This webinar discussed the findings of 7amleh’s research “Fake News in Palestine” in a local and global context.

7amleh - The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media held a webinar to discuss the findings of its recently published research "Fake News in Palestine: Exploratory Research into Contents, Channels and Responses". The webinar took place on the international day for the right to access information. Webinar speakers included Saleh Masharqa, author of the research and professor of media at Birzeit University, Dr. Abeer Al-Najjar from the American University of Sharjah, Hala Tannous from the UNESCO office in the occupied Palestinian territories, and Bake Abdul Haq from Kashif, an official monitoring organisation. The session was facilitated by Mona Shttaya, 7amleh Advisory Council member.

Saleh Masharqa summarized the research findings and recommendations, to which Dr. Abeer Al-Najjar expanded on the importance of such research in the light of the lack of knowledge surrounding handling of information, lack of transparency and access to information in the Arab world in general, and in Palestine in particular, and then proceeded to compare the regional and international effects.

Ms. Hala Tannous noted the importance of the Palestinian Authority adopting the Access to Information Law as a pillare in confronting what she called the "information pandemic", which we are exposed to daily. She commended the efforts underway by civil society and media institutions in combating fake news.

Bakr Abdel Haq discussed the role of media monitoring and fact checking organizations and how they are still finding their position in the media landscape. He analysed the most prominent issues monitoring organizations face, most notably the absence of a law on access to information. In order to limit the spread of misleading news, he stressed the role of educating citizens to verify news by themselves. 

On the occasion of the International Day of the Right to Access Information, 7amleh stresses the need to pass an Access to Information law in Palestine, and the importance of this law in combating fake news.

Watch the webinar (in Arabic) here.