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In Viet Nam, UNESCO calls to end fake news and disinformation and highlights the importance of quality media coverage
While the countrys early and robust action since end January 2020 has been widely recognized as effective in preventing a widespread outbreak of COVID19 daily life has still been transformed by the situation and Vietnamese like many others are living out more of their lives online It is here that the other side of the crisis the infodemic plays out as elsewhere In this regard Kidong Park WHO Representative in Viet Nam said that during times of uncertainty rumour and misinformation can spread quickly and be harmful to response measures and local communities We encourage people including journalists to please make sure any information they pass on has been confirmed by relevant government authorities or WHO It is critical to strengthen risk communication and to provide clear timely evidencebased information to the public Viet Nam so far has been doing very well in this area We continue to support the country in countering the socalled infodemic of rumours and misinformation While encouraged by the healthy discussion on fake news and disinformation in on line and mass media in the country Michael Croft UNESCO Representative to Viet Nam believes further efforts will be necessary to deepen the understanding of these concepts During this unprecedented pandemic getting the right information is key and here the work of journalists and media professionals plays a critical role It is therefore crucial that they have a solid understanding of the related professional and ethical dimensions to be able to push back against fake news and misinformation Emphasizing that Media and Information Literacy MIL resources help the entire society in especial children and youth to face and overcome the current challenges Croft added that more than ever access to internet reliable information and a correct use of digital technologies are essential to fight to COVID19 As the ongoing COVID19 health crisis continues and taking into account its expertise in Media and Information Literacy MIL and Intercultural Dialogue ID UNESCO Hanoi will work with Vietnamese youth and journalists and media professionals in order to raise awareness of the fake news issues of the coronavirus and the importance of the inclusion and tolerance to stop the growing cases of discrimination and exclusion UNESCO MediaForGood StayAtHome COVID19 NoToFakeNews NoToDisinformation StopFakeNews StopDisinformation UNESCO AccessToInformation QualityNewsCoverage