Overview: Media, Misinformation and impact on the Society

Profile of the Author: Gunjan Agarwal is pursuing LLB (3 years) course from Jaipur National University, having a keen interest in Constitutional laws, IPR laws and socio-legal contemporary issues.

INTRODUCTION

Media is considered as the fourth pillar of the democracy as it helps in its growth by making us aware of various social, political and economic aspects happening in and outside the country. It is the medium through which the government can interact with common men and vice versa. The recent scenario wherein media is accused of spreading fake information is worrisome. There are various reasons as to which misinformation by media lead to dire consequences. Therefore, in light of recent events, it is necessary to discuss the issues and a way out to deal with the problems of fake news and its impact on society.

UNDERSTANDING TYPES OF INFORMATION

There are various types of news having similar meaning but with a distinction that makes them different from each other. It is very essential to understand these terms in order to understand the issue better. Few such terms are defined below:

• Disinformation

Information that is false and deliberately created to harm a person, social group, organization or country

• Misinformation

Information that is false but not created with the intention of causing harm.

• Urban Legend

The urban legend is intentionally-spread misinformation that is related to fictional stories about local events. The purpose can often be entertainment.

• Fake News

Fake news is intentionally-spread misinformation that is in the format of news. Recent incidents reveal that fake news can be used as propaganda and get viral through news media and social media.

• Unverified Information

A piece of information can be defined as unverified information before it is verified, and those verified to be false or inaccurate obviously belong to misinformation. It may trigger similar effects as other types of misinformation, such as fear, hatred and astonishment.

• Rumour

Rumour is unverified information that can be true (true rumour).

• Crowdturfing

Crowdturfing is a concept originated from astroturfing, which means the campaign masks its supporters and sponsors to make it appear to be launched by grassroots participants

• Spam

Spam is unsolicited information that unfairly overwhelms its recipients. It has been found on various platforms including instant messaging, email and social media

• Troll

Another kind of misinformation we focus on is a troll. Troll aims to cause disruption and argument towards a certain group of people

• Hate speech

Hate speech refers to abusive content on social media that targets certain groups of people, expressing prejudice and threatening.

• Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is a form of bullying happening online, usually in social media, that may consist of any form of misinformation, such as rumour and hate speech.

EFFECTS OF MISINFORMATION ON PEOPLE

There is a different impact of various types of news. Fake news may even lead to riots in the country. There have been many instances where rumours have created chaos. The media houses in the country influence the opinion of millions of people in the country. In this digital world, people are more and more dependent on social media for real-time updates. Due to the increasing dependency on social media, the effects of fake news and rumours are irreversible. A few major impacts of such misinformation are as follows:

• Erosion of trust

The spread of fake news by media leads to erosion of trust in the media. The people tend to believe that the information is not trustworthy and hence pay no heed to it.

• Violence

It takes a few minutes to turn a mole into a mountain. So is the effect of fake news. It spreads like a forest fire. The fake news may lead to widespread violence in the country.

For example- A man posts a news clip of riots on his social media handle. People start believing the clip and may join the march which is actually a tussle between two people over a personal grievance.

• Negative Image

The impact of media is so far-reaching and deep that it may impact the opinion of million of people. It may either make a person or ruin him. A defamation story of a pubic figure may ruin his career. The people start viewing that person from the spectrum shown in the news.

• Religious gaps

The media houses should be very cautious before airing any content as it may lead to religious disputes in the country. In a country like India, any piece of information which may cause religious warfare is very sensitive, therefore, spread of any fake religious information may cause havoc leading to increased religious gaps among the countrymen.

CONCLUSION

The role of media is very essential in our society. it shapes the opinion of people in the country. Any fake news may damage the image of a person. It is way easy to spoil the image but takes a year to restore the same. Therefore, the media houses should not air any content before verifying it. In the recent past, there have been so many instances of fake viral news that people have stopped believing the news channels as their trust in them is shaken to a great extent. In a country like India, where poverty and illiteracy are high, society is not at all balanced, media of different types plays a very vital role especially in the field of journalism, which catalyses people to act, react and interact in the journalistic platform for better understanding and allows opportunities to educate, inform and rehabilitate people’s minds. This allows even illiterate people to explore the world of knowledge and knowledge. Therefore, media undoubtedly acts as a catalyst for social change and growth.

This is the need of the hour to gain the lost trust and provide verified news to the stakeholders. This not only has a negative impact on society but also shakes the pillars of democracy. The freedom of press provided in the constitution nowhere allows spreading of misinformation. Media is a tool for bringing together people and not creating a bridge between them. Therefore, the news which is obtained from authenticated sources only should be published and unverified piece of information should be strictly avoided. This will help build a trusted network to be relied upon. Also, it will shape the society in a wonderful manner keeping the spirits of democracy alive.

Disclaimer: This article is an original submission of the Author. Niti Manthan does not hold any liability arising out of this article. Kindly refer to our Terms of use or write to us in case of any concerns.

REFERENCES

1. Misinformation in Social Media: Definition, Manipulation, and Detection, https://www.kdd.org/exploration_files/8._CR.10.Misinformation_in_social_media_-_Final.pdf
2. Journalism, 'Fake News' and Disinformation: A Handbook for Journalism Education and Training, https://en.unesco.org/fightfakenews
3. Media as a Catalyst for Social Change, https://manavrachna.edu.in/blog/media-as-a-catalyst-for-social-change/