Mumbai: ABP Network has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore to focus on analysing and recommending policy-level interventions combating fake news ecosystems.

The agreement aims for both parties to collectively investigate the social-psychological underpinnings of fake news and design preventative mechanisms to address this issue.

Both parties will work towards the development of an informed and open society through a mutual academic-practice collaboration framework.

ABP Network and IIM Indore will cooperate and collaborate to carry out joint research for developing tools & processes needed for creating an informed society & open society. They will further develop awareness models on digital literacy for the citizens of India. There will also be a provision for short-term training/research opportunities for personnel of ABP Network and IIM Indore. Further, both the parties will also hold joint seminars of mutual interest.

“With this collaboration, we look forward to a constructive professional relationship with IIM Indore in the years to come,” said ABP Network CEO Avinash Pandey. “ABP Network has always stayed true to its commitment to increasing the scope of an informed and open society. By entering into this agreement, we aim to develop preventive strategies to address the challenges of fake news, its genesis & impact, and develop awareness modules for the general public. We are confident that this partnership will play a pivotal role in the research and development of the dynamic media space and will allow an exchange of a plethora of ideas and strategies.”

“We are delighted that IIM Indore and ABP Network are signing a MOU. Social consciousness is at the fore in the mission statement of IIM Indore,” said IIM Indore director professor Himanshu Rai. “Through this agreement, we can lay the foundation for building a conscious nation by combining the ground reach of the ABP Network and the intellectual excellence of IIM Indore. This will be done primarily by trying to solve the problem of fake news. According to us, the effect of fake news is not only on individual sensitivity but can also affect social unity and national security. Our journey starts here.”