Fake news is a threat to democracy: Columnist D Umapathi
Shivamogga : Press Day-2018
Shivamogga, July 1: Senior columnist D Umapathi said that the fake news being created and circulated through social media by the war rooms of political parties and unprofessional became a threat to the democracy in India where more than 30 crore people have been using Whatsapp.
Speaking at Press Day -2018 programme organized by Karnataka Media Academy, Information department and Sahyadri College Journalism Department at Zilla Panchayat hall here on Sunday, Umapathi said that social media like Facebook, Google, Twitter and WhatsApp do not know what it news. But they were making huge money just by becoming the vehicles to pass on the fake news.
“Fake news is a poisonous weed came with the development of internet. In recent years, it has reached all walks of life. There is a certain section of people who engaged in creating and circulating the fake news which sans logical and realistic base. Without knowing the reality and reliability, the users of social media blindly believe such fake news as true. Unfortunately, those who are at the helm of affairs and in important positions have been following such fake news for their gains. No doubt that it will have its tentacles on the elections in future and it will become a big threat to the democracy”, he said giving some instances on how this social media impacted the USA election and other countries.
Compared to the readers who read newspapers, the number of fake news readers is more in India. Interestingly, the internet data users have been consuming 1.3 billion GB data in 2017 in the country because of the fake news websites. Unfortunately, some main stream electronic media have also been telecasting such fake news without checking their reliability. More than 30 crore people have been using WhatsApp in the country and among them, the number of people accepting such fake news is more than questioning the authenticity. The rural users of social media would not think whether such news are genuine or not, but believe them. Such fake news are based on emotional issues than logic and reality. There were major issues like unemployment, education, agriculture sector problem and others. But the fake news was consuming the space. It has been killing the thinking process of the people and creating superiority and inferiority complex among readers. This false propaganda has entered each and every house. Because of this reason, the mainstream media has been losing its credibility, he said.
“Nowadays, the Indian media is sinking because of various reasons. Instead of polarization of news, out mainstream media is giving more importance to ‘feel-good-factor’ news. This is the main reason for declining in reliability. Instead of questioning the ruling parties, the mainstream media have joined hands with the governments and attacking those who question and oppose the governments and their policies which is really a distortion”, he opined.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Vice president releases latest edition of Constitution in Sindhi
New Delhi (PTI): Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Friday released the latest edition of the Constitution in Sindhi language, in both Devanagari and Persian scripts here.
Addressing a gathering, the vice president extended greetings to the Sindhi-speaking community on the occasion of Sindhi Bhasha Diwas.
He described Sindhi as one of the oldest and most melodious languages, noting that its literary tradition reflects a unique confluence of Vedantic philosophy and Sufi thought, promoting universal values of oneness, love, and brotherhood.
Highlighting the significance of the occasion, he said that the release of the Constitution in Sindhi, particularly in the Devanagari script for the first time since Independence, marks an important milestone in promoting linguistic inclusivity.
He emphasised that the Constitution is not merely a legal document but the living spirit of the nation, embodying its aspirations, safeguarding rights, and guiding democratic governance.
He observed that India stands unique in making its Constitution available in a wide range of languages and recalled similar initiatives undertaken in recent years, including translations in Bodo, Dogri, Santhali, Tamil, Gujarati, and Nepali. These efforts, he said, celebrate India’s linguistic diversity and reinforce democratic values.
