Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday called upon the mainstream media to come forward to play an active role in combatting the misuse of the social media for spreading fake news aimed at triggering divisiveness and hatred in the society.Addressing the 38th Foundation of the Chandigarh Press Club, the Chief Minister expressed concern at the recent spate of violent incidents, including lynching, that had been traced to rumour-mongering on the social media, and said the responsibility of the mainstream media had, in the circumstances, increased manifold.Unlike the mainstream media, which had its own set of internal controls to curb its misuse, the social media had emerged as an unbridled horse with nobody to rein it in, said Captain Amarinder Singh.
While the government, the judiciary and other agencies were trying their best to combat the abuse of the social media, the mainstream journalists could really play a major role in checking the dangerous trend, he added.The Chief Minister, in his brief speech as the Chief Guest on the occasion, exhorted the Press, which had historically been a major force protecting India’s secular character, to come forward to aggressively fight the new dangers facing the nation.On the occasion, the Chief Minister announced a grant of Rs.25 lakh for further development of Chandigarh Press Club, which he said had, over the years, emerged as an iconic landmark on the city’s landscape.The Chief Minister also released the ISO 9001:2015 certificate of registration issued to the Chandigarh Press Club by International Quality Certification Services (IQCS).The Chief Minister was, on the occasion, accompanied by his Media Advisor Raveen Thukral. The event was marked by a Sufi Night by the famous Nooran Sisters.