The solution offered by digital management consultant Mr Ryan Lim to tackle the problem of fake news is rather simplistic (Many Singaporeans concerned about fake news: Poll; May 1).
His suggestion: Treat fake news like we would a computer virus; if one has doubts about its veracity or credibility, it should be checked; and if it cannot be verified, isolate it and kill it off.
But it may not be so cut and dried, in reality.
Recently, I was told by someone, who seemed familiar with and well-versed in Hindu temple matters, that a temple was going to be resited and that there were some issues about the leases of the current and new plots of land.
The information looked credible to me. Had I shared this on social media, would I be guilty of spreading fake news if the information was incorrect?
What is the actual situation on the ground and where can I get the correct piece of information?
If I were to write to the temple authority, it would probably not entertain me.
If the Government could provide a platform or portal for citizens with genuine concerns to write to, it could prevent the inadvertent publishing of fake news.
K. Kalidas