The UAE Journalists Association (UAEJA) has announced its support for the anti-online-trolling campaign launched by Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of the National Media Office (NMO).
This initiative is part of the collaboration between the UAEJA and NMO to promote professional standards, reinforce national values, and combat online trolls, or ‘electronic flies’, a term that describes one of the severe modern issues.
Fadila Abdullah Al Muaini, Chairperson of the UAE Journalists Association, stated that the association is working to coordinate and engage with media institutions to support the national campaign against online trolling.
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She said, “This form of trolling is perpetrated by those harbouring malice and resentment towards the success of countries, institutions, and individuals, who use fake accounts to spread misleading information and destructive ideas in an attempt to tarnish achievements and successes.”
Al Muaini emphasised that the association is focused on raising awareness among citizens and social media users to counter these issues through various programmes and events held throughout the year.
She noted that the association is currently organising several training courses for young journalists and social media users to equip them with skills to tackle harmful ideas and counteract incorrect values spreading on social media, thus safeguarding national social peace and security.
The Chairperson of the UAEJA highlighted that the launch of this campaign by the NMO underscores UAE’s commitment and the leadership’s efforts to enhance security and promote stability across the region, uphold the values of tolerance, and combat rumours and discord through the application of professional standards and the dissemination of correct values.
The initiative also addresses terrorism and destructive ideas propagated by those with malicious intent.
Al Muaini urged local, Gulf, and Arab media institutions to adopt this national campaign due to its crucial role in addressing fake and programmed accounts that spread misleading information, undermine societal values and ethics, and incite chaos and defamation of public figures and successful individuals. She stressed that awareness is the most potent weapon in confronting these issues.