Muristek
Expert calls for combating misinformation and promoting fact-based journalism on climate change
Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 12
With misleading/contradictory content and misinformation about climate change solutions and material misrepresenting scientific data flooding social media, US-based expert Amy Myers Jaffe today highlighted the need and importance of reliable and fact-based journalism in the field.
"There is lot of misinformation in social media and it is important for a journalist to provide information that can be relied uponhellip;get your facts correct in an interesting way without reflecting personal biashellip;stick to facts and stories that are meticulously researched," said Amy Myers Jaffe, a leading expert on global energy policy and sustainability, at a webinar on "Climate Change and Media Reporting in the US"—a part of the US Speaker Programme aimed to provide opportunities for American experts to engage with Indian audiences through online lectures, workshops, and seminars.
Clean energy solutions and cooperation could be leveraged by India and the US, she said, adding that innovations and clean energy are in the interest of both nations while highlighting their role in job creation.
Jaffe also termed digital platforms as strong tools in dissemination of information, provided they develop expertise in the subject. "More and more viewers are turning to the mediumhellip;podcasts are an important form of communication because younger generation prefer to do their daily work while listening to their subject of interest," she said
Quoting the recent IPCC reports, she also talked of the need for countries to make larger commitments. "hellip;the time window is shortening and we need to speed up commitments.
The countries need to make larger commitmentshellip;Go to lower carbon wellbeing without harming economic well-being," she told John Slover, Press Officer of the US Embassy, in a conversation moderated by Catherine Fischer, Public Diplomacy Officer, US Embassy.
A part of the "US Speaker and Specialist Program for India" sponsored by the Public Affairs Section of the Embassy in New Delhi and jointly implemented with Meridian International Centre, the programme is designed to connect US experts with Indian audiences and institutions to promote an understanding of US strategic priorities, policies and institutions and to discuss the political, economic, social, and cultural context from which they arise.