Sticking to facts

COUNTERING misinformation in the age of social media is vital. In times of conflict, the significance of debunking fabricated claims and false reports cannot be overstated. Fact-checking thus becomes a necessary tool to restore public trust. The heightened India-Pakistan tensions have brought to fore an incessant barrage of digital smear campaigns emanating from across the border. These social media accounts are meant to twist facts and weaponise public opinion on one side, and create panic on the other. In India, the Centre has been quick in putting out advisories and guidelines for both the mainstream and independent news-gathering platforms on what to desist from. The message is clear: stick to facts and verify before putting out any piece of information. Yet, in the eagerness to be the first to report, there have been instances of falling for and amplifying false claims and imagery.

The dissemination and consumption of information responsibly are no easy tasks. These demand application of mind and a patient reading of what’s being offered. Both seem to be in short supply as videos generated through artificial intelligence and misleading messaging are being lapped up. Confusion and hysteria are the byproducts. The Indian government has asked microblogging website X (formerly Twitter) to block over 8,000 accounts. In the wide web world, there is still ample scope of playing truant and exploiting vulnerabilities. That’s why it becomes incumbent upon every information provider and of course its consumer to exercise restraint and not be taken in by anything and everything that comes their way.

The joint press conference of the Foreign Secretary and two women military officers has set a benchmark of sorts — detailed, precise information on what the country, and indeed the world, needs to know. Let’s stick to the facts.