AFTER the Pahalgam attack, India needed to give a strong warning to the terrorists. “Operation Sindoor” is one such befitting reply to all those terrorist forces that violate the borders of India. At this hour, the socio-political stability of a country depends on the correct dissemination of facts to the people, and in the fog of war, truth and facts are often the first casualty. Therefore, every media house must consider this as not just a responsibility but a duty towards the nation.
The world turned to its screens to witness the progress of Operation Sindoor as soon as it was launched by India in response to the Pahalgam attack. As the country was consumed by grief, lies poured onto social media, previously taken footage was made to look new, irrelevant images spread with inflammatory posts, and unsubstantiated rumours were directed at Kashmiri students and Indian Muslims. But in the midst of the tempest, one voice rang out clear, accurate, and persistent in seeking out the truth.
Today, we understand that wars are not just fought on the battlefields. They unfold on social media, in television studios, and through viral videos. Propaganda, doctored images, and sensational headlines flood our timelines within minutes. Narratives are constructed, altered, and amplified to serve political or ideological interests. Entire communities are labelled or blamed based on a single unverified clip. And amidst this noise, the truth quietly disappears.
According to a report by Morris, published in 2019, India faces an unprecedented fake news crisis today, adversely affecting various spheres ranging from politics and national security to social harmony and health. A whopping 64% of Indians had encountered fake news online as against the global average of 57%, a 2019 Microsoft survey revealed.
Most of the time, the narratives are misleading. Hence, facts matter. They provide anchor points in the storm. For journalists on the front lines, verifying what they see isn’t just a professional responsibility, it’s a moral one. For fact-checkers, the work is relentless and thankless but vital. They sift through thousands of claims, images, and statements daily to ensure that what the world reads, watches, and believes isn’t fiction dressed as news.
Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of Alt News, has played a crucial role in countering misinformation since Operation Sindoor began. From as early as 2 am, his team has been debunking false claims, old videos, and propaganda, especially content circulated by Pakistani media outlets and even amplified by some Indian channels. Zubair exposed how certain viral videos, including those aired as real-time footage, were actually edited and outdated, underscoring the urgent need for responsible journalism and vigilant fact-checking.
We live in a hyper-connected world, where AI can generate voices, faces, and scenes that never existed, the need for real journalism and rigorous fact-checking has never been more urgent. We must demand transparency from those in power. We must value slow, verified reporting over instant, sensational updates. And we must hold ourselves accountable, too, pause before sharing, ask before believing, and verify before reacting.
Facts are not just fragments of information. In times of war, they are acts of resistance. They protect the innocent, challenge injustice, and help history remember, not who shouted the loudest, but who told the truth.
______________
Sajida A Zubair is an educator, freelance writer, and documentary scriptwriter. The views expressed here are the writer’s own and Clarion India does not necessarily subscribe to them. She can be reached at sajizuby@gmail.com
