SUNGAI SIPUT: Fake news and misinformation have been a persistent concern leading people to fail in differentiating between true and false news content.
In order to develop critical thinking that allows people to distinguish between the truth and lies, the second-semester undergraduate students from Bachelor of Mass Communication (Hons) Public Relations Unit of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam organised the "See Me Thru" programme.
Held at Sekolah Menengah Agama Rakyat Nurul Hidayah here on Friday and Saturday, the programme was focused on creating awareness of fake news materials aimed at the Orang Asli community.
See Me Thru, an abbreviation of See Media Through, was organised in conjunction with the Service Learning Malaysia (Sulam) programme, with the theme "Rise of New Media". It was aimed at cultivating greater awareness of the dissemination of fake news.
A lecturer of UiTM's Media Law, Regulations and Ethics course, Dr Mohd Yusof Zulkefli, said the programme was an appropriate initiative to educate the younger generation about fake news.
"This programme is undoubtedly effective especially in rural communities where they are more exposed or susceptible to being involved or receiving fake news.
"Through this initiative, we hope they will become more aware of the issue. This programme has also provided space and opportunities for students to intellectually challenge themselves," he said.
He added that to implement and succeed in the programme, there were interesting challenges which opened up new opportunities for them and provided an unforgettable experience for participants.
The school's Senior Assistant for Student Affairs, Alie Wahab, said the programme should be expanded as it had a positive impact.
"Through this programme, students can explore new knowledge regarding the use of social media, and they are also taught how to use social media responsibly, thereby avoiding being easily influenced by fake news.
"With the success of this programme, we hope that the spread of fake news on social media can be curtailed," he said.
A total of 75 participants, consisting of Standard One and Standard Three pupils, took part in the programme. The participants learnt how to be more cautious and selective in picking up on reliable news.
The modules conducted in See Me Thru were delivered in an educational and entertaining manner. Each activity was undoubtedly engaging, challenging the participants' mindset and testing their knowledge of new media.
The programme received cooperation from the Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPk) and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.
Others who contributed to the programme were Karangkraf, Galeri Ilmu, Street Garage, Sports Direct, GM Klang, Ibtisam Creative Design, Perak Chapter Malaysia Future Leader School, McDonald's, Poverty Eradication Foundation and Mr DIY.