AdAsia 2019 concludes: Social media awash with fake news: Dr Alvi

LAHORE: President Dr Arif Alvi has said the mass media has attained central place in people’s lives today, though the social media content has made it difficult for people to distinguish between fake and true information.

While addressing the concluding session of three-day AdAsia 2019 conference at Alhamra on Thursday, he drew a comparison among different mediums such as print, electronic and social and digital media. He said in today’s world, newspapers play the role of opinion-makers. He said the electronic media disseminates information within two hours maximum, with some editorial controls still existing there.

However, he added, the social media is being used for sharing the latest news within no time, though it lacks any editorial control over there. The president regretted that a lot of fake news were also being uploaded to the social media these days. He cited an example from the Indian elections, saying that 80pc of the reports related to polls in India on the social media were not true.

The president said that newspapers carrying advertisements of various brands were actually selling their own products and further stated that it was difficult to identify difference between an advertisement and news.

Dr Arif Alvi said thewrong image created about Pakistan in the past is now being removed as the country is being ruled by an honest and sincere leadership. Besides, the president termed Pakistan an emerging market with vast opportunities and protected environment for investors.

The president expressed the hope that the distinguished guests visiting Pakistan from different nations would return to their countries as ambassador of Pakistan, which had become a safe land for investors.

The concluding session was also addressed by Chairman Organising Committee of the Conference Sarmad Ali, Honorary Chairman Javed Jabbar and others.

Dr Alvi told the audience that Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Prince William and Kate Middleton and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, during their recent visit to Pakistan, admired the cultural diversity of Lahore and termed it a historic and beautiful city.

The president mentioned the beauty of the Northern Areas of the country, saying the natural beauty of this part of the country was remarkable.

Highlighting the importance of marketing in business, he said marketing strategies should be modified to achieve the realistic approach of selling products. "Reality is not that you show but reality is what it was and what it is," he added.

President Alvi, who is also the first registered member of AdAsia, said that public believed in advertisements and products are sold through them these days, adding that advertisements should be meaningful and truthful.

He said the world was moving towards truth and called for efforts meant to formulate advertisement strategies with the motive of presenting the truth to the market.

While felicitating the organisers of the AdAsia 2019 over conduct of the conference, the president said through these programmes, a lot could be learnt. “Such conferences enable us to benefit from the experience of one another.” He said that these events would also help explore new opportunities in the industry related to advertisement.

Chairman Organising Committee of the Conference Sarmad Ali, in his address, expressed gratitude to the president over his arrival and also thanked the Punjab government for its cooperation in holding of the conference.

Javed Jabbar, who was the senior schoolmate of president, told the gathering that Dr Arif Alvi, even in his school days, was a very determined person. He said he was a registered voter at the constituency from where Dr Arif Alvi had won twice, adding that he had voted for him on both occasions.