{"id":8958,"date":"2018-02-13T15:07:09","date_gmt":"2018-02-13T09:37:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/?p=8958"},"modified":"2018-02-13T15:07:09","modified_gmt":"2018-02-13T09:37:09","slug":"compilation-times-nows-experiments-untruth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/compilation-times-nows-experiments-untruth\/","title":{"rendered":"A compilation of Times Now\u2019s experiments with untruth"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe pattern of a known fake and out-of-context video being deliberately recirculated multiple times by a selected section of the Indian media is a clear pointer that the objective of the exercise is to spread malicious and false propaganda on a swathe of unsuspecting news consumers\u201d.<\/em> The irresponsible journalism by Times Now was slammed by the UAE daily, Gulf News<\/a> for circulating a fake video of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The channel claimed that the video was being \u201crecirculated on the social media\u201d whereas it was the one which took the lead in circulating it and making it viral. It is a matter of shame that a national news channel was not able to recognize the dignitary who was the Chief Guest at India\u2019s Republic Day parade last year. Whether it was part of an agenda or pure incompetence is anyone\u2019s guess. The news was perfectly timed with PM Modi\u2019s visit to the UAE and the channel took its own sweet time to delete it when faced with social media backlash and an Alt News article<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This is not the first time that Times Now has been called out for circulating fake news. We have pulled out from Alt News archives other instances when Times Now was at the forefront of circulating unverified claims, distorted facts and plain lies.<\/p>\n

1. A prime time story based on a 7-year old photoshopped image.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In June last year, Times Now claimed it has accessed a ‘conversion rate card’<\/a>. “Mysterious rate cards like the one on your screen are being distributed\u2026. Look at what this rate card says, it puts up a price on religion, on your faith, if you look closely at the rate card, you will see ladies and gentlemen, you will see interesting details”\u00a0<\/em>trumpeted Rahul Shivshankar, Editor-in-Chief of Times Now waving a photoshopped piece of paper. The so-called mysterious rate card has been in circulation for years and had been busted as fake news as early as 2014.<\/p>\n

\"timesnow-rahul-shivshanker-punjabi-hindu-girl-6-lakh-rupees\"<\/p>\n

2. Attempt to discredit #NotInMyName protests with incomplete and distorted facts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Times Now attempted to shape public opinion against the \u2018Not in My Name\u2019 campaign that was held across India to protest mob lynching. In a \u2018Super Exclusive<\/a>\u2019 show, the channel gave a completely different twist to the protests by accusing the organisers of contacting activists in Pakistan to organize protests and defame India on Pakistani soil.<\/p>\n

In reality, Pakistani protests were inspired by the \u2018Not In My Name\u2019 movement but they had nothing to do with India. They focused on the violence faced by minorities in Pakistan. The claim about Indian organisers contacting activists in Pakistan was fake as well. Ironically the Times Now slogan for the program stated ‘Time to separate fact from rhetoric’.<\/em><\/p>\n

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REVEALED: Organisers of #NotInMyName<\/a> take protest to Pakistan #NotOnPakSoil<\/a> LIVE: https:\/\/t.co\/kFfzAUjU5o<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/dByELLQvHD<\/a><\/p>\n

— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) June 28, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

3. Video of Kerala student protest labeled as BJP protest against Kerala Health Minister<\/strong><\/p>\n

Times Now showed images of what it called protests and injuries sustained by BJP workers protesting against growing incidence of Chikunguniya cases in Kerala. The channel informed its viewers, ‘total travesty in Kerala, people protest government apathy, but Kerala cops thrash them, force used to disperse people’<\/em>.<\/p>\n

It turned out that the above video was of Kerala Students Union (KSU) students protesting against a fee hike. KSU is the Kerala branch of NSUI, the student wing of the Indian National Congress. The video shared as a ‘Times Now exclusive’<\/a>\u00a0and ‘First on Times Now’ was actually an ANI video of a students’ protest against fee hike.<\/p>\n

\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/07\/timesnow-ani1.jpg?resize=640%2C229\"<\/p>\n

4. Rahul Gandhi with Chinese envoy<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Times Now claimed it had accessed \u201cunverified photo of Rahul Gandhi posing with Chinese envoy\u201d you knew there was something fishy as their mirror channel, Republic TV had also accessed the same picture. The picture was probably leaked by the same source to dictate the day\u2019s distraction agenda to ‘friendly’ journalists who wouldn\u2019t care about fact checking it.<\/p>\n