Pay more attention to the source of news before sharing it on social media.
That’s the appeal made by the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef)‚ which on Tuesday said it “has noticed an alarming trend by fake news websites to publish inaccurate information under the guise of news”.
The forum said it “strongly condemns today’s false story about the well-being of Archbishop Emeritus‚ Desmond Tutu which has done the rounds on social media”‚ and noted that there were similar recent reports about former president Thabo Mbeki.
“Such inaccurate reports by websites masquerading as credible news sources are highly damaging and hurtful to those involved and their families‚” said Sanef deputy chairperson Katy Katopodis.
“They also do a great disservice to legitimate news websites and the news industry as a whole.
“We also note that many of these fake sites purposefully use names and logos very similar to authentic media houses in an attempt to deceive their readers.”
Sanef called on the “publishers to desist from publishing these false and inflammatory stories with immediate effect as it is grossly irresponsible”‚ and urged “South Africans not to perpetuate false news cycles by sharing such stories on their social media networks”.
“We ask that greater attention be given to the source of news before simply retweeting‚ or sharing‚” said Katopodis.
“Sanef encourages South Africans to ensure that they share from well-established‚ trusted and credible news sources that are a legitimate part of the SA media landscape.
“Sanef will look for an appropriate course of action to take against such fake news sites.”
– TMG Digital
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