Everybody Loves a Good Fake News

Assam Chief Minister Shares Doctored Clip on Social Media

Newsreel Asia Insight #54
Nov. 25, 2023

In the grand “theatre” of politics and media, there’s a secret everyone knows but seldom acknowledges: everybody loves a good piece of fake news, as long as it sings in their choir. The recent episode involving Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and a creatively edited video of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is a perfect illustration of this unspoken truth.

As Rajasthan goes to polls on Nov. 25, a video clip becomes the unlikely protagonist in our story. Shared by Sarma, who is from the governing Bharatiya Janata Party, it shows Gehlot, from the Congress party, at a rally in Malpura, seemingly trying to silence “Modi-Modi” chants. Sarma’s caption adds a dramatic flair, hinting at a guaranteed return of Modi to power.

News 18 Bihar and right-wing influencer Rishi Bagree don’t miss the beat, amplifying this narrative. The clip spreads like wildfire, fuelled by the winds of social media, with verified users lending their credibility to its flames.

But here’s the catch: Alt News – thank God for independent fact-checkers – reveals that this clip is as authentic as a mirage. The original footage, streamed live from Gehlot’s official accounts, shows a different reality. At the crucial 4:00-minute mark, there are no Modi chants. Gehlot did addresses a disturbance in the crowd, but it was not due to the Modi chants.

The Congress logo is conspicuously missing in the viral clip, in its rightful place. A fictional addition was made to the original script.

This incident is a classic example of the selective outrage and love for misinformation that pervades our political and media landscape. When fake news aligns with one’s beliefs or political leanings, it’s embraced, shared and defended. But when it opposes or challenges these beliefs, the same voices that cheered become the champions of truth and integrity. It’s simply called confirmation bias.

Confirmation bias is like having a personal assistant in your mind that’s a bit of a yes-man. This mental sidekick has a knack for spotlighting information that agrees with what you already think, giving it the VIP treatment. It’s constantly nodding and saying, “You’re absolutely right!” Meanwhile, it’s pretty good at turning a blind eye to anything that might prove you wrong, sweeping contradictory evidence under the rug like unwanted dust. This bias is our brain’s own filter, keeping our beliefs snug and unchallenged, while inconvenient truths often get left outside the door.

However, it’s confirmation bias only if we give Sarna and others the benefit of the doubt. It’s unclear whether these individuals genuinely believe in the accuracy of the information they’re sharing, or if there’s a deliberate choice to ignore conflicting evidence due to the potential real-world consequences.

Consider the ordinary citizen, bombarded with information from all sides, trying to discern fact from fiction. Now, let’s pause and reflect. This isn’t Sarma’s first encounter with the misinformation arena, as per Alt News. When leaders and media engage in spreading falsehoods, it’s not just misleading; it’s a betrayal of public trust. It’s like a guide leading a traveller not to safety, but deeper into the forest of confusion.

The humour in this situation, albeit dark, is hard to miss. There’s an almost theatrical quality to the way narratives are spun and unspun. The doctored video is like a scene from a satirical play, where the actors know their lines are absurd, but they deliver them with a straight face. It’s a performance where the audience is unsure whether to laugh or cry.

News 18 Bihar’s reportage is symptomatic of a larger trend where news is often tailored to fit narratives, rather than narratives being shaped by news.

The unfolding of events like these serves as a crucial lesson for us as citizens: the importance of staying alert, questioning and pursuing the truth. In today’s era, distinguishing between what’s real and what’s not is more than just a handy skill – it’s an essential tool for navigating our world.