The term fake news means “news articles that are intentionally and verifiably false” designed to manipulate people’s perceptions of real facts, events, and statements. It’s about information presented as news that is known by its promoter to be false based on facts that are demonstrably incorrect, or statements or events that verifiably did not happen.
Now in the backdrop of the above definition of fake news lets see what is happening in Pakistan. Dis-info Laboratories are targeting 220 million hapless people with fake news relentlessly to promote their vested interests. And such vested interest groups include governments, opposition, media etc.
Unbridled social media is the major vehicle to peddle fake news. The conventional electronic media has long lost its credibility with its viewers due to its news and analyses lacking credibility, fairness and unbiasedness. It is also devoid of proper research and is inherently based on unsubstantiated allegations.
Most of electronic media houses recruited human resource which lacked relevant educational background and professional training. Media houses preferred to go to happy hunting grounds of their affiliate print media, thanks to cross media licenses, to make optimum profits without focusing on harnessing the skills of the professional staff I.e. newscasters, reporters, hosts/ anchors and other staff. The unimaginative editorial policy or lack of it further compounded the situation.
Mainstream media resultantly morphed into a fertile ground for disseminating false/fake news.
When viewers got dismayed and dejected with the content of nightly talk shows the fake news spreaders shifted their focus to YouTube. All of sudden there was an unprecedented surge in V Loggers who planned to target the social media audience while they continued to remain part of the electronic channels.
With cut in wages their fortunes further dwindled as a result of shrinking govt advertisements and decreasing market share because of many new entrants put pressure on the managements of these TV channels to drastically slash staff and cut psyches.
The fake news spreaders shifted their focus to YouTubers as it offered unsuspecting audience and additional financial benefits. V loggers came to relish their celebrity status on YouTube channels garnering massive followers. And fake became real news.
Wittingly or unwittingly successive governments gave spur to such activities to serve their narrow vested interests to create an aura of progress and prosperity and creating a bulwark against any opposition onslaught against the siting government. Opposition wasn’t left far behind and also embarked upon recruiting known anchors/analysts to spread their own fake news in order to stay relevant in the political arena.
Governments used media houses by bribing them with advertisements to the tune of billions of rupees to enable them to stay afloat. Ironically media houses are mostly owned by big businesses with little or no background in journalism. Textile industry owners, goldsmiths, property tycoons and cooking oil manufacturers entered the foray to have their portion of the pie, leaving little space for the new entrants to make fast bucks hence the rise and rise of fake news juggernaut.
YouTubers preyed on educated middle class targeting them with fake news with blaring, provocative headlines and unprecedented sensationalism to create a niche value. These ruthless YouTubers are attacking their mostly unsuspecting audience like hungry wolves. “Cry havoc and let loose the dogs of war”
By Javed Khan Jadoon
Writer is former Director News & Current Affairs
Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (Radio Pakistan)
