The Executive Yuan said it is to team up with messaging app Line to combat false news reports by establishing a rumor-busting page on Line Today, the main news feed of the app.
“The Executive Yuan Myth Buster,” expected to start operating next month, is to provide accurate rebuttals to social-media based fake news,” Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said on Saturday.
Line has agreed to give the government free access to the Line Today interface to publish rebuttals, which the government considers a major breakthrough in its campaign against false reports, Kolas said.
The government recognizes that its news releases have been less than ideal and it will work on giving the content on its myth-busting page concise headlines, clear descriptions and relevant pictures, she said.
“Government agencies have produced stiff, formulaic news releases that cause difficulties in public communication and dialogue,” she said.
“The Executive Yuan believes that agencies have to vastly improve their communication skills before taking on fake news,” she added.
Online content from the government must be easy to read and comprehend, an issue that public information personnel of the Executive Yuan and its subordinate agencies have been working on, Kolas said.
There are tentative plans to have editorial staff to oversee the effort, she said.
The government secured Line Corp’s cooperation over the matter after negotiations, with government officials telling Line that false news reports had significantly harmed society, sources said.
Line Corp said it enjoys a large market share in Taiwan and therefore has a corporate responsibility to provide good information.
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