Daily Times

Fake news. Sloppy journalism. Politicising the news. These terms may look loaded to the eyes and depending on where the audience stands on the spectrum they can very easily (in the blink of the eye) brand the target on the back of the messenger. For, in a world where blurred lines are the new normal and everyone – from newsmakers to viewers and all Toms, Dicks and Harrys in between – are just as confused as to what to make of this hotchpotch of vendettas with a dash of truth, the public might have begun to take journalistic objectivity the wrong way.

With the constant bombardment of information, putting the responsibility to wade through the sea and filter for the credible and unbiased, our people seem to have thrown the towel once and for all because to their eyes and ears, whatever they agree with is the news, the truth, the holy grail.

Ergo, there are no surprises in the report published by the Fake News Watchdog on a recent protest led by former prime minister Imran Khan’s party to Islamabad. All that happened in D-Chowk on November 24 was a national tragedy. The air of distrust, everyone walking on eggshells throughout the day worried about a brewing catastrophe or worse, an extra dash of overexcitement from either side. However, the politics being played over the number of casualties takes the nauseousness to an unprecedented level. There appear to be a million accounts of the number of protestors having lost their lives during the crackdown. On one end, the authorities have dismissed the entire phenomenon, claiming the security personnel did not carry any ammunition. In stark contrast (and running in a marathon of their own) PTI leaders keep giving new tally counts of their deceased workers, casting bizarre accusations on the security establishment. If profound information warfare is to be believed, roads were washed in the dead of the night, dead bodies lumped together in a carpet and whisked off to some unknown corner of the earth. Manipulated images, doctored videos and constant shaping of the narrative using names of key personalities have rendered social media a breeding ground for misinformation. The more likes and retweets, the more the reach. Following the same formula on Youtube, the more bizarrer the statements, the steeper the dollar graph.

There appear to be a million accounts of the number of protestors having lost their lives during the crackdown.

Could it be that the Frankesnstein’s monster has finally outraced its creator?

Fake news spread in all directions like wildfire. Rumours and misinformation were rampant, with sensationalist headlines and doctored shared without verification. This influx of fake news not only misled the public but also incited fear and hysteria, leading to a breakdown of trust in the media. What to expect from citizen journalism when lapses in journalistic standards by mainstream media meant undue attention was given to word-of-mouth over credible reports, further legitimising misleading information

Of course, the emotions attached to the appeal can neither be denied nor dismissed. Mr Khan and his hold on the public has, in the past few years, become an absolute reality but a leader as popular as him would surely not require the extra brownie points of false narratives to send the message across. The same goes for the state. Can Islamabad really expect the world to dabble in its “all-is-well” shenanigans? Wouldn’t the country stand a better chance at crossing the impasse if the current leadership showed a willingness to call a spade a spade and then move henceforth?

As always and at the expense of drawing the ire of social media warriors, I would dare remind them of the difference between a narrative and propaganda. More dangerous remains their dire oblivion to the necessity to step back and look at the bigger picture, especially when the window to become an “X” sensation is closing fast.

The writer is OpEd Editor (Daily Times) and can be reached at durenayab786@gmail.com. She tweets @DureAkram