BoomLive fact-checked 77 cases of false or misreported news in 2023, attributing major contributions to media misinformation from outlets such as News18, Times Now, Zee News, and Asian News International.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – A comprehensive fact-checking survey conducted by BoomLive claims that Muslims in India are the primary target of communnal disinformation campaigns. The investigation, spanning the years 2021 to 2023, reveals a disturbing pattern of fake news and misinformation specifically directed at the Muslim community.
BoomLive is an independent digital journalism initiative with a mission to fight misinformation. It is one of India’s first and leading fact checking website and initiative, committed to provide readers journalistically verified facts.
In its latest survey, BoomLive conducted approximately 1,190 fact-checks in English, Hindi, and Bengali between January 2 and December 31, 2023. Shockingly, 15.4% of these fact-checks, totaling 183 incidents, were identified as false claims specifically targeting the Muslim community.
BoomLive’s analysis of 211 fact-checked attacks on religious groups showed that Muslims bore the brunt, with 87% of the disinformation targeting religious minorities. Targeting of Hindus and Christians stood at 11% each. About 67.4% of misleading claims were aimed at Muslims, while only 5.2% targeted Hindus, and Christians were exposed to 0.48% of such content. A significant 72.2% of these posts appeared to have a communal colour, aiming to incite animosity between religious groups.
Of great concern is the revelation that 84.2% of these false claims were centered around the ‘population explosion,’ perpetuating a baseless narrative that alleges a demographic conspiracy by Muslims to ‘take over’ the Hindu population. These claims, unsupported by facts, have been debunked by research institutions.
The disinformation campaign is not limited to social media; mainstream media outlets have also played a role. BoomLive fact-checked 77 cases of false or misreported news in 2023, attributing major contributions to media misinformation from outlets such as News18, Times Now, Zee News, and Asian News International (ANI). ANI, in particular, was identified as the top contributor, with around eight cases of fake news reported.
The analysis further exposed a lack of fact-checking practices in some media houses, leaving them vulnerable to misinformation promoted by right-wing accounts on platforms like Twitter. Accounts such as Megh Updates, Bala, Rishi Bagri, The Right Wing Guy, Kritly, Dr. Nemo Yadav, and The Tattwa were identified as spreading misinformation.
In addition to false information, Muslims, India’s largest minority community, faced an increase in hate speeches during the first half of 2023, according to Al Jazeera. Around 255 incidents of hate speech were recorded, targeting Muslims with propaganda and offensive language. This disturbing trend underlines the urgent need for countermeasures to curb the dissemination of false information and hate speech, ensuring a harmonious coexistence among India’s diverse communities.
