A handbook for journalists

A handbook for journalists

CONTENTSv Foreword 1v Acknowledgments 3v Introduction 5v Definitions 6v TypesofMisinformationandDisinformation 7v ToolsforVerification 9 F ImageVerification • SearchTools Google’sReverseImageSearch RevEyeReverseImageSearch:Searchingusing

multiplesearchengines • SomeTips • CroppingTools AwesomeScreenshot Greenshot • RefiningYourImageSearch:TimeFilter • SomeTips F VideoVerification 13 • InVid • YouTubeDataViewer • WatchFramebyFrame • SomeTips F Geo-location 16 • GoogleMaps • GoogleStreetView • GoogleEarth

iv 1

• Mapillary

• SomeTips

F SourceVerification 19

• Identifyingfalseaccountsandwebsites

• SocialAuditing

• SomeTips

F Tipsfordataverification 21

F Tipstoreadnewsarticles

v MisinformationandDisinformation:AFewObservations 23

F Misinformation/Disinformation

F Causesofmisinformation/disinformation

F Natureofnewsrooms/newsorganizations

F Relationshipbetweenthemediaandthereader

F Roleoffact-checkingorganizationsandtechnology companies

v BestPractices 28

F Journalists

• Sources

• Reporting/Writing/Editing

• Fact-checking

FMediaHeads/OrganizationHeads

FJournalists’andMediaCoalitions

v TacklingDisinformationinNewsrooms: Participants’Suggestions 33

v Fact-checkingWebsites 35

v ReadingResources 37

v References 39

iv 1

FOREWORD

Dan Shelley Executive Director

Radio Television Digital News Association Washington, D.C.

Misinformation and its more dangerous cousin disinformation are scourgeson democracies around the globe. People engaged in them have attempted– sometimes successfully – to influence elections, harm the reputations ofinnocentpeopleand,inthemostegregiouscases,provokeviolence.

Journalists have not just an obligation but a solemn duty to combatmisinformation and disinformation by not unwittingly, or even wittingly,disseminatingthem,andtoexposethembyseekingandreportingthetruth.

InAugust2019, itwasmyprivilegeto travel toChennai tospeakwithSouthIndianjournalists,students,andthepublicaboutthedangersofmisinformationanddisinformationandabouttheiruniquerolesintheefforttopreventtheharmcausedbyfalseinformation.Ialsomet,viavideoconference,withjournalistsfromKarnataka,Kerala,andTamilNadu.

Itwasheartening tofind the journalismexecutives, journalists,andstudentswith whom I met receptive to the charge I gave them, specifically, to rootout,expose,anddebunkmisinformationanddisinformationsothattheymayprovidethepublicwithfactualreportingthatinformsratherthaninflames.

There are those, myself included, who believe that journalism is a sacredcalling, that it serves thevital functionofhelping tocreateamore informedandeducatedsociety.Throughouthistory,peoplewhoarefullyinformedhavemade sound decisions about their lives, their communities, and about whoshouldleadtheirlocal,regional,andnationalgovernments.

Thishandbookprovidesvaluableguidanceand tangible tools that journaliststhroughoutSouthIndiacan,andshould,useinthefightagainstmisinformationanddisinformation–thattheycan,andshould,usetofulfiltheirsacredcallingtocreateamoreinformedandeducatedsociety.

2 3

FOREWORD

Nalini Rajan Dean of Studies

Asian College of Journalism

The journalist cannot always be seen in a salutary role of informationdisseminator,watchdog,andeducatorofthepublic.Foranumberofreasons,journalistssometimesgettheirfactswrong,andcouldintroducedisinformationormisinformation in themedia.This is theopinionof severalparticipants inthethreeworkshopsconductedacrossSouthIndiaintheregionallanguagesofKannada,Malayalam,andTamilinJuly-September,2019.Theseworkshopswereconducted by theMedia Development Foundation in collaborationwith theU.S.ConsulateGeneralinChennaionthetopicof“CounteringDisinformationinSouthIndia:ARegionalMediaLiteracyInitiative.”

Amongtheseveralreasonsformisinformationinthemediaisthefactthatitcanbedifficultforajournalisttochecktheveracityofeverythingthatwassaidduringapressconference;nevertheless,ajournalistmustmakeeveryefforttodoso.Furthermore,inaclimateofchasingpopularityandTargetRatingPoints(TRPs)wherebreakingnewsconstitutesanot-so-subtlecompetitionbetweenchannels,fewjournalistswanttobesloweddownbyrigorousfact-checking.

Thechallenge,then,istofindwaysofavoidingmisinformationanddisinformationusingtoolsinthedigitalage,amongotherthings,inordertoenhancetheethicalsignificanceofthisnobleprofession.

2 3

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSMisinformation or disinformation is a serious concern today, particularly forjournalistswhoencounteritonadailybasis.Thishandbookhasbeencompiledtoserveasanintroductoryguideforjournalists,onthetopicofmisinformationanddisinformation.

Thehandbookcomprisesthreemainsections:anintroductiontodisinformationandmisinformationandtheirseveraltypes;toolsandtechniquestoverifyandfact-check information, particularly images and videos; andbest practices tocombatdisinformationinthenewsroom,bothatanindividualandinstitutionallevel.

The sectionon toolswas compiled from the training sessions conducted forjournalists in Kochi, Chennai, and Bengaluru during July-September, 2019.Thesesessionswereconductedby leading fact-checkingexperts in IndiaandtheUnitedStates.IwouldliketothankGoogleNewsInitiativeanditscertifiedtrainers – Bharat Nayak, Sunil Prabhakar, and Sathish Kumar V.; and PratikSinhaandPoojaChaudhuri fromAltNewsforprovidingthetrainingmaterialandconductingthesessions.IwouldalsoliketothankDanShelley,ExecutiveDirector,RadioTelevisionDigitalNewsAssociation(RTDNA),UnitedStates,forconductingwebinarstotrainthejournalistsduringtheworkshops.

The section on best practices has been compiled from panel discussionsand conversations among senior journalists, editors, media practitioners, fact-checkers,andparticipantsduringtheworkshopsandone-dayconference.The comments and observations from these sessions have been condensedin an easy-to-read format, which we hope will serve as a useful guide forpractitionersofjournalism,studentjournalists,andnewentrantsinthefield. Ithankalltheseniorjournalists,editors,mediapractitioners,fact-checkers,andparticipants for theiruseful suggestions,comments,anddiscussions. IwouldalsoliketothankthenewsorganizationsintheregionallanguagesofMalayalam,Tamil,andKannadaforlendingtheirsupportbyparticipatinginthisinitiative.

OurregionalpartnersfromSacredHeartCollege,Kochi,ledbyBabuJosephandteam,andCommunication forDevelopmentand Learning,Bengaluru, ledbyHemaPrasannaandteam,wereinstrumentalinorganizingandconductingthe

4 5

workshopsinthesecities.Iextendmysincerethankstothemfortheirefforts.Iwouldalso liketoacknowledgeandthanktheResearchAssistantsGanapatiHegde,SnehaM.,SulthanaSalim,andGowthamRajR.fortheircommitmentandexcellentworkthroughouttheproject.MyspecialthankstoDr.K.Nagarajformentoringtheteams.

This project was done with a grant from the U.S. Consulate General inChennai. I would like to thank Sujatha Srinivasan, Media Advisor, and herteamElayaperumalP.,HemalathaHarapanahalli,andNelsonK.Paul,fortheirsupportandcooperationinconductingtheworkshopsandconference.Iwouldalso like to thankLaurenH.Lovelace, thePublicAffairsOfficer,andKathleenHosie,SpokespersonattheU.S.ConsulateGeneral,Chennai,fortheirregularinputsduringtheproject.MyspecialthankstoSusieAlexander,GrantsAdminAssistant,andRatnaMukherjee,ProgramsandExchangesSpecialist,forassistingusinthegrantprocess.

I would like to conveymy sincere thanks to Sashi Kumar, Chairman,MediaDevelopment Foundation, for guiding and encouraging us in delivering thisproject. I would also like to conveymy heartfelt thanks to Dr. Nalini Rajan,Dean of Studies, Asian College of Journalism, for her unstinted support andguidancethroughouttheproject.IalsothankMs.MaliniK.N.,SeniorExecutive,Chairman’s Office, who was the backbone to this project and of immensesupporttotheteams.IwouldalsoliketothankthefacultyattheAsianCollegeofJournalismfortheirencouragementandadviceatallstagesoftheproject.Finally,my sincere thanks to all the administrative and technical staff at theAsianCollegeofJournalismforhelpingusconducttheprogramssuccessfully.

Wehopetheconversationondisinformationisgivenafillipandsustainedwiththishandbook.

Anjana Krishnan Research Associate Asian College of Journalism

4 5

INTRODUCTIONMisinformationanddisinformationarenotnewwordsinthemedia’slexicon.Politicalpropaganda,rumors,hoaxes,commercialinterests,factualerrors,andmistakesduetolackofrigorousfact-checkingbyjournalistsormediapersonshave led tomisinformation and disinformation in themedia. However, thealarming rise in bothmisinformationanddisinformation in recenttimes is acauseforconcern,givenitsimpactonthepublicanddemocracy(Ponniah,2019,BBCNews,n.d.&Bathini,2018).InIndia,therehavebeeninstancesofviolenceunleashedonvulnerablecommunitiesorindividualsduetomisinformationordisinformation,oftenchanneledthroughdigitalmedia(Safi,2018).Therehavealsobeenallegationsofusingsocialmediatodeliberatelymanipulateelectionsbyswayingvotermindsetsinfavorofspecificpoliticalparties(Ponniah,2019).A significant aspect of this increase in misinformation or disinformation inthemedia today can be attributed to recent technological advances, whichhaveopenedupcommunicationchannelsandallowedwidespreadaccess toinformation.Wearenowatapointintimewherewehavetoomuchcontentandtoolittletimetoprocessanddiscernfactsfromfalseinformation.

Withinthenewsmedia,theunderstandingofwhatconstitutesjournalismandwhatmakesnewshasundergonearapidchange.Theinternetrevolutionhasdemocratizednotonlyaccesstoinformationbutalsoproductionofinformation.Today,itisnotnecessarilyajournalistwhobreaksthenews,butanyonewithaccesstothenecessarytechnology.Thisposesafundamentalchallengetothepracticeofjournalism–whatconstitutesnews?Whatdrivesheadlines?Whatistrustworthynews?Howcannewsmediaorganizationsmaintaincredibilityandrelevancebyperformingtheirrolesasnewsbearerswithinthisenvironment?

In collaboration with the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai, the MediaDevelopment Foundation presents this handbook “Misinformation andDisinformation: A handbook for journalists.” It provides an overview ofimportant pointsmade byU.S. and Indian fact-checking experts, discussionsamongseniorjournalists,newsombudsmen,andworkingjournalistsduringaseriesofworkshopsconductedacrossSouthIndiaintheregionallanguagesofKannada,Malayalam,andTamilinJuly-September2019.

6 7

DEFINITIONSInformation can be distorted at different levels by actors with differentmotivations. We distinguish information that is deliberatelymanipulated tomisinformpeoplefrominformationthat is falseandunintentional.UNESCO’shandbook “Journalism, ‘Fake News’ and Disinformation: A Handbook forJournalism Education and Training” helps clarify basic definitions (UNESCO,2018):

Misinformation– Information that is false but not created with the intention of causing harm.

Disinformation– Information that is false and deliberately created to harm a person, social group, organization, or country.

WhileFake News isatermcommonlyencounteredinthiscontext,UNESCOandother internationalbodiesdonotuse it. For instance,theCouncilofEuropereport“InformationDisorder”discouragesuseoftheterm,asitis“inadequate”toexplain theextentof“informationpollution”andbecausepoliticianshaveincreasingly used the term to discredit news organizations across theworld(Wardle,2017).

6 7

TYPES OF MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATIONClaireWardle,theExecutiveEditoratFirstDraftNewsandtheco-authoroftheCouncilofEuropereport“InformationDisorder,”classifiessevendifferenttypesofmisinformationanddisinformation(Wardle,2017):

1 SatireorParody–Informationthathasthepotentialtofoolbutnotcauseharm

2. MisleadingContent–Usinginformationmisleadinglytoframeapersonoranissue

3. ImposterContent–Contentwhereagenuinesourceisimpersonated4. FabricatedContent–Contentthatiscompletelyfalseandcausesharm5. FalseConnection–Instanceswhereheadlines,visuals,orcaptionsdonot

matchthecontent6. False Context – Instances when genuine content is shared with false

contextualinformation7. ManipulatedContent–Whengenuineinformation,suchasanimageor

video,ismanipulated

Source: Seven Types of Misinformation and Disinformation, First Draft News, Claire Wardle (2017)

8 9

DEEP FAKESThe above forms of misinformation or disinformation can generally berecognized through continuous and rigorous fact-checking in the newsroom.Domainexpertise,aswellaspotentialjournalisticexperience,helpstoo.

However,aseriousimpactoftechnology-drivenmanipulationisthespreadoffalseaudiosandvideos.Thesearepopularlyreferredtoas“deepfakes,”wherevideosoraudiosaremanipulatedusingartificialintelligenceandarethereforeverydifficulttodebunk.Artificialintelligencesoftwarecanmanipulatevideosofapersonandprovideanaltered“reality.”Similartechnologiesmimicvoicesandgeneratefalseaudios(BBC,2018).

8 9

TOOLS FOR VERIFICATIONImages and videos are the most common forms of misinformation anddisinformationspreadthroughsocialmedia.Certaintoolshelpverifywhetheranimageorvideoistrueorfalse.Theseareopensourcetoolsfreelyavailableontheinternet.Thefollowingsectionlistssomeofthesetoolsandwaystousethem.

IMAGE VERIFICATION SEARCH TOOLS

Google’s Reverse Image SearchGoogle’sreverseimagesearchisafeatureavailableonthesearchengine.Itcansearchforvisuallysimilarimagesonthewebforachosenpictureandidentifytheoriginandspecificdetailsoftheimage.Thereverseimagesearchcanbeusedtotrackanyimageontheinternetusingalinkandanyimagethatauserhassavedonhisorherelectronicdevice.

HOW TO USE REVERSE IMAGE SEARCH

On Google ChromeGoogle Chrome browser has a built-in reverse image search option called“SearchGoogleforimage”thatwillautomaticallysearchtheimageonGoogle.Tousethisoption,right-clickontheimageandclick“SearchGoogleforimage.”

On other browsers1. Gotohttps://images.google.com.Or,gotoGoogle,andclickonImages.2. Clickthecameraicon“Searchbyimage.”3. Chooseeither“PasteimageURL”or“UploadanImage”dependingonthe

preferredtypeofsearch.4. Click“Searchby image.”Youwillfindarticles, links,andvisuallysimilar

imagestotheoriginalimage.Thesearchresultswillleadtowebsitesthatlist relatednewsstoriesandotherrelevant informationforthat image.Googlewillalsoproviderelevantsearchkeywordsalongwiththeimageinthesearchbox.

10 11

For mobile usersOnsmartphones,gotoimages.google.comonyourbrowserandclickonthethreeverticallyplaceddotsonthetop-rightcornerofyourscreen.Inthelistofoptions,check“Desktopversion.”ThiswillleadtotheimagespageonGooglethatissimilartothepageuserscanaccessfromthelaptopordesktop.

RevEye Reverse Image Search: Searching using multiple search enginesApartfromGoogle,thereareothersearchenginesthatareusedforsearchingimagesontheweb.RevEye Reverse Image SearchisaGoogleChromeExtensionavailableontheChromewebstore.ThisletsuserssearchforanimageonmultiplesearchenginesincludingGoogle,Yandex,Bing,Baidu,andTinEye.UsersmustaddtheRevEyeReverse ImageSearchasanextensiontothebrowserbeforesearchingforimages.

10 11

SOME TIPS1. If similar pictures and links to news articles on the web are found

while checkingapictureusingGoogleReverse Image search, then it isunderstoodthattheimageisnotanewone.Newpicturescanalsocomeupinsearchresults.

2. Followingareverseimagesearch,checktheaccompanyingtextwiththeimageonGooglesearch.Thiscangivecluesrelatedtothecontextinwhichthe imageappearsontheweb.Youcanalsochangetheaccompanyingtexttoakeywordofyourchoicetorefineyoursearch.

3. Usedoublereverseimagesearchtonarrowtheresultsforitsoriginandcontext.

4. Attimes,usersmayfindacollageofimagesthatneedtobefact-checked.Croptherelevantportionoftheimageforfact-checking.Imageswithtextwrittenonthem,suchasmemesorcollages,canbeachallenge.Insuchcases,cropportionsoftheimagewithoutthetextandconductareverseimagesearch.

CROPPING TOOLS

Awesome ScreenshotAwesome Screenshot is a tool that can crop images, annotate images, blurimages,andcreateotherinteractivefeaturesonanimage.Itcancapturethescreenshot of a full screen, as well as selected portions of the screen. It isavailableasanextensionofGoogleChrome.

12 13

GreenshotGreenshot is a tool similar toAwesomeScreenshot. It can take screenshots,annotate,andcropimages.UnlikeAwesomeScreenshot,youcanuploadimagesfromyourdesktopinGreenshot.ItiscompatiblewithMicrosoftWindows.

Refining Your Image Search: Time FilterThe time filter is applied to search for imageswithin a specific period. Thisisuseful forverifyingclaimsofphotoswhichweresaid tobe takenduringaparticulareventorperiod.

WhilesearchingforanimageonGoogle,userscanselecttheToolssectiontorefineasearchbasedonTime.Todothis,clickTools.FromtheTimedrop-downlist,selectthetimeframetobeusedtosearchfortheimage.

12 13

SOME TIPS1. Itisessentialtofact-checkalluser-generatedcontent.

2. Saveacopyoftheimageorvideotobefact-checked.WaybackMachineandarchive.isaretwoonlinerepositoriesusedtoarchivephotos,videos,andlinks.

3. For better results, change the keyword text associated with a reverseimagesearchonGoogle.

4. EXIForExchangeableImageFileFormatdataisusefultotrackimportantinformation related toan image that isbeing searched inGoogle.EXIFdatacanincludethetypeofcamerausedtoclickthephoto,theexposuretime,shutterspeed,andotherinformation.Thiscanbeusefultotracktheoriginalphoto.

5. Itisimportanttotracktheimagesourcetoitsoriginaluploadersuchasnewswebsitesandimagerepositories.

6. Usersshouldusetheirobservationskillsandjudgmenttotracetheoriginorcontextofanimage.

VIDEO VERIFICATIONVideosareavisualrepresentationofmovementofimages.Therefore,thetoolsto debunk false videos are essentially the same as debunking false images.However,usersneedatooltobreakdownavideointodifferentscreenshotsorimagesbeforetheverificationprocessbegins.Thetoolslistedbelowwillhelpinvideoverification.

InVidInVidisavideonewsdebunkeravailableonGoogleChromeStoreforinvestigatingpotentiallyfalsevideos.InVidprovidesacombinationoftoolsthatbreakdownavideointoseveralkeyframes,magnifyanimage,andconductAdvancedTwitterSearch.InVidisusedprimarilyforYouTube,Facebook,andTwittervideos.ItcanbeaddedasanextensionontheChromebrowser.

14 15

Toanalyzeavideo,firstbreakitdownintokeyframesorimages.InVidletsusersdo this by fragmenting videos into images andhelping toperforma reverseimagesearch.ThiscanbedoneonInVidasfollows:

1. InstalltheInVidpluginasanextensiontotheChromebrowser.

2. TheInVidiconwillappearnexttotheURLtextfield.OpenInVidbyclickingontheicon.

3. SelectKeyframesfromthesetofoptionsavailableonthepage.

4. In the“Insert theVideoURL” textbox,paste the linkof thevideoandclickSubmit.Alternately,userscanuploadavideostoredonalaptopordesktop.

5. The video is broken down into keyframes and displayed below. Foreach image, users can perform a Google reverse image search. InVidincorporatesaGooglereverseimagesearchinitsfunctioning.Leftclickontheimagetoperformthisfunction.

NOTE: InVidcanbeusedforotherSearchenginessuchasYandexandBaidu.

14 15

YouTube Data ViewerYouTubeData Viewer is powered by Amnesty International and is helpful inretrievingtheexactuploadtimeofaYouTubevideoaswellasbreakingdownavideointoseveralimages.ThistoolautomaticallyprovidesanoptiontoreversesearchtheimageonGoogle.

1. Toaccessthetool,logintohttps://citizenevidence.amnestyusa.org/.

2. Inthesearchbox,pastetheoriginalYouTubelinkofthevideo.

3. Assoonasthevideoisbrokendownintodifferentframesorimages,clickonthe“reverse imagesearch”optionnext tothe imagetosearch it inGoogle.

Watch Frame by FrameWatch Frame by Frame is another tool available online that lets users slowdownthespeedofavideo.Thisprocesswillrevealfinerdetailsinavideothatcouldotherwisebemissed.Thetoolisavailableonwatchframebyframe.com.

16 17

SOME TIPS1. Alwaysdownloadandsaveacopyofthevideotobeanalyzed.

2. ArchivetheURLlinksthatcontainthevideos.

3. UsesearchoptionsinsocialmediawebsitesincludingFacebook,YouTube,andTwittertofindinformation.

4. Messagesaccompanyingvideosonsocialmediamostoftenremainthesame.Forinstance,afalsevideosharedwithaspecifictextonWhatsAppcanbefoundwiththesametextonFacebookorTwitter.

5. Userscansearchforavideousingthetextthataccompaniesit.

6. If a reverse image search does not yield specific results, change thekeywordsforbetterresults.

7. YouTubehasanin-builtoptiontoslowdownvideos.Thisoptionwillbeusefultoanalyzethevideoindetail.

GEO-LOCATIONGeo-locationuses tools includingmaps to identify location in an imageor avideo. It canbeauseful tool inverifying theauthenticityofaviral imageorvideo.ThemostwidelyusedonlinemappingtoolsareGoogleMapsandGoogleEarth,BingMaps,Wikimapia,andYandexmaps.

Lookforspecificdetailsinanimageorvideotonarrowdowntothelocation,forinstance:

1. StreetLayouts–Thevisualspreadofastreetcanbeuniquetoaparticularplace.

2. Statues ormonuments – Statues ormonuments specific to the socio-culturalhistoryofaplaceorreveredaslandmarksareimportantsigns.

3. Architectural details – Buildings’ architecture reveals clues about theregionalandsocio-culturalinfluencesofaplace.

4. Street signs/Shopfronts – Signboards can prove useful to identify aparticular location. Languageusedon the signboard can reveal furthercluesonthelocation.Thisisalsotrueofshopsspecifictoaregion.

5. Licenseplates–Vehiclelicenseplatesoffercluesabouttheregionwherethevideowastaken.Numberplatescanbeuniquetospecificstatesandcountriesintheworld.

16 17

Google MapsGoogle’smapserviceprovidesseveraloptionsthatcanbeusefulingeo-location.Someof theseare itsaerial views, satellite imageryof locations,360-degreeviewsof streets, traffic routes, andnotificationsaboutpublic transportation.GoogleMaps also serves as an archive of images of places that have beenupdatedovertheyears.Thishelps intrackinghistorical imageryofparticularplacesintheworld.

Google Street ViewGoogle Street View is a feature of Google Maps that provides a virtualrepresentationofimagestakenbyGoogleandcontributorstothestreetview.The images are presented in a panoramic view that helps the user virtuallyexploreplacesintheworld.

To access street view in Google Maps, do the following:

1. GotoGoogleMapsongoogle.com/maps.2. Intheleft-handcornerofthescreen,clicktheMenubutton.3. ClicktheStreetViewoptionfromthemenu.Bluedotsonthemapindicate

locationsthatallowstreetviewonGoogle.Thereisalsoayellowhumanicon,calledpegman,atthebottom-rightcornerofthescreen.

4. Bydraggingthepegmananddroppinghimonanyofthebluespotsonthemap,userscanviewthestreetviewforthatparticularlocation.Userscanzoominandgetapanoramicviewofthelocationonceusershavelandedinthatplace.

18 19

Google EarthGoogleEarth isahigh-resolutionviewoftheEarththroughsatellite imagery.Itrenders imagesoftheglobein3Dview.Itcanbeaccessedonyourmobilephone,desktop,andontheweb.

MapillaryMapillary is another mapping platform that enables street-level imagery bycollating images from contributors. Mapillary uses specialized technologytomapplaces fromcontributionsand render3D street views.Mapillary is acrowd-sourced platform and covers parts of India. However, being a crowd-sourcedplatform, sourcingofpicturesdependson the interestof thepublicinvolved in it. Mapillary also does not allow panning or tilting of images.

SOME TIPS1. Alwaysplaythevideocompletelytolookforfinerdetailsforgeo-location.

2. Lookoutforchangesinthecameraanglesandthemannerinwhichthecamera isheldandoperated.Tilting,zooming,panning,orpausingthecameracanrevealvisualclues.

18 19

3. Searchesaimedat identifyingmonumentsor landmarks inaparticularareacanalsohelpidentifyplacesinavideo.Forinstance,searchitemssuch as “Bengaluru monuments” or “Chennai churches” can produceresultsspecifictolandmarksandplaces.

4. Listen to the audio carefully. Languages, dialects, names, places, andotherimportantinformationcanbegleanedbylisteningtotheaudio.

5. Certain locations in videos or imagesmay not be supported by streetviews.Insuchacaselookforoptionsthatwillprovideabird’seyeviewfromthetop.

NOTE: Often, metadata of images uploaded on crowd-sourced mappingplatforms can reveal important information. This is possible only when auserhas the locationssettingturnedonat thetimeofuploading the image.However,geo-taggedphotosandEXIFdataofimagescanbetamperedwithandcanmislead.Atbest,geo-taggedphotosandimagescanbelookedatasgoodleadstotracethelocationoftheimage.

SOURCE VERIFICATIONFor a journalist, sources are extremely important. They need to be reliable,credible,andtrustworthy.Inthisdigitalage,journalistsoftenrelyondigitalandsocialmediaplatforms for information. It isessential tobevigilantgiven theabundanceofmisinformationanddisinformationonsuchplatforms.

Identifying false accounts and websitesHereareafewquestionstoaskinordertoverifywebsitesandaccountsonthewebandsocialmedia.

1. Nature of the account/website * Doestheaccountorwebsitelookreal?Whenwastheaccountor

websitecreated?

* How often is information uploaded in the account orwebsite?Wheredotheypostfrom?

* Doestheaccountholderhaveotheronlinepresences?

20 21

2. Connection to the story being pursued

* Whatistheaccount’sorwebsite’sconnectionwiththestory?

* What does the upload history of the account reveal that has aconnectiontothestory?

* Istheuploadcontentconsistentinqualityandcontentovertime?

* Isthedescriptionandcontentuploadedconsistentwithreportsinothermedia?

Whois.comWhois.comisanonlinedomainregistrationservicethatalsocontainsadatabaseof registered websites on the internet. While identifying false accounts orwebsites,usethe“whois”websitetofindoutwhenthewebsitewasregisteredandunderwhosenameorphonenumber.

NOTE: Beware of scrapers!Often,therearewebsitesoraccountsthatjust“scrape”informationfromothersourcesandpost itontheirwebsiteoraccount.This isdonetoattractmoretrafficandviewership. Moreover,this isoftenvisibleinthemannerinwhichinformationisshared.Theseaccountshavedramaticimagesandvideosalongwithdramatictext.Theaccountsalsocomewithanappealtopushpeopleintoactionorcontributetosomecause,withmessagesinsistingtosubscribe,share,or like.Theyalsohost informationthatis inconsistentandiscompiledacrossdifferent locations and time. These accounts and websites are completelyunreliable.

Social AuditingPeopleleavedigitalfootprintswhenaccessingtheinternet.Arichprofileofapersoncanbecreatedbasedonanindividual’sinternetactivityandtheuseofavarietyofsocialmediaplatformsandservices.Userscanverifythecredibilityofanindividualontheinternetbyauditingthisinformation.Thiscanbehelpfulinavoidingorblockingparticularuserswhoareknowntocirculatemisinformationordisinformationontheinternet.

20 21

SOME TIPS1. Check for different variations of the nameof the user across different

platforms. The same can be done for usernames given in differentaccountsonsocialmediaorparticularservicesusedbytheperson.

2. Perform Google reverse image search of the user’s profile photo toidentifyifitisthesameuseracrossdifferentplatforms.Mostoften,falseaccountscanhavemultipleusernamesanddifferentpicturesindifferentaccounts.

3. Use visual clues from pictures posted on the account such as logos,headers,andgraphicstoverifytheuser.

4. Conduct searches by combining information available about the usersuchasschoolname,location,workplace,etc.fromtheirposts.

5. Checkwithknownsourcesamongfriendsandfamilygroupstoverifytheauthenticityofthepersonortheaccount.

TIPS FOR DATA VERIFICATION

1. Always lookat thesourceof thedataandverifywhether it is realandunbiased.

2. Investigatewhethertherearevestedinterestsinsponsoringtheresearch.

3. Verifyiftheopinionsgivenintheresearcharebiased.

4. Verifyifthesampleofthestudyisrepresentative.

5. Itisimportanttoquestioneveryminuteaspectoftheresearchstudy.

TIPS TO READ NEWS ARTICLES

1. Readthearticlecompletely.

2. Lookfortheleadandmakesurethereporterhasnotburiedthelead.

3. Identifyifcrediblesourcesandquoteshavebeenusedinthestorytobacktheclaimsmade.

4. In online platforms, follow the comments and read them. These mayrevealcluesrelatedtomistakesinthestories.

22 23

5. Lookoutforsloppywritingorpresentationofthestory.

6. CrosschecktheURLtomakesurethatthecontentdoesnotbelongtoamanipulatednewswebsite.

7. Learn to differentiate between satire and real news. Certain newswebsitesprovidesatiricalcontentbutprovidedisclaimersforthesame.Dothoroughbackgroundchecksofthenewswebsite.

8. Refertomedialiteracywebsites.

9. Double-checkontheauthorofthearticletoensurecredibility.

10. Iftherearesupportinglinksinthestory,crosscheckifthesearetrueandcredible.

11. Checkthedateofthenewsstorytoensurethatitisnotrepostedfromapriordate.

12. Journalists must be aware of their own biases, including ideologicalleanings,beforetheymakejudgmentsaboutnewsstories.

13. Incasesofdoubt,itisbettertoconsultanexpertrelatedtothetopic.

22 23

MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION: A FEW OBSERVATIONS

During the workshops for regional language media, there were discussionsamongsenioreditorsandjournalists,mediapractitioners,mediaentrepreneurs,news ombudsmen, practicing journalists, and journalism students on factorsthatresultinmisinformationanddisinformationintheregionallanguagemediainIndia.Hereareafewobservations:

Misinformation/Disinformation1. Misinformationordisinformationisnotanewphenomenon.Journalists

havegrappledwiththeissueforyears.However,ithasbeenexacerbatedinrecenttimes.

2. Anoverabundanceofinformationondigitalplatformscausesinformationdistortion.Thelackofverificationandfact-checkingofinformationfromdigitalmediacanleadtomisinformationordisinformation.

3. Disinformation canhaveeconomic, commercial, political, and/or socialintent.Journalistscanbeusedtofurthertheagendaofnefariousactors.

4. Misinformationordisinformationcanbepickedupfromsocialmediaandamplifiedbymainstreamnewsmedia.

5. Misinformationordisinformationcanbreakdownentirestatesystems,particularlyduringdisasterperiods.

Causes of misinformation/disinformation1. Intimesofcrisis,suchasawaroradisaster,thescopefordistortionof

informationisveryhigh.Thisisparticularlytrueinthecaseofregionalorlocalmedia,whichareatthecenterofthesituation.

2. Misinformationcanarisewhenjournalistsfeelcompelledtocreatenews,ratherthanletnewsstoriesevolveorganically.

3. Misinformation also ariseswhen journalists feel compelled to look fordifferentnewsstories,ortopresentnewsstoriesinauniquefashion.Theyaredrivenbytheneedtogetappreciationandcreditfortheirstories.

24 25

4. Time constraints because of competition to report first on a story canpreventnewschannelsfromverifyinginformation.

5. News, not necessarily false but exaggerated, can also lead tomisinformation.Thisisoftendoneinsituationswhereyouneedtoboostthemoraleofaparticulargroup,suchasinthecaseofrescueoperations.

6. Statistics and numbers can often be misreported (exaggerated orunderreported) depending on the situation in which they are given.A main factor here is “information lock-up,” where credible sourcesof information, particularly the government, do not give data orupdates. When this happens, the reporter is forced to conduct his/herowninvestigationandintheabsenceofdata,he/shemayresorttounderestimatingoroverestimatingthefinalfigures.

7. Thetoneandlanguageofreporting,particularlyonsensitiveissuesandheadlines,canleadtosensationalismandmisreporting.

8. Off-the-recordviewsoropinionscanbetreatedasgossipmaterial.Thisgoesagainsttheethicsofjournalismandcanbesensationalizedtoresultinmisinformation.

9. Often, crime stories rely entirely on police records for source andinformation.Newsorganizationsdonotrelyonalternativesources.

10. Journalists’potentialprejudicescanleadtosensationalism,exaggeration,ormisreportingcertainevents.

11. A lack of regulation among socialmedia platforms, unlikemainstreamnewsorganizations,contributestotheproblem.

Nature of newsrooms/news organizations1. Thereisarushtoproducemorestoriesornewseveryday.Thispressure

differsacrossplatforms.

2. Businessmodelsandtopleadershipofmediaorganizationshaveabigsayinthenatureofnewsthatispublished.Newsorganizationsandeditorsdependoncirculationandsometendtosensationalizenewstoincreasecirculationnumbers.

24 25

3. Reviewtheownershipandbusinessmodelsofnewsorganizations.Thesefactorsmayinfluencetheobjectivityandeditorialdecisionsofthemediaoutlet.

4. MainstreamIndianmediaorganizationsdonotinvestenoughresourcesinfact-checkingandverifyingthecredibilityofastory.

5. Mediaorganizationsarecompetingwithmoreentities today thaneverbefore.Thepressuretopublishnewsstoriesaheadoftherestmaynotgivethemthetimeorspacetofact-check.Inaddition,ifmediaorganizationsarecommittedtofact-checkingtheirstoriesbeforepublishingthem,theymayloseouttothecompetition.

6. Newsorganizations,journalists,andthepublicmustconsumenewsfromavarietyofsourcesandnotrestrictconsumptiontoonesource.

7. Printmediahasmoretimetoverifyandcrosscheckinformation,comparedtoelectronicanddigitalmedia.

8. Mediacanpandertomajoritarianexpectationsandmisreportissues.

9. Conflation of opinionmediawith responsible journalism reduces trustandcredibilityinthemedia.

10. Merely“curating”informationfromvarioussources,withoutconfirmingitsveracity,isnotjournalism.

11. Sensitizationaboutdisinformationisofprimaryimportanceinthemedia.Preventioncomesnext.

12. There must be a change in the approach as to how we consumeinformation.Merechangesintheapproachofproducingnewswithinthenewsroomwillnotaddresstheissueofdisinformation.

13. Newsroomculturetodayreliesheavilyongettingaquotefromapersoninauthority,withoutverifyingit,andbuildinganarrativearoundit.

14. Aneditor’sroleisimportanttoensurethatthenewsroompursuesactive,assertive,andethicaljournalism.

26 27

15. Aneditor’sroleisalsotochampionfreepressandismoreimportantthaneverbefore.

16. Reportersneedgoodeditorswhosupportandstandbythemindifficultsituations.

Relationship between the media and the reader1. There is, inmany cases, a credibility gap between themedia and the

public.

2. Therelationshipbetween journalistsandcitizens isa two-wayprocess.Thejournalistmustreportthe“bestavailableversionofthetruth”andengage in educating the public. On the part of consumers, it is theirresponsibility to ensure that the information they read is verified andtrue.

3. Apart from journalists, consumers have equal responsibilities to checktheveracityoftheinformationtheyconsume.

4. Illiteracy does not necessarily contribute to people spreadingmisinformationordisinformation.Eveneducatedpeoplewhoactwithoutsocialcommitment,socialresponsibility,andwanttoretainpoweramongasocialgroupcancontributetomisinformation.

5. Afreepresswithavarietyofvoices,offeringavarietyofpointsofviewsexpressedonavarietyofplatforms,isessentialforthepublictolearntogetthemostaccurateinformationpossible.

6. Satireisessentialtothefabricofdemocracy.However,journalismneedstouseitresponsibly,andthepublicaswellasjournalistsmusthavemedialiteracytodistinguishbetweensatireandactualnews.

26 27

Role of fact-checking organizations and technology companies1. Technology organizations are incentivizing fact-checking websites and

newsorganizationsbyprovidingalertsabouttheveracityofthenewsandpromotingthelinkstothetopofthesearchresults.

2. Fact-checkingorganizations canactaspressure lobbiesonmainstreammediatoexposefalseinformationthatispromotedasnews.

3. Fact-checkinganddebunkingeffortsmustbeacombinationofdomainknowledge,technologicalexpertise,andjournalisticskills.

4. Fact-checkingteamshavebeenintegraltonewsmediaorganizationsovertime.

5. Considertheroleofbigtechnologycompaniesandtherolestheyplayinprovidinginformationtothepeopleandtheirtechnologicalknowledgeinaccessinginformation.Theycanplayaroleindistortingdemocracies.

6. Technologycompanieshavethewherewithaltoinvestindebunkingandverifyingfalseinformation,particularlyimagesandvideos.

7. Technologycompaniesneedtohavepoliciesthataremoretransparent.

28 29

BEST PRACTICESTo avoid misinformation or disinformation, journalists and newsrooms cansubscribetocertainbestpractices.Thefollowingbestpracticesweresharedbyseniorjournalists,mediapractitioners,andfact-checkingexpertsduringaseriesofworkshopsinSouthIndiafromJulytoSeptember2019.

JOURNALISTS

Sources1. Verify all sources of information. In particular, verify information from

sourcesassociatedwithpoliticalpartiesorwithpoliticalaffiliations.Evensourceswithinthepubliccanhavevestedinterests.

2. Have multiple sources to verify information. If all sources, supportingsources,anddocumentsdonotprovideaclearpicture,donotpublishthestory.

3. Investigate the source thoroughly, particularly online sources suchasWikipedia. In the case ofwebsites, it is essential to investigate themissions,objectives,andcontactinformation.

4. Check frequently for information available on social media. However,exposeinformationthatisfalse,evenifpostedbyaprominentpoliticalfigure.Onlyreportinformationthatcanbeindependentlyconfirmedasfact.

5. Check for comments, particularly in social media accounts. These canrevealcluestohelpverifytheveracityofinformation.

6. Checksupportingsourcestoidentifyiftheinformationgiveninthemiscredibleornot.

7. Fact-checkinformation,nomatterhowreliableortrustworthythesourceis.Donotjumptoconclusions.

8. Bewaryofasourcethathasprovidedfalseinformationinthepast.

9. Whenpossible,visitthefieldandreportfromtheground.

10. Be wary of the coverage of events by social media. Social media cansensationalizeorrevealsensitiveinformationincertaincases.

28 29

11. Avoid personal gestures, favors, or acknowledgements from politicalleaders.Theirintentmaybetomisinform.

12. Donotmakeimmediateconclusionswhenitcomestoimagesorvideosfoundonline.Itisessentialtoverifythesourceandexaminetheimage/video in detail before concluding it to be true or false. For videos orimages,zoomintothepictureorslowdownthevideoforfinerdetails.

13. Lookatallpossiblenewsanglesinastory.

Reporting/Writing/Editing

1. Donotunnecessarilyalarmthereader.Provide thebestversionof thetruthinyourreports.

2. Beawareofechochambersthatprovideasingularnarrative.

3. Beawareofthepeoplewhowillbeaffectedbythestory.

4. Donotfictionalizestories.Reportfactsastheyare.

5. Ingeneral,provideattributiontoallsourcesinthestory.

6. Report on calamities and disasters sensitively and objectively. Specialteams must be trained and dedicated in news organizations for thispurpose.

7. Write balanced headlines. Avoid derogatory, provocative, and biasedwords.

8. Donotaddhypeandothersensationalistcharacteristicstothestorytoenhanceviewershiporreadership,especiallyifthestoryissensationalbyitsverynature.Awell-reported,well-sourcedstorytoldwellissensationalandcompellingenoughonitsown.

9. Gobacktothebasicsofjournalism–precise,fair,andevidence-orfact-basedreporting.

10. Support claims or theories in news stories or articles with adequateresearch,facts,andfigures.

11. Do not resort to “false balancing” of news stories. A balanced storydoesnotnecessarilymeanincludingquotesfrompeoplefromoppositeideologicalcamps.

30 31

12. Usebasiclogictocounterfalseorexaggeratedclaims.

13. Exercisecautionwhilereportingonsensitiveissues.Newsorganizationsandreporterscanplaydivisiveroleswhenreportingonsensitiveissuesiftheyarenotcautious.

14. Readbeyond theheadline to investigateoutrageousclaimsmade in it.Storiescanbemorethanjusttheheadlines.

15. Alwayscheckthebonafidesoftheauthorofthestorytofindoutiftheyarerealandcredible.

16. Check thedate.Attimes,old storiesmaybe repostedbutmaynotberelevanttocurrentevents.

17. Checkyourownbiasesastheymayaffectyourjudgment.

18. Consultanexpertorafact-checkingwebsitewhenindoubt.

19. Providecriticalandeducativestoriesonatopic.

20. Provideagoodmixofnewsandopinionsbutbetransparentandclearindistinguishingbetweenthetwo.Thiswillhelpbridgedisconnectbetweenground reality andnewsprovidedbymedia organisations andpreventfalsenarratives.Thiswillalsoreducedisconnectbetweenthepublicandthemedia.

21. Implementthepolicyof“firstwiththerightstory”insteadof“firstwiththestory.”

22. Donotresorttothe“bandwagoneffect”whereajournalistisforcedtoreportastoryjustbecauseacompetitorhasreportedit.

23. Follow up on news stories reported by other news organizations,particularlyinsituationswhentheyhaveuncoveredabigstory.

24. Trustandstandbyyourreporters.

Fact-checking

1. Givespecialattentiontoviralnewsstoriesandfact-checkbeforepublishingthem.

2. Takeupinitiativesatanindividualleveltocounterdisinformation.

30 31

3. Acceptgenuinemistakesinnewsstoriesandcorrectthemimmediately.However, donot acceptdeliberateactsof false information that enterreporting.

4. Setupinternalmechanismstoeducatejournalistsaboutdisinformationandhowtofightit.

5. Includefact-checkingcomponentsintheregularnewsproductioncycles.Dedicate time each day in the newsroom to fact-check a minimumnumberofstoriesthatrequirelesstime.Thisisspecificallyrequiredintheregional-languagemediaandonlineportalsthathavehighviewership.

6. Invest in investigative reporting, forming explanatory reporting units,improving domain expertise, andplacing journalists in communities toimprovethedepthandgranularreportingofnews.

7. Implementmultiplelevelsoffact-checkingatanorganizationallevel.

8. Investintrainingandmedialiteracyprogramsforjournalists.

9. Appointfull-timesocialmediaeditorstofact-check,verify,andensurethecredibilityofinformationpostedonsocialmediaaccounts.Also,dedicateapersontoactasagatekeeperofinformationfromsocialmedia.

10. Providespaceinregionalmediaforjournaliststoshareandpublishtheirexperiencesregularly.Aninitiativelikea“Reporter’sNotebook”canrevealthemultipledimensionsandchallengesof theprofessionandhelp thepublicbetterunderstandnotjustwhatjournalistsreport,buttheprocessthroughwhichtheygotoreportstories.

11. Provideopportunitiesforyoungjournalistsandnewentrantsinthefieldto voice their opinions and views regarding media practices. This willinfusefreshthoughtsandacritical lookatthefunctioningofthenewsmedia.

MEDIA HEADS/ORGANIZATION HEADS

1. Evolveabusinessmodelbyidentifyingaudiencesandempathizingwithviewersandreaders.

2. Createaself-sustainingrevenuemodel.Anadvertisement-basedrevenuemodel increases dependence on the funding sources and could makenewsorganizationsmorevulnerabletomisinformationordisinformation.

32 33

3. Clearlyidentifyadvertisementstodifferentiatethemfromnewsstories.

4. Enact policies that are transparent to the public, the reader, and theviewer.Clarifywith thepublic thenatureof theerrors, theerrors,andstepstakentorectifythem.Rebuildtrustwiththepublic.

5. Mainstream news organizations must adapt to social media to tackledisinformationinasystematicmanner.

JOURNALISTS’ AND MEDIA COALITIONS

1. Solidarity and coalition of news organizations and journalists can helpovercomepressuresexertedbypowerfullobbies.

2. Createaformalpolicytopreventdisinformationandmisinformation.

3. Enactpoliciestoregulatethebroadcastertoairnewsandpublicaffairsprogramsforaspecifiedperiod.

4. Enactpoliciestorestrictcross-mediaownershiptopreventamplificationofmisinformationanddisinformation.

5. Encourage credible government organizations to provide data andstatisticsperiodically.

6. Cancel the credentials of journalists who spread misinformation ordisinformation.

7. Incorporatementoringprogramsforyoungandnewjournalists.

8. Collaborative efforts among media organizations must recognize goodreportingaswellaspointoutmistakesmadebytheircompetitors.

9. Deviseguidelinestoreportonsensitiveaspectsofanewsstory,suchasdeathcountsfollowingadisasteroranaccident.Themediamustreportonlyofficially confirmednumbers.Deathcountsmustbebasedon thenumberofdeadbodiesandfollowwithastatementfromcloserelativesorsourcesconfirmingthedeathwheneverpossible.

10. Establishalternativeplatformsforthepublictoexpressviewsandopinionsofdailyrelevance.

11. Interactmorewiththepublic.Thiswillhelpfostertrustandcredibility.

12. Collaborate with technological organizations to verify and fact-checkinformation.Thisisimportantinregionalmediaorganizations.

32 33

TACKLING DISINFORMATION IN NEWSROOMS: PARTICIPANTS’ SUGGESTIONS

1. Newsorganizationsshouldhavemechanismssuchasnewsombudsmentofact-checkinformation.

2. It is essential to fact-check images, videos, and regular news every dayin the newsroom. Journalists themselves can carry this out. Thiswouldempowernewsroomsfromholdingbackanewsstoryandinsteadsupportthemtoverifythecontentandpublishitwithconfidenceintheveracityofthereport.

3. Investigativejournalismisessentialtounderstandandreportanissuein-depth.

4. Journalistsmustaskfortimetoverifyandvalidateanewsstory,evenifthenewsroomcultureemphasizespublishingastoryimmediately.

5. Journalistsshouldlookatallpossibleanglestocoveranewsstoryandnotrestrictthemselvestoasinglenarrative.Newsroomsandjournalistsshouldspendmoretimetoverifytheinformationinstories.

6. Itisimportanttoreadreportsandpressreleasesindepthtointerpretgreyareasinthetext.

7. Journalistsshouldbringmoreviewpointsintotheirreporting.

8. Itispreferable,ifnotessential,forajournalisttospecializeinabeatandgaindomainknowledgeandexpertise.

9. Discussionsondisinformationandmisinformationmustbecarriedout innewsroomsandotherplatformsrelevanttojournalists.

10. Journalistsmustbeempoweredtoquestionandcross-checkgovernmentsources.

11.Mediaoutletsshouldadmitmistakesinreportsthathavebeenpublishedorbroadcast.

12. Similar to theReaders’Editor in theprintmedia, televisionchannelscanexploretheoptionofhavingaViewer’sEditor.

13. News media should publish more information related to the issue ofmisinformationanddisinformation.

34 35

14. Journalists must learn to balance between newsroom culture, workpressures,andanorganization’sexpectations.

15. Stringersworkingforregionalnewsorganizationsmustbeempoweredandstrengthened to fight disinformation andmisinformation throughpropertrainingintoolsandtechniquestoverifyimagesandvideos.

16. Itisessentialtoprovidebackgroundandcontextualinformationforstoriesonsensitiveissues.

17. Establish special fact-checking teams to verify information in eachnewsroom.Expertswiththetechnicalexpertisenecessaryforfact-checkingmustleadthese.

18. Collaborativeeffortsamongjournalistsonsocialmediaandotherplatformswillhelpfightdisinformationtogether.

19.Mediaorganizationsmustconductsystematictrainingforjournalistsinfact-checkingandverification.Therecanalsobecollaborationsbetweendifferentmediaorganizations,pressclubs,andmediaunions.Thegovernmentcouldalsoplayanactiveroleinthisaspect.

20.More workshops and programs could be planned to train and discussdisinformation and misinformation, particularly in the regional media.Theseworkshopscouldbeorganizedfortheheadsofmediaorganizationsand students of journalism. Journalism schools and colleges shoulddevelopcurriculumtoimplementfact-checking.Workshopsandprogramscan be conducted inmedia academies, press clubs, and public relationsdepartments.

21. Tacklingdisinformationmustbeginatthesource,particularlysocialmediaplatforms.

34 35

FACT-CHECKING WEBSITES

International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN)

Poynter’s International Fact-Checking Network founded in September 2015,is a collective of fact-checking organizations around the world. IFCN has acode of principles and verified signatories that actively conduct fact-checks.IFCNprovidestraining,enactspolicies,andprovidesfellowshipsandgrantstosupportfact-checking.

Alt News

AltNewsisanIndianfact-checkingwebsitelaunchedin2017.AltNewsmonitorsand debunksmisinformationon the socialmedia aswell as themainstreammedia.Itdoesthisintheformofextensivestoriesfollowingin-depthresearch.Alt News fact-checks information in English and Hindi. The Alt News app,launched in2019,allowsuserstorequestfactchecksby lettingthemuploadimagesorvideosforverification.

Boom Live

BoomLiveisanIndia-basedfact-checkingwebsitefoundedin2016.Apartfromfact-checkingviralclaimsonsocialmediaandmainstreammedia,BoomLivehasasectioncalled“FactFile”listingimportantfactsonrelevantnews.Thewebsitedoes factchecks in three languages:English,Hindi,andBengali.ThewebsiterunsaWhatsApphelplinenumberforuserstorequestfact-checksdirectly.

SMHoax Slayer

SMHoaxSlayer isan independentfact-checkingwebsiterunbyPankajJain inIndia.ItstartedasanindividualinitiativewithaFacebookpagein2015andisnowfullydedicatedtofact-checking.

36 37

Snopes

SnopesisoneoftheoldestU.S.-basedfact-checkingwebsitesfoundedin1994.Itstartedasawebsiteinvestigatingfolklores,myths,andhoaxesontheinternetandisnowwidelyregardedasoneofthe leadingfact-checkingorganizationsonline.SnopesgivesratingssuchasTrue,MostlyTrue,Mixture,MostlyFalse,False,Unproven,Outdated,LabelledSatire,etc.,toitsfact-checkstoprojecttheseverityofthemisinformation.

Factchecker.in

Factchecker.inispartofTheSpendingandPolicyResearchFoundation,Mumbai.Itwasstartedin2013toverifystatementsmadebyleadingpublicfiguresandto provide data-based analysis for key issues. For instance, it runs a sectioncalled“ConstituencyCheck”thatevaluatesflagshipgovernmentprogramsandprovidesconstituency-wiseinformationonvariousindicators.

Factly

FactlyisadatajournalismandpublicinformationportalinIndiathatadvocatesfor anopendatapolicy for government information. It conducts fact checksanddatajournalisminitiativestosimplifypublicdataandinformation.Italsoprovidestoolstomakeaccesstopublicdataeasier.

PolitiFact

PolitiFactisafact-checkingwebsitecurrentlyrunbythePoynterInstitute.Itwasstartedin2007aspartoftheelection-yearcoverageoftheTampaBayTimesinFloridatoverifyclaimsmadebypublicfigures.PolitiFactappliesmultipleratingstotheaccuracyofclaimsmadebypublicofficialsintheformofaTruth-O-Meter.Readerscanalsosendsuggestionsforfact-checks.PolitiFactwasawardedthePulitzerPrizeforNationalReportingin2009foritsfact-checkinginitiativeduringtheU.S.presidentialelectioncampaignin2008.

36 37

READING RESOURCES1. Duty, Identity, Credibility: ‘Fake news’ and the ordinary citizen in India –

BBC

The study looks at the fake news narratives prevalent in the Indiancontext,themotivationstospreadfakenews,andtheneedtofact-checkinformation.

https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/duty-identity-credibility.pdf

2. Challenging Truth and Trust: A Global Inventory of Organized Social Media Manipulation – University of Oxford

Thestudytalksoftheuseofsocialmediatomanipulateandmisinformthepublic,especiallybypoliticalparties.

http://comprop.oii.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/93/2018/07/ct2018.pdf

3. India Digital News Report – Reuters Institute and University of Oxford

ThestudylooksathowdigitalnewsisconsumedinIndia,withanemphasison raising concerns over disinformation and hyper partisan content inonlinenews.

https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2019-03/India_DNR_FINAL.pdf

4. Journalism, Fake News & Disinformation: Handbook for Journalism Education and Training - UNESCO

The handbook explains the phenomenon of disinformation/misinformationinthemediatoday,theirspreadthroughdigitalplatforms,and efforts and tools to debunk them. It also focuseson theneed formedialiteracytotacklethisphenomenon.

https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/journalism_fake_news_disinformation_print_friendly_0.pdf

38 39

5. “News you don’t believe”: Audience perspectives on fake news - Reuters Institute and University of Oxford

ThisReuters InstituteStudyforJournalismfactsheetdetailsfindingsonaudience’sperspectiveofwhatconstitutesfakenews.

https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2017-10/Nielsen&Graves_factsheet_1710v3_FINAL_download.pdf

6. Information Disorder: Toward an interdisciplinary framework for research and policymaking - By Claire Wardle and Hossein Derakhshan

Thisreportlooksattheissueof“informationpollution,”inlargepartduetotechnology.Thereportdefinestheprocesses,thetypeofcontent,andthecomplexnatureofthisphenomenon.

https://rm.coe.int/information-disorder-toward-an-interdisciplinary-framework-for-researc/168076277c

7. The Oxygen of Amplification: Better Practices for Reporting on Extremists, Antagonists, and Manipulators Online – By Whitney Phillips

TheOxygenofAmplification:BetterPracticesforReportingonExtremists,Antagonists, andManipulatorsOnlinedrawson in-depth interviewsbyscholarWhitneyPhillipstoshowcasehownewsmediawashijackedfrom2016to2018toamplifythemessagesofhategroups.

https://datasociety.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/FULLREPORT_Oxygen_of_Amplification_DS.pdf

38 39

REFERENCES1. Aneez,Z.,Neyazi,T.A.,etal.(2019).ReutersInstituteIndiaDigitalNews

Report.

2. UNESCO.(2018).Journalism,FakeNews&Disinformation:HandbookforJournalismEducationandTraining.

3. Bathini,D.(2018,July19).HowWhatsApphelpedturnanIndianvillageintoalynchmob.BBC. Retrievedfrom

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-44856910

4. BBC Click. (2018, February 26). Deepfakes and the technology behind it-BBCClick.Retrievedfrom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=8LhI-e2B8Lg

5. BBC News. (n.d.). DUTY, IDENTITY, CREDIBILITY: Fake news and theordinarycitizeninIndia.

6. Wardle,C.andDerakshan,H.(2017).INFORMATIONDISORDER:Towardaninterdisciplinaryframeworkforresearchandpolicymaking.

7. Google News Initiative, Boom Live, Internews, First Draft, Storyful, AltNews,DataLeads(2018).GNITraintheTrainer.

8. Ponniah,K. (2019,April6).WhatsApp:The ‘blackhole’of fakenews inIndia’selection.BBC.Retrievedfrom

bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-47797151

9. Safi,M. (2018, July 3). ‘WhatsAppmurders’: India struggles to combatcrimeslinkedtomessagingservice.The Guardian. Retrievedfrom

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/03/whatsapp-murders-india-struggles-to-combat-crimes-linked-to-messaging-service

10. Shelley,D.(2019).CounteringDisinformationinSouthIndia:ARegionalMediaLiteracyInitiative

NOTES

AsiAn College of journAlism

administered by Media Development Foundation

Second Main Road, Taramani, Chennai 600 113. India Telephone: 91-44-2254 2840 / 2254 2842 – 47

Website: www.asianmedia.org