01 June 2005
State Department Web Site Targets Misinformation
English and Arabic sites aim to correct errors, disseminate facts
Following is the text of the State Department response to a May 31 question, taken at the regular department briefing, regarding the new Identifying Misinformation Web site:
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
May 31, 2005
Question Taken From May 31, 2005 Daily Press Briefing
Identifying Misinformation Website
Question: What is the new identifying misinformation website that has been created? What is it designed to do?
Answer: Misinformation in the form of myths, rumors and "urban legends," as well as disinformation in the form of orchestrated campaigns to misrepresent a nation's actions and intentions, are nothing new.
The Coordinator of International Information Programs (IIP) at the Department of State has an office that is charged with responding to misinformation about American policies and actions. The primary vehicle for disseminating this information is the State Department's international website, http://www.usinfo.state.gov.
On March 9, 2005, the Identifying Misinformation site, included as pages within the international website, was launched as part of our effort to put forth facts and correct mistakes, both new and longstanding, surrounding urban myths and misinformation. It is intended for the general public and journalists.
Identifying Misinformation, provides guidelines in the form of questions to help journalists and news consumers determine whether a particular story is true or not.
The site is available in English and Arabic:
English: http://usinfo.state.gov/media/misinformation.html; Arabic: http://usinfo.state.gov/ar/Home/resource_tools/Identifying_Misinformation.html
In addition to providing information via the website, the Coordinator of International Information Programs distributes Misinformation Alerts to U.S. embassies and posts.
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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
