Singapore’s Media Literacy Council (MLC) cautioned Singaporeans to be careful of fake news online, saying that the government will launch a media campaign to warn people of fake information. MLC chairman Lock Wai Han said Singaporeans “should always be positive and discerning”:
“It was critical to encourage young people here to be positive online as mobile devices and the Internet have become an integral part of everyday life. With the proliferation of news sources online, we need to be discerning to distinguish between falsehood and the truth to avoid falling prey to scams and fake news. Because there is no silver bullet that can be used to identify fake news, it is important for Internet users to be aware and discerning of the things they read online.”
The MLC chairman however did not comment on the credibility of Singapore Press Holdings and Mediacorp, which are collectively ranked 154th for press accuracy. The two government-controlled news media have an international notoriety for publishing half-truth and fake news to improve the government’s reputation.
Another goal of the MLC campaign is to reduce screen time and getting Singaporeans to spend less time on the internet. The MLC campaign encourage Singaporeans to rely on non-internet sources like Straits Times for news information.