{"id":50143,"date":"2019-11-05T17:40:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-05T12:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/?p=50143"},"modified":"2019-11-05T17:43:07","modified_gmt":"2019-11-05T12:13:07","slug":"october-2019-mainstream-media-at-the-forefront-of-misinformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/october-2019-mainstream-media-at-the-forefront-of-misinformation\/","title":{"rendered":"October 2019: Mainstream media at the forefront of misinformation"},"content":{"rendered":"

In October 2019, several instances of misinformation emanating from mainstream media organizations were observed. Key events were misreported, deliberately or otherwise. The month also witnessed the usual attempts on social media to spread misinformation, from photoshopped images to pictures and videos placed out of context in order to mislead.<\/p>\n

MISINFORMATION BY MAINSTREAM MEDIA<\/strong><\/h2>\n

1. Misreporting UP govt’s approved estimated budget as 133 crore instead of 1.33 crore<\/strong><\/h3>\n

On October 26, 5.51 lakh \u2018diyas\u2019 were lighted as part of the ‘Deepotsav’ in Ayodhya, an event which was declared an official function where the expenses will be borne by the Uttar Pradesh government. Media outlets reported that the state government sanctioned Rs 133 crore for the event. Nearly every mainstream news organisation carried similar reports \u2013 NDTV<\/a>,\u00a0Newsclick<\/a>,\u00a0National Herald<\/a>,\u00a0The Times of India<\/a>,\u00a0Live Hindustan<\/a>,\u00a0The Indian Express<\/a>,\u00a0ABP News<\/a>,\u00a0Mumbai Mirror<\/a>,\u00a0The Wire<\/a>,\u00a0The Hindu<\/a>,\u00a0The Quint<\/a>,\u00a0Jansatta<\/a>,\u00a0Outlook\u00a0<\/a><\/em>and\u00a0Daily Pioneer<\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>among others. Some of these media outlets like\u00a0NDTV, Outlook,\u00a0<\/em>published\u00a0IANS\u00a0<\/em>feed.<\/p>\n

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The estimated cost of \u2018Deepotsav\u2019 for 2019 is Rs 132.70 lakh or approximately Rs 1.33 crore, not Rs 133 crore<\/a>. This was first\u00a0pointed out<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0NDTV\u00a0<\/em>journalist Alok Pandey. The\u00a0press release<\/a> stating the budget allocation is available on the UP government website. It was released on October 22, a day before most media reports published the erroneous figure. The press release states,\u00a0\u201c\u0935\u0930\u094d\u0937 2019 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0906\u092f\u094b\u091c\u0928 \u092a\u0930 \u0932\u0917\u092d\u0917 132.70 \u0932\u093e\u0916 \u0930\u0941\u092a\u092f\u0947 \u0915\u0947 \u0935\u094d\u092f\u092f \u0915\u093e \u0905\u0928\u0941\u092e\u093e\u0928 \u0939\u0948\u0964 \u0907\u0938 \u092e\u0947\u0932\u0947 \u0915\u0947 \u0906\u092f\u094b\u091c\u0928 \u092a\u0930 \u0939\u094b\u0928\u0947 \u0935\u093e\u0932\u0947 \u0935\u094d\u092f\u092f\u092d\u093e\u0930 \u0915\u093e \u0935\u0939\u0928 \u0936\u093e\u0938\u0928 \u0926\u094d\u0935\u093e\u0930\u093e \u0927\u0928\u0930\u093e\u0936\u093f \u0915\u0940 \u0909\u092a\u0932\u092c\u094d\u0927\u0924\u093e \u0915\u0947 \u0906\u0927\u093e\u0930 \u092a\u0930 \u0915\u093f\u092f\u093e \u091c\u093e\u090f\u0917\u093e\u0964 (Approximately Rs 132.60 lakh has been estimated toward the expenses of the event. The expenses incurred to organise this fair will be borne by the government based on the availability of funds.)\u201c<\/em><\/p>\n

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2. Promotional video on Balakot airstrikes broadcast as ‘real’ footage<\/strong><\/h3>\n

On October 4, the Indian Air Force (IAF) released a promotional video on Balakot airstrike which was carried out in February this year in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack. Subsequently, several media outlets reported the representational video as \u201creal\u201d footage or \u201cevidence\u201d of the IAF\u2019s airstrike in Pakistan.<\/p>\n

For instance, Republic TV<\/em><\/a> played the footage as \u201cIAF\u2019s Balakot proof\u201d. Zee News<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>also carried the misinformation. Its tweet and article headline called the video the \u201cfirst footage which gives proof\u201d of Balakot airstrike. The story was later updated by the channel. Moreover, A\u00a0PTI<\/em>\u00a0copy published by media outlets like\u00a0Firstpost<\/em><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Business Standard\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>claimed,\u00a0\u201cAhead of the press conference, the\u00a0<\/span>IAF<\/span>\u00a0also showed video clips of the\u00a0<\/span>Balakot<\/span>\u00a0strikes.<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/em>The word \u201cpromotional\u201d appeared nowhere in the article.<\/p>\n

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IAF releases Balakot video, Major Gaurav Arya calls it a positive move https:\/\/t.co\/pS7EPFlQEv<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Republic (@republic) October 4, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

ANI\u00a0<\/em>had uploaded the footage released by IAF, specifying that it is a promotional clip showcasing the Balakot aerial strike. A defence correspondent with\u00a0WION <\/em>had also\u00a0tweeted<\/a> that the Air Chief clarified during the press conference that there were \u201cno shots of Balakot strikes in the video.\u201d Alt News’s complete fact-check may be read here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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#WATCH<\/a> Indian Air Force showcases the story of the Balakot aerial strikes in a promotional video at the annual Air Force Day press conference by Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria. pic.twitter.com\/GBRWwWe6sJ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

3. Media misreports: Pak PM called ‘welder from Bronx’ by American anchor<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A video of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan\u2019s interview with American television network\u00a0MSNBC\u00a0<\/em>was massively circulated with the claim that the anchor told the Pakistani PM that he sounds like a \u201cwelder from Bronx.\u201d Former Indian cricketer Virendra Sehwag shared the 36-second clip on October 3. Subsequently, Republic TV<\/em> published an article (archive) on Sehwag\u2019s tweet writing, \u201cPakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan humiliated himself on a US television show on which he was called \u2018a welder from the Bronx\u2019 by an anchor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Media outlets\u00a0ANI<\/a>,<\/em>\u00a0Moneycontrol<\/a>,\u00a0NDTV<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Hindustan Times<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>also carried similar reports based on Sehwag\u2019s tweet.\u00a0NDTV\u2019s\u00a0<\/em>story was a syndicated\u00a0ANI\u00a0<\/em>feed.\u00a0ANI\u00a0<\/em>wrote,\u00a0\u201c\u2026in the latest gaffe, he [Imran Khan] has been humiliated by American anchors on live television.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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If one carefully listens to the anchor\u2019s statement, he does not say \u2018welder\u2019 but \u2018voter\u2019<\/a>. Khan praises the infrastructure in China while criticising \u201cbumpy\u201d roads of New York. The anchor laughs at the PM\u2019s statement and responds,\u00a0\u201cYou do not sound like a Prime Minister from Pakistan. You sound like a voter from the Bronx<\/strong> who would complain about the infrastructure and money being spent on wars in Afghanistan instead of fixing LaGuardia and other infrastructure there.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0The anchor\u2019s statement can be heard\u00a013:17 minutes<\/a>\u00a0onward in the broadcast below.<\/p>\n