Potraz tells content creators to be ethical

LOCAL online content creators have been urged to desist from publishing fake news amid calls for them to undergo training on ethical standards.

This came out during a workshop organised by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) to capacitate local online content creators to produce content useful for developmental purposes.

Potraz safety health and environment officer Tafara Sithole said continuous use of the internet has resulted in mental health challenges, especially among youths.

"There is enough evidence that technology has brought a lot of positive changes to large populations across the globe, through various platforms that include search engines, social media handles  and many others," Sithole said.

"However, we have noted that some activities that happen on these platforms have a detrimental effect to mental health. The significant risks on mental health are associated with increased internet use.

"The aspect of fake news is also another important area content creators need to address as these continue to impact negatively on mental health. There is need for training of content creators on ethical matters. There is need for them to verify information before posting."

Potraz director-general Gift Machengete reiterated the need for online content creators to remain ethical despite competition.

"There is certainly anything and everything online. Let me just say the internet is awash with content, content of all sorts," he said.

"My questions today are: Is all that content good and healthy? Is all that content relevant to our society? Is local content assisting in community development? Well, the answers to these questions are ‘Yes' and ‘No'. Indeed, some content is good, relevant and beneficial and some is not."