Awareness Media Center Organizes Workshop in Omdurman to Warn Against the Dangers of Rumors to Community Security
The Awareness Media Center organized a workshop entitled “Digital Media Between Awareness and Misinformation,” with the participation of journalists, media professionals, researchers, and those interested in security and media affairs. The workshop discussed the growing danger of rumors and misleading news and their impact on national security and social cohesion, especially in light of the war and the complexities of the political, economic, and media landscape in Sudan.
Participants emphasized that social media platforms have become an open arena for psychological warfare and the creation of misleading news. They stressed that the “battle for awareness” has become one of the most serious challenges facing the country at the present time, which necessitates strengthening professional and responsible media and building community awareness capable of confronting misinformation campaigns and protecting the home front.
During the workshop, the Director General of the Ministry of Culture and Information in Khartoum State, Al-Tayeb Saad El-Din, emphasized that Sudan faces significant challenges in the areas of awareness and information. He called for responsible engagement with content circulating on social media and for verifying information before sharing it. He noted that while digital media has provided ample space for publication and interaction, it has also created serious challenges related to the spread of inaccurate information and rumors.
He pointed out that the current stage requires a conscious national media that does not merely report the news but also contributes to protecting society from hate speech, rumors, and attempts to sow despair and division. He further noted that some rumors are systematically disseminated to undermine social stability and weaken trust in state institutions.
For his part, Colonel Khalid Mohammed Abdullah presented a paper entitled “Achieving Information Sovereignty and Combating Misinformation,” in which he addressed the concept of modern psychological warfare and the media influence tools used to target populations and internal fronts. He stressed that rumors are no longer simply false news but have become part of modern warfare strategies that target collective consciousness and weaken the morale of nations.