Rajshahi Correspondent:
PIB Director General Farooq Wasif commented that in this fast changing time of technology, journalists should also improve their skills in keeping with the technology. He said, AI and fact checking are important supporting technologies of journalism. Hence it is essential to ensure efficient use of these technologies as well as proper verification of every information before release.
He said these things while addressing the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the three-day ‘AI and Fact Checking Training Workshop’ at the meeting room of the Department of Social Services in Rajshahi on Friday (July 17). Director General of PIB handed over certificates to trained journalists at the event.
Emphasizing the importance of technology in providing objective news, he said, “Journalists must keep pace with technology. AI and fact-checking are helpful technologies for journalism, so they must be used efficiently. For objective and credible news reporting, proper verification of every information before publication is essential. Journalists must improve their technical skills and professional ethics to deal with fake information and rumours.”
He also said that journalists are important partners of the state and society. To help them fulfill their professional responsibilities, the government through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has been implementing various initiatives for skill development, training, welfare and capacity building in the use of modern technology.
Through the proper implementation of these initiatives, journalists will be able to perform their duties with more efficiency and professionalism. At the same time, it is very important to ensure media freedom, responsibility and objective news reporting environment. Skilled and tech-savvy journalists can play an effective role in building an accountable and democratic society.
In this workshop organized by Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) under the supervision of Rajshahi Journalist Union (RUJ) Rajshahi Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Moha said as a special guest. Sabur Ali said that journalists need to acquire technical skills regularly to provide fast and accurate information in today’s information technology dependent world.
Fact checking is an essential skill of the time to prevent fake information and rumours, which will play an important role in maintaining the credibility of the media. Information-based, responsible and public welfare-oriented journalism will be strengthened through mutual cooperation between administration and media.
In the president’s speech, Rajshahi Journalist Union President Muhammad Abdul Awal said that there is no alternative to increase the skills of journalists in the current technology-dependent era. The knowledge gained in AI and fact checking will play an important role in delivering responsible and accurate news. He expressed hope that by applying this training experience in the workplace, people’s confidence in the media will be strengthened.
General Secretary of Rajshahi Journalist Union. Dalim Hossain Shantar also spoke – PIB trainer Zilhaj Uddin Nipun, editor-in-chief of Daily Rajshahi newspaper Dr. Najib Wadud and Assistant Secretary General of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists. Sadiqul Islam Swapan.
40 journalists from different print and electronic media of the district participated in this three-day training workshop. PIB trainer Zilhaj Uddin Nipun said, AI is not a substitute for journalists; Rather, it is an effective assistive technology in information retrieval, analysis and news preparation. However, every information obtained from AI must be verified from reliable sources and published in the news.
It is to be noted that the journalists participating in this three-day training were given hands-on training on basic concepts of artificial intelligence, responsible use of AI in journalism, effective prompt engineering, news writing, data analysis, translation, summarization and use of AI in investigative reporting.
Also taught are modern techniques of image and video verification, reverse image search, open source intelligence, metadata analysis, geolocation and detection and verification of false information spread on social media. The training also focuses on the ethics of using AI in journalism, copyright, data privacy and responsible technology use.