Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Even as Turkey and Syria remained in news following the devastating earthquake that killed over 45,000, the ever changing social media landscape saw new issues become the talking point. Here’s what Newschecker found on analysing the claims debunked last week.
Indian R-W Social Media & Its Obsession With Pakistan
That Pakistan is facing its worst economic situation ever in history is no secret. The foreign reserves have plummeted along with a currency devaluation and spike in inflation. Reports of petrol pumps running out of fuel and rising hunger were followed by reports of the country trying hard to secure a bailout package from the IMF, while the country’s defence minister on Saturday accepted that the country has gone bankrupt.
And all these developments, coupled with reports of attacks on security personnel in Waziristan and the Karachi Police HQ, made Pakistan a trending topic in India.
The week started with social media users sharing a video of what appears to be a mosque being brought down with hammers.
The claim- that Pakistanis, beaten by hunger, were breaking down mosques and selling the iron and other things for food. The fact is that the mosque that was being brought down belonged to the minority Ahmadiyya sect, who are not considered part of Islam in Pakistan, and hence not allowed to have any religious structure resembling a mosque.
Many other users shared a news report, claiming to show that people in Pakistan are slaughtering donkeys and dogs for food. However, the viral video dated back to 2014 and was actually an investigative report into illegal slaughter houses selling dog and donkey meat.
Newschecker also debunked claims that took aim at the security infrastructure of the country. For instance, an image claiming to be from Waziristan, where an Army convoy was attacked by a suicide bomber, was debunked to be an old image showing the 2009 Lahore blast. Another video of Pakistan rangers capturing a drug peddler fleeing from authorities in Karachi, was shared by many claiming that the video showed Pakistan Army kidnapping a man in broad daylight.
Pulwama Attack Anniversary
As Valentine’s day was celebrated on February 14 the world over, India paid homage to the 40 CRPF Jawans who died in a suicide atttack in Pulwama in 2019. As many shared images and videos with their tributes to the slain soldiers, several users also shared unrelated images and videos linking it to Pulwama attack. Among those is the viral video of a bomb attack in Iraq which was revived in the context of the anniversary.
Another video of a young girl, offering a last salute to her father during his last rites was shared by many users, claiming that the slain soldier was an Army officer who lost his life in the attack. But the image was dated back to 2015.
New Zealand After Turkey: Social Media Shaken By News Of Tremors
While social media platforms continued to see content pertaining to the Turkey & Syria earthquake, the 6.1 magnitude earthquake that rocked New Zealand also gave fodder to earthquake related misinformation. Many users shared an old video from Haiti linking it to the tremors in New Zealand.
Meanwhile misinformation regarding the Turkey earthquake continued. From a video showing a rocket launch falsely linked to the Turkey earthquake to a scripted video of a Turkish family taking cover during an earthquake, users shared unrelated content linking it to the natural disaster. Indian users also shared a video of an NDRF training exercise, claiming that it showed the Indian aid landing in Turkey.
Hindenburg and George Soros
The Hindenburg report continued to be discussed this week on social media, and one of the many claims shared by users was that the organisation was banned in the US because of stock manipulation- a claim that was found to be false. And soon, the discussion around Hindenburg was overshadowed by another development- the statement by philanthropist and billionaire George Soros, saying that the Adani crisis would spark the democratic revival in India. Soon enough, videos and posts centred around George Soros topped Twitter trends in India. One such video, showing Soros’ 1968 interview with Steve Kroft in the popular show 60 minutes, insinuated Soros’ role as a Nazi facilitator during WWII. But Newschecker found that the video was shared without key context.
The Sun is Broken-NOT
One of the viral pieces of science misinformation last week was the claim that a segment of the sun had “broken off” and was circulating around its northern pole. While many media outlets were quick to share alarmist headlines, they were quickly called out for triggering panic by the very person who flagged the rare phenomenon in the first place. Dr Tamitha Skov, who first shared the news of the rare-but-normal phenomenon on twitter, set the record straight in her blog, but the incident only highlights the need for better science reporting in mainstream media.
This week’s celebrity victims: Rihanna & Vyjayanthimala
Celebrities are used to allegations of Satan worship in the US – and the more successful they are, the more likely they are to get stung by such accusations. Rihanna was victim to one such misinformation campaign against her, when social media users including verified ones, alleged that the singer sported a pentagram, a symbol commonly associated with Devil worship, during her performance at the Superbowl. But turns out, it was nothing more than a harness buckle. In India, users shared a video of an old woman grooving to a classic Tamil song, identifying the person as 89-year-old dancer and actor Vyjayanthimala.
Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
