Amid SIR controversy, ECI holds strategy sessions with communication officers to counter fake narratives

NEW DELHI: Amid raging controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar and expected pan-India rollout, the Election Commission of India on Friday held a day-long workshop for the Commissions media and communication officers. The Commission is aimed at establishing an effective communication strategy at the grassroots level. The move also assumed significance as this was organised ahead of poll season and at a time when the communication space remains saddled with challenges of fake news, misinformation campaigns and AI-inspired videos. With Bihar elections slated towards 2025 and crucial states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam going to polls next year, the electoral arena will remain packed with a slew of activities. In an official release, the ECI said 51 Media Nodal Officers (MNOs) and Social Media Nodal Officers (SMNOs) participated in the programme, as Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi addressed the participants during the inaugural session. Deliberations during the course of the day were mostly focused on the growing threat of misinformation. It was felt that it was imperative to clearly communicate that the elections in India are conducted strictly in accordance with the Constitution and to keep countering misleading information with facts, the ECI said in the statement. Sessions were also held to strengthen the communication ecosystem of CEO offices to disseminate timely factual information to the media and other stakeholders, it noted, adding that the workshop had dedicated sessions on the SIR of Electoral Rolls from the perspective of media and social media. An expert session on the various tools, techniques and strategies to counter misinformation was also organised, it said, adding that today's deliberations marked the third such interaction.