Fact-checking journalism evolves in Malaysia
To counter false information online, fact-checking has emerged as the new frontier in journalism in Malaysia. MyCheck Malaysia has produced a total of 164 fact-checking reports on various topics such as consumerism, health, government policies and politics. It is a fact-checking initiative that operates with editorial independence to combat misinformation in line with international standards set by the International Fact Checking Network.
When Malaysia was battling the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) received 1,837 complaints of fake news about the Covid-19 vaccine. To counter false information online, fact-checking has emerged as the new frontier in journalism in Malaysia.
MyCheck Malaysia, which was launched in March 2020, is a fact-checking initiative that operates with editorial independence to combat misinformation that has been prevalent in the country, in line with international standards set by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN). MyCheck Malaysia has produced a total of 164 fact-checking reports on various topics such as consumerism, health, government policies and politics, which have gone viral on social media.
Another organisation fighting misinformation in the country is AFP Fact Check Asia (Malaysia). Fact-checking is an evolution in the world of journalism. New techniques and tools have been used to produce in-depth reports to debunk misinformation.