In the cacophony of drones and missiles, facts often become the first casualty. Over the last few days, fake news and misinformation have flooded India's information ecosystem. In times of tension between nuclear-armed neighbours, misinformation can escalate fear, panic, and even violence. For Instance, a video showing a heavy rocket barrage, actually footage of a military drill and is being circulated widely on social media, captioned as a “real Pakistani attack on India.
But that wasn’t the only clip. On Wednesday night, Aaj Tak ran a breaking story: Karachi Port was under attack by the Indian Navy and INS Vikrant leads the charge. The story was debunked within hours but not before it racked up thousands of shares. Several images and videos were debunked by PIB fact-checkers and AltNews, a fact-checking website.
It is important that the news channels, verified accounts of social media accounts show restraint and not share unverified videos, images or news stories. In moments like these, the burden falls not just on journalists but on all of us.
To verify any claims, citizens should look to government sources including Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Defense and Press Information Bureau.
