The need for good gatekeeping in a newsroom was stressed at a forum in Colombo last week where panellists said the importance of good gate-keeping cannot be overstated as the society today is flooded with more false and misleading information than credible news.
Citing examples of false and misleading information at the forum hosted by LIRNEasia to present its findings on Sinhala news consumers, the panellists emphasised the need for good gatekeeping in newsrooms to ensure quality, accuracy, and ethical integrity of news reporting.
Gate-keeping in newsrooms comprises careful selection of stories, verification of information, adherence to journalistic standards, and a commitment to serving the public interest.
Senior journalist Nalaka Gunawardena said there are biases, prejudices and personal interests more or less in all media houses and newsrooms and this is where the role of gate-keepers come in handy to filter news for dissemination be it for publication, broadcasting, the internet or other mode of communication.
The panellists also said there should be a difference in newsrooms between what the public ‘Want to know’ and ‘Need to know’.
“Everyone will want to know the news but do they really need to know it should be the discretion of the newsroom,” said senior journalist, editor and media rights activist, Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema.
According to the survey by the regional policy think-tank, sixty-six percent of Sinhala news consumers reported having encountered false or misleading information.
Of those who share information and have received false or misleading information, 56 percent admitted to having shared false information in the past.
Nearly half of them said that they did so intentionally to inform others that the news was inaccurate. The survey by the think-tank also showed that over 80 percent of Sinhala news consumers in the country aged 18 and above actively share news with others. The survey which gathered responses from over 1,700 randomly selected Sinhala news consumers across the country highlights growing awareness and concern about the spread of false information.
Two-thirds of the respondents said that they verify information before sharing while many turned to family and friends to verify such information underscoring the critical role of personal networks in building trust and evaluating credibility.
