Disinformation circulated in lead up to last year's vote: New report.

KARACHI -- Talal Raza of Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA), a an initiative of National Endowment for Democracy (NED), has said in a new report that different types of disinformation that circulated in the lead up to last year's vote. He also examines the potential impact of disinformation on the country's political discourse and electoral outcomes. Raza argues that fact checking alone is not sufficient to combat this growing problem. Rather, a comprehensive solution will require social media platforms, journalists, political parties, and governments to work collectively toward a stronger environment for independent media and quality information. He said that the 2018 general election represented one of the first times digital disinformation occurred on a massive scale in Pakistan. 'This report examines different forms of disinformation that circulated online in the lead up to the 2018 elections and its impact on the country's political discourse, and considers methods to counter disinformation in Pakistan and elsewhere.

Ultimately, combating this growing problem will require a variety of stakeholders to work toward a multi-pronged, collaborative response.' 'Around 65 percent of Pakistanis aged 16-34 consume news through the internet. The rapid spread of disinformation online enables an arsenal of falsities, then used by individuals or groups to target a...