Daily Archives: August 4, 2021

In 2017, Reporters Without Borders called India Asias deadliest country for media personnel, ahead of both Pakistan and Afghanistan. This assessment, however, is primarily based on crimes against journalists, state-sponsored censorship, and the dispensation of justice in cases of journalist killings. It doesn't capture the government's routine gagging of press freedom by resorting to a law that penalises "spreading rumours".

While there is no specific law in India that defines, regulates, or penalises "fake news" by press, the ambiguously worded Section 505 is actively exploited by the state to target the media.

As data suggests, cases registered under Section 505 of the IPC do not stand the test of a criminal trial. Most of them fall apart at the stage of framing the charges. However, as per the government's own data tabled before the Lok Sabha during Parliament's Monsoon Session, the registration of such cases has consistently risen since 2014.

Sanjeev Singh, an investigative journalist from Muzaffarnagar, realised the nature of this "gagging through crime" the moment police came to his house late at night in September 2020 to arrest him.

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Gagged and Criminalised: Journalism Critical of UP Govt Being Dubbed 'Fake News' - The Quint

Earlier this week, a false news report from an Indian news agency was widely published in the Indian media. It spoke of the chances of an upgrade for Indias first medal clincher at the Tokyo Olympics, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, from silver to gold. The report, citing an unnamed source, said that the Chinese athlete Zhihui Hou who had lifted her way to gold in the 49 kg category was being put through another dope test two days after the event, and if she failed, Chanu would be the gold medalist in her place.

For a country hungry for Olympic gold the last one came in 2008, thank you Abhinav Bindra the report was lapped up by newsrooms without verification. Perhaps because it was connected to the hopes of millions of Indians.

But thats what disinformation does. It plays on our emotions or biases, even desires. The report would classify as a specific category of disinformation: Fake News.

Two days later, the news agency clarified that the news was not correct, there had been no more dope testing and Hou would remain the gold medal winner. The clarification stopped short of apologising but said there had been an inadvertent error while reporting the news.

It was letting people know that the first report was based on false information. By definition, it was fake news: misinformation coming from a news outlet.

But the news agency clarified it was based on an error. And carried a report declaring it. (Because it felt accountable for the confusion it had caused, unlike most of the social media users who had circulated the information in different forms). So, it was just misinformation, not disinformation or fake news, that the agency released. A matter of nuance some would say, but it is not.

In the last three years, I have held over 30 training sessions or workshops mostly on fact-checking and news information, and a handful on media literacy for journalists, journalism students and members of civil society. And one thing that bothers me is that even journalists use the phrase fake news to refer to misinformation or disinformation.

It is a catchy phrase no doubt, but it simply scapegoats journalism for all the disinformation floating around us.

Fake news is either false information spread by the media or pseudo journalistic content masquerading as news. Disinformation is false information that is spread or distributed with the intent to deceive. Misinformation is false too, but the person or entity circulating (or forwarding it) believes it to be true and is misled into doing so.

So a grandmas health tip circulating on closed messaging apps talking about how turmeric or garlic will save you from Covid-19 is not fake news, unless it came from a news outlet. Neither is a flood video from Japan passed off as devastating scenes from Himachal Pradesh. It is likely just misinformation passed on by possibly well-meaning and unsuspecting people with poor information consumption habits.

Fake news was a term first used around five years ago and then made popular by the likes of former American president Donald Trump to discredit the US newsrooms or journalists raising questions on behalf of their readers, viewers and consumers. It became popular in no time because vested interests like Trump who would gain from discrediting the media often have large followings and deep networks.

The scene is not very different in India. Several of our own politicians and by extension, their followers have imbibed Trumps a journalist is a public enemy ideology, if the journalism she is doing does not propagate their version of the truth (or lies). Thats because the daily oversight that the organised media offers over those in power on behalf of the people who put them there can limit their otherwise unbridled powers.

Without an accountable media, which social media is not, there would be no reliable and verifiable daily scrutiny of people in power. The legislature, executive and courts at every level would become even more powerful and not necessarily in the most democratic way.

So each time you refer to a piece of disinformation or propaganda, or falsehood as fake news, when it is not, you are becoming an unsuspecting agent of the vested interests that want that oversight mechanism, the fourth estate, discredited to the point of becoming useless.

Views expressed above are the author's own.

END OF ARTICLE

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All disinformation is not fake news - The Times of India Blog

China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, during a press conference on the 29th of Julycalled the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) a "bad-mouthing broadcasting corporation" which has "attacked and vilified China, seriously deviating from journalistic standards" and deserves to be "unpopular with the Chinese public" as it produces fake news. This statement came just days after the youth division of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) published online death threats against foreign journalists covering the floods in central China's Henan province, triggering a wave of physical, verbal and online harassment against them.

China, one of the world's worst abusers of press freedom, has no journalism lessons to give to the BBC, and is showing outrageous hypocrisy by accusing it of broadcasting fake news while it is itself the world's number one exporter of propaganda contents, says the head of RSF East Asia bureau, Cdric Alviani, who deplores the growing habit of authoritarian regimes who systematically brand factual information which don't match the official narrative as fake news.

The Chinese state media, such as Xinhua News Agency, CGTN and Radio China International, are statutorily compelled to relay the Chinese communist party's propaganda contents. On the contrary, the UK's public broadcaster BBC practices fact-based journalism and its editorial freedom is protected by an independent board.

In recent years, the Chinese regime has increased intimidation, harassment and surveillance on foreign correspondents, their local assistants and their sources. In 2020, at least 18 correspondents were forced to leave the country and several foreign journalists' visa requests were denied without explanation. Earlier this year, China banned BBC World News and senior BBC correspondent John Sudworth was forced to flee the country.

In a report titled "China's Pursuit of a New World Media Order" published in 2019, RSF revealed Beijing's strategy to control information beyond its borders, a project that poses a threat to press freedom throughout the world.

China ranked 177th out of 180 in the 2021 RSF World Press Freedom Index and is the world's largest captor of journalists with at least 119 detained, often in life-threatening conditions.

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How dare China, the worlds' number one propagandist, accuse the BBC of broadcasting fake news"? | Reporters without borders - Reporters sans...

08/04/2021 Turkey(International Christian Concern) Turkey claims that the closure of 12 minority primary schools in Thrace, a region geographically located across Turkey, Greece, and Bulgaria, violated the Lausanne Treaty of 1923 regarding Greeces Muslim minority. Athens responded that Ankara was spreading fake news and distorting reality with their recent allegations.

Greece clarified the closures saying that an additional 24 public schools were closed along with the 12 minority schools. All 36 schools were closed due to low enrollment, less than the minimum of nine students, and all students were transferred to schools around 1 kilometer away.

In response, Greece further highlighted the size disparity between the Muslim minority in Thrace and the Greek minority in Turkey. Though both groups were around the same size at the time of the agreement in 1923, only 3,000 Greeks remain in Turkey while more than 120,000 Muslims live in Thrace.

Similarly, access to education for each minority group varies widely based on the country. Turkey has enforced the closure of Halki Seminary since 1971 after the seminary operated for 127 years serving the Greek Orthodox community and training clergy. The seminary shut its doors after Turkey issued a new law that required higher education institutions to nationalize or close.

In 2010 Erdoan gave an interview during which he made reopening conditional on improvements which benefit the ethnic Turkish community in Greeces Thrace. Both goals are laudable, but by connecting them, Erdoan pursued a policy of reciprocity with foreign entities and failed to uphold the religious liberty of Turkish citizens. This policy exploits Christians in Turkey, and promotes the view that Christians are indigenous foreigners, as stated in ICCs joint report on Turkey.

For interviews, please contact Addison Parker: press@persecution.org.

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Turkey Spreading "Fake News" Over Thrace Schools - International Christian Concern

HOUSTON The start of training camp. It is a time of year when NFL teams leave the offseason behind. It is a time when the proverbial rubber meets the road. All the new hires, the new players, the draft picksthey finally get a chance to integrate with the current team. It is a time of new beginnings and for optimism, for in training camp, every NFL team can hope and dream that the combination of players (old and new), coaches (old and new) and schemes (old and new) will fuse together to create a team that can find a way to make it to the mountaintop that is the NFL Championship.

For 31 teams, that is the case. Start with the Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with their veteran team, led by veteran starting quarterback and candidate to host the next White House Correspondence Dinner (should that ever happen again) Tom Brady. Look to last years runner-up, the Kansas City Chiefs, looking to bounce back from the Super Bowl pratfall with their literal Big Daddy QB, Patrick Mahomes. The preseason is even a time for perennial also-rans to think that there is hope for the future, as is the case with Jacksonville, armed with one of the most hyped pairs of college prospects in recent memory: Trevor Lawrence and his well-travelled mane of glorious hair and Urban Meyer, who wasted no time in making Jacksonville feel just like his other collegiate coaching stops. Yes, for 31 of the NFLs franchises, this is a time of optimism, when all hopes and dreams are fair game.

Then there is the 32nd franchise. The Houston Texans have their own goals and hopes as well. However, the end-game might be a little different from the other teams:

For 1st time General Manager Nick Caserio: I hope that the 79wait, just made ANOTHER tradeok, EIGHTY, EIGHTY [Easterby] moves before training camp bear some fruit or can at least put together something resembling a competent team.

Wait a minuteoh, I can make training camp moves!!! I can do that, before cutting players with force lightening? Who knew? Ok, what can I do? What can I dooooo.oh, yeah, that Cobb dude. $10M cap hit, and I just traded for a cheaper receiver? DONE!!! GT[E]OH!!!! Say hi to Shailene for me. Really hope I get to work with her in the next Jurassic World!

[We later received reporting from our colleagues at TMZ that Shailene Woodley threatened to ask for a restraining order, given that quite a few players were flooding her social media accounts, begging her to put in a good word with her fiance in order to facilitate a trade, all while keeping their good money from Houston. There was also reporting that she was revolted by a particular head shot from someone wanting to work with her in future endeavors]

For 1st time Head Coach David Culley, the hope would seem to boil down to a simple prayer: Dear [Easterby](actually, you know what, given the nature of his contract, that is exactly who is at the center of that prayerso, TAKE TWO). Dear Easterby, please let me at least make it through one regular season game.

For top draft pick David Mills: I hope that Mommy was right, that I will have a good time at camp, that I will make new friends, and that the scary bald man wont be so bad.

For LT Laremy Tunsil: I hope that that new gas mask works A LOT better than the last time. I think I am going to need this yearREALLY need it.

For OLB/DE Whitney Mercilus: I hope I can actually make a play on the field this yearwait, I am still on the Texans, right? Wait a minuteI still exist, right? I mean, I think, therefore, I am...but if I dont think I do...I just dont know!!!

With many of the players, there was quite a lot of hope for the season. All this will play out on and off the practice field. There will be some instances where some dudes go on some injury list. Some players get waived, seeing the last shreds of their live-long ambitions for NFL glory and athletic prowess, spending the entirety of their lives working towards the dream of dreams, only to see it buried beneath the gigabytes of data on sports writing and hot takesbut anyway, enough about that.

The bigger story was the return of someone in the quarterback room. Apparently, the starter from last years team decided to check in, just to see what the place looked like. I am just checking in to see what the team is doing, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I could lose $50,000 a day if I dont. Nope, definitely not about the money. Nothing to do with the fact that I am down a ton of money from all those lost endorsement deals. Absolutely not related to the rather large legal bills I am racking up with that big shot lawyernopeit is all about the team and the guysyep, glad to be with teamwhich is thethe[Easterby] it, I used to rememberlet me check my social media feeds. Uhguess they arent there anymore. Can you give me a hint?

Meanwhile, as last years starting quarterback continues to work through some selective memory issues, we will continue to watch the on and off-field action. Will all the hopes and prayers survive the pre-season? Who will survive? Who will thrive? Will we figure out what is going on with last years starting quarterback? Will last years starting quarterback figure out who he was playing for? Will Caserio finally get the dramatic role his is looking for, preferably without any law enforcement issues? Will Sal find out that it is not his wife Linda who has been thwarting his massive corporate takeover ambitions, but her doppelganger Bertha, who has been secretly in a romantic relationship with Sals receptionist, who just so happens to be his long-lost twin sister Connie, who is double-crossing all of them in a long-distance relationship with a Fortnite gamer named Kyle? Stay tuned for next weeks installment of Totally Not Fake News.

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Totally Not Fake News: Training Camp: The Road to the 2022 Super Bowl BeginsFor Most Teams - Battle Red Blog

Was Sen. Richard Gordon admitted to a hospital after receiving his second dose of AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19?

False anti-vaccine claims have been circulating across messaging platforms that the chairperson of the Philippine Red Cross was hospitalized.The message reads:

Breaking News:Senator Richard Gordon admitted to hospital last night and is now in ICU after 2nd dose of AstraZeneca COVID vaccine. Lets include him in our prayers. Thank you!

Gordon on July 29 was admitted to the Makati Medical Center due to COVID-19. Initial findings revealed that he was suffering from COVID-related pneumonia.

The senator had shared that he was already fully vaccinated with AstraZenecas.

He said in his statement that he was already feeling much better. despite still having pneumonia.

I am on the fourth day of treatment with Remdesivir, and have been told by my doctors that I will remain confined until I am no longer contagious, Gordon said.

He also encouraged the public to get vaccinated by whichever brand is available to them.

Had I not been vaccinated, this bout with COVID could be much worse.

I encourage everyone for whom a vaccine has been made available to go and get yourselves vaxxed (vaccinated). It is effective in minimizing the transmission of the virus and in preventing serious illness, the senator said.

In line with this, I encourage government, the private sector, and humanitarian and civic organizations to work together to procure more vaccines and efficiently get our people vaccinated, Gordon added.

The COVID-19 vaccines available in the country have been granted emergency use authorization by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration.

As such, these are all considered safe and effective.

Those that have been distributed among the public so far are Sinovac, Moderna, Pfizer, Sputnik V, Johnson&Johnson and AstraZeneca.

The Department of Health says that these vaccines cannot make one sick with COVID-19.

Vaccines mimic the virus or bacteria that causes disease and triggers the bodys creation of antibodies. These antibodies will provide protection once a person is infected with the actual disease-causing virus or bacteria, it said on its website.

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Fake news alert: That Gordons COVID-19 infection is due to AstraZeneca vacine - Interaksyon

Heilbrunn: President Vladimir Putin has recently published a new essay on Ukraine stating that Ukrainians and Russians are the same people. He also indicated that there are red lines that neither Ukraine nor NATO would be allowed to cross. Some say Putin is laying the groundwork for tougher action on Ukraine. Have you communicated anything like that to the Biden administration?

Antonov: The article of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin had a huge resonance in Washington. For many here, it was a new look into relations between Russians and Ukrainians, an opportunity to learn the roots of the people. Unfortunately, there are ill-wishers who deny the good, especially when it comes to Russia. They try to pervert the pictureto present the article as if it were an ultimatum against the independent nation. We have to acknowledge that there are many representatives of the administration who share this view. They ignore the main thesis of the Russian leader that a true, real and strong sovereignty of Ukraine is possible only in partnership and good relations with Russia.

We have to fight lies and fake news virtually on a daily basis. Before the article was published, we had faced a smear campaign from politicians and experts with regard to the talks between President Putin and President Biden in Geneva. As you know, the heads of our countries constructively discussed the intra-Ukrainian conflict. They agreed that the Minsk agreements serve as the sole framework for political settlement of the conflict in Donbass. Instead of working on ways to implement the Minsk arrangements, certain State Department officials blame Russia for all the troubles in Ukraine and label my country an aggressor.

We have repeatedly warned the administration that such counterproductive statements have nothing to do with reality. Solutions can be found only through diplomatic means without propaganda. Right now the United Statescan influence the government of Ukraine by encouraging it to engage in a substantive dialogue with representatives of Donetsk and Lugansk, withdraw heavy weapons from the line of contact, and undertake concrete and tangible measures with regards to the autonomous status of Ukraines southeast.

Heilbrunn:The United Statesand Russia have agreed to start a new dialogue on cyber issues. What is the progress in this area and do you see any grounds for optimism after years of sharp disagreements?

Antonov: The agreement to launch a dialogue on cybersecurity is one of the key outcomes of the Russia-U.S. summit in Geneva. Experts from both countries have already started to communicate. Russian and U.S. Security Councils provide overall coordination.

For now, there have been several rounds of consultations, and it is definitely an important and promising sign. American colleagues, however, prefer to focus discussions mainly on ransomware activities, while cybersecurity is much broader. I hope that this dialogue will acquire a comprehensive character in the near future. As an option, we can debate on cyber threats to arms control systems, etc.

It is obvious that our countries equally suffer from cybercriminals. The cases of recent attacks against the healthcare system of the Voronezh region in Russia and the Kaseya company here in the U.S. just confirm that.

We have consistently sought to establish professional cooperation on cybersecurity issues in Washington. In particular, since 2015, we have taken six attempts to launch such interaction. Moreover, on September25, 2020, the president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, proposed a comprehensive program of measures to restore Russia-U.S. cooperation in the field of International Information Security (IIS). Unfortunately, there has been no official reaction from the United States so far.

By the way, requests of the Russian competent authorities regarding cyber-attacks also remain without reaction from the U.S. side. There were forty-fiveof them in 2020, and thirty-fivein the first six months of 2021. For our part, we fully satisfied ten requests from the United States last year and two appeals in the first half of the current year. This indicates that we have a lot to work on.

We would like to reiterate that Russia is ready for honest and mutually beneficial cooperation, without politicization and hidden agendas. We take a responsible approach to cybersecurity issues. In this context, we are proud to announce that our country has become the first state to develop and submit to the UN a draft Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communication Technologies for Criminal Purposes. The official presentation of the document took place on July 27 in Vienna.

One more thing to mention. Almost every day we deal with media materials about hacker attacks, which are allegedly carried out from the Russian territory. Evidence is never provided. Such issues should be raised not by reporters, but professionals. American colleagues if they ask for it can count on rapid and high-levelassistance from the Russian side. Our National Computer Incident Response and Coordination Center is ready to cooperate closely.

Heilbrunn: How do you assess the perspectives of the Russia-U.S. strategic dialogue?

Antonov: A myriad of problems has accumulated in arms control and strategic stability over the past ten years. Irrespective of the political conjuncture, complex bilateral negotiations are needed to resolve them.

The issue of overcoming the crisis in this area was one of the key topics at the kick-off Russian-U.S. meeting on July 28 in Geneva. Representatives of the two countries exchanged their perceptions of the direction it is necessary to move in to reduce strategic risks. Despite the considerable differences in approaches to many matters, both sides demonstrated their willingness to engage in a regular and constructive dialogue and seek common ground. It is definitely a positive sign. Nevertheless, we are at the very beginning of a long road. The difficult work before us is to restore trust in this sphere.

I would like to emphasize that the Russian side is open to discussing any arms control issues. There are no taboo topics for our country. We are ready to consider the concerns of the United States with regard to Russias newest strategic systems.

However, such conversation should not be a one-way street. It is necessary for U.S. counterparts to heed our claimstoo, and take into account Russias national security interests. Dialogue cannot be fruitful without an equitable exchange of views.

Heilbrunn: You have returned to Washington after the Geneva summit a month ago and your U.S. counterpart John Sullivan has returned to Moscow. Do you have anything positive to report, particularly on the contentious issue of the work of the embassies in the two capitals? Are there any new developments on the status of the U.S. and Russian consulates which were closed in recent years?

Antonov: Unfortunately, the situation does not change for the better. Russian diplomatic missions in the United States are still forced to work under unprecedented restrictions that not only remain in effect, but are stepped up. Regardless of the Biden administrations declarations concerning the important role of diplomacy and willingness to develop stable and predictable relations with our country, the Russian diplomatic presence experiences continuous strikes.

U.S. colleagues get persistent and creative in this business. The expulsions of diplomats are implemented under far-fetched pretexts now and then. Last December the State Department unilaterally established a three-year limit on the assignment period for Russian personnel in the United Statesthat, as far as we know, is not applied to any other country. Moreover, we received a list of twenty-fourdiplomats who are expected to leave the country before September 3, 2021. Almost all of them will leave without replacements because Washington has abruptly tightened visa issuing procedures.

It has gottento the point where the U.S. authorities cancel valid visas of spouses and children of our staff with no reasons provided. The widespread delays in renewing expired visas are also aimed at squeezing Russian diplomatic workers out of the country. As a result, about sixtyof my colleagues (130 together with family members) cannot return to their motherland even under urgent humanitarian circumstances.

We have shown restraint for a long time but after another wave of aggressive sanctions by the United States in April we were obliged to take additional steps to equate conditions of work for U.S. missions in Russia, including a prohibition to hire local personnel. It is certain that nobody benefits from such a situation. There is a need for solutions based on the principle of parity. We are convinced that the easiest and fastest way to do it is to completely repeal all the measures and countermeasures which are constraining the activity of diplomats.

Washington does not show a readiness to take such a decision while trying to secure unilateral advantages for the American side. The same is true about the prospects of resuming the work of the Consulates General of Russia in San Francisco and Seattle which were closed by coercion. Even temporary access of maintenance teams to the confiscated premises of the Russian diplomatic property is still denied, which leads to a further deterioration of conditions there.

We hope that common sense will prevail and we will be able to normalize the life of Russian and American diplomats in the United States and Russia on the principle of reciprocity. Our presidents agreed in Geneva to continue consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia and the State Department with a view to resolve this problem.

Originally posted here:

Interview with Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov: We Have to Fight Lies and Fake News Virtually on a Daily Basis. - The National Interest