Lies aim to falsify awareness and cause cracks in trust between citizens and state institutions
In the context of a raging rumor war aimed at casting doubt and demolishing the wall of trust between citizens and the state The Information Center of the Council of Ministers monitored the growth in the proportion of rumors over the course of 10 years, while experts confirmed that the rumors depend on exploiting part of the truth with the addition of false information aimed at Raising public opinion.
In this file, we seek the opinions of experts and media professionals on how to confront rumors and correct perceptions, as well as emphasizing that the Suez Canal is a shipping lane subject to… For international agreements.
The military naval vessel whose transit through the Suez Canal has been circulated does not carry any weapons or ammunition and is not coming from the West. It is only passing from the port of Haifa to Eilat, and it was raised with the flag in accordance with the law, which requires every ship entering the areas of Egyptian sovereignty by lifting Egyptian action.
Over the past ten years, the government has faced countless rumors and false news that want to harm the Egyptian state. And create confusion and strife among citizens and try to raise doubts about everything that is being accomplished on the ground, even though many of them know the importance of these projects, but fourth generation wars want to cause anxiety and instability.
A national role
< p>With these fabricated news that are not based on any evidence, the Egyptian government was able, through the Cabinet Media Center, which plays a national role in responding to social media and media questions around the clock, in order to clarify the facts and refute those rumors with the aim of increasing citizen awareness. Al-Masry.
During the last period, there was talk about the importance of awareness among citizens, and before spreading rumors and false news, all ministries and governorates took the initiative, on their specialized pages, to refute this information and indicate the extent of its truth and its falsehood, and with all these means that You spread the facts. The citizen has become immune and has full awareness, not to be carried away by those rumours, which have become known to everyone as incorrect news aimed at demolition, not construction.
And with the increase in frequency of rumors daily, it has become more active. The Media Center of the Council of Ministers, in responding to every rumor issued against the administrative apparatus of the Egyptian state, including in the form of a media statement or the official going out to speak in the media and responding to all inquiries raised daily, in addition to the presence of a new and modern media discourse, especially in the past period, as it Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister, holds a live press conference every week after the weekly government meeting, to talk about the achievements and projects being made, as well as to respond to any rumors or false news, and this is great evidence of the government’s interest. The citizen and arming him with knowledge and knowledge so that he does not fall prey to these fabricated news.
A few days ago, the “Prime Minister” directed All officials in the various state agencies respond immediately to incorrect news raised around the clock, clarifying the facts, explaining matters, and putting the citizen in front of all the correct data, and in the words of “Madbouly” This matter goes to the heart of the role and powers of the government, so as not to leave room for some false news to spread, and the importance of continuing efforts to clarify the facts and refute rumors in the cradle, so as not to leave the citizen to confusion.
According to the latest report from the Council of Ministers Media Center, Commenting on the rumours, most prominent during the year and their connection with the various sectors, ministries and the state’s administrative apparatus, from 2014 until 2023.
The report showed the ranking of Sectors according to the rate of spread of rumors in 2023, as their percentage in relation to the economic sector reached 24%, the supply sector 21.2%, education 11.6%, energy and fuel 11%, health 8.3%, social protection 6.2%, administrative reform 6.2%, agriculture 4.8%, and tourism Antiquities 2.7%, housing 2.1%, and other sectors 1.9%.
The report reviewed the rate of spread of rumors according to the months in 2023, according to a relative distribution over the total period, as the peak of rumors reached 10.7% in the month of December.
The report revealed the impact of global crises on The rate of spread of rumors in Egypt from January 2020 until December 2023, as it increased more than two-fold during the period “2020-2023”. Compared to the period “2016-2019” As a result of global crises, the percentage of rumors related to crises reached 53.8% in 2023, including the global economic crisis at 48.9%, the Corona crisis at 3.4%, while the percentage of other rumors reached 1.5%.
The most dangerous and strangest rumors< /p>
On the other hand, according to the report of the Council of Ministers Media Center, a number of false news have spread, which are considered among the most dangerous rumors in 2017. 2023 A rumor included the circulation of a publication claiming that the Suez Canal Authority had contracted with a company to manage its services through a 99-year concession contract.
In addition to the rumor that the government intends to reduce financial allocations for the salaries of state workers in conjunction with the global economic crisis, as well as A rumor of importing spoiled and expired frozen poultry shipments and releasing spoiled and unfit for consumption shipments of wheat.
And a rumor of issuing a decision to freeze air traffic. At the Capital International Airport, claiming the absence of international safety standards upon landing.
The report also included a rumor circulating a voice message on the WhatsApp application It urges citizens to tightly lock the doors of their homes under the pretext of the existence of a gang formation, and the rumor of the government’s intention to cancel treatment at state expense during the coming period, in addition to the rumor of a decline in constitutional entitlements for spending on the health, education and scientific research sectors in the new general budget 2023/2024, and Egypt’s entry into epidemic waves. New news that the World Health Organization warned about, in addition to the circulation of an audio clip on social media sites claiming the spread of tuberculosis in Egypt among displaced people.
As for the strangest rumors during the year 2023, the report explained that they included a rumor of issuing a decision to reduce electrical loads on services at Cairo International Airport, and a rumor that the government would stop paying electricity bills for mosques and oblige worshipers to pay them in order to rationalize expenses and direct them to building New mosques, issuing a decision to stop mosque preachers from working, and adopting Friday sermons through artificial intelligence.
It also included the strangest things. Rumors, according to what was stated in the report, that a decision was issued to prevent all people with diseases from traveling to perform Hajj rituals, and that sea water receded significantly from some of the Republic’s beaches, which indicates the occurrence of a tsunami, and the Ministry of Health directed medical teams to visit homes to collect sums of money from citizens in exchange for concluding contracts with clinics. .
In addition to the rumor that the government intends to implement a comprehensive plan to demolish and remove the “Al-Bayt” mosques, In favor of investment projects, and it is common for telecommunications companies to impose fees on the recipient of a phone call. On waiting lists for surgeries and critical medical interventions. In order to rationalize expenditures, and a decision was issued to reduce the value of the entitlements of the “Solidarity and Dignity” cash support programme. As a result of the global economic crisis.
The repeated rumors also included the rumor of the Ministry of Manpower sending text messages containing a link to update data on irregular employment, and the trading of meat injected with internationally banned hormones, in addition to the rumor of the spread of carcinogenic watermelon in various markets around the world. Republic level
