remain lifelong learners and develop expertise in digital media, fact-checking and video content creation,” said Majhi.
–IANS
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