Author: Dimpal Gulwani
Author Affiliation: Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media.
Abstract: With the advancement of technology, the spread of fake news has seen a stark rise. The ease in which online media platforms have given to the spread of misinformation, poses serious threats to society in real time. Take for instance the online media applications like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp etc which have proven to fuel the spread of fake news stories in the recent times. Consequences of fake news stories can also be unprecedented as some can even incite violence. This paper, seeks to understand how media has witnessed spread of false news while heavy emphasis is laid on the debunking methods applied to fact check such information. In order to do so, the study tries to understand how fact checking units/platforms are working in India to fight fake news. Thrust has been given to understand what kind of fake news stories go viral and what debunking methods are applied by certain platforms to fact check those stories.
Keywords: Fake News, Media, Technology, Misinformation, Fact Checking.