Category Archives: Fake News

When sensitive rumours find the support of juvenile politicians and agenda-driven organisations then law and order go for a spin. There cannot be a more apt line than this in explaining what is happening in Maharashtra. Today, the economic activity of the state and freedom of people is sabotaged by organised acts of violence in the name of protests. Nanded, Malegaon and Amravati in Maharashtra witnessed mob violence on rumours of vandalization of a mosque in Tripura. No matter how agonising it sounds, the reality is that such incidents are bound to reiterate as long as political masters give patronage to organisations that preach religious extremism.

Such incidents are a direct consequence of how political figures use religious fault lines to excavate political brownie points. Organisations who thrive on religious extremism often find themselves at the epicentre of such violence. Their sole agenda is to mobilise the masses on their religious sensitivity. Minorities for too long have been sensitised by such organisations and used for political gains. In Maharashtra, the case was of mobilising Muslims by Raza Academy based on rumours in Tripura. Today millions are suffering because of Raza Academy and its extremism. Lets unravel the Maharashtra violence based on the sequence of events.

In late October, the headlines around the country were filled with news of religious violence in Tripura. Soon fake news started flooding the social media among which there was news of the vandalisation of a mosque. The Tripura police dismissed it as fake news. However, organisations like Raza Academy didnt let the matter go. On October 30, Raza Academy after a meeting with Ulemas condemned the violence in Tripura and on November 2, after a meeting in Mumbai, Raza Academy demanded Presidents rule in Tripura and called for Maharashtra Bandh on November 12.

Raza Academys call for a Maharashtra bandh, on 12th November, was very well received by the various Barelvi centres and major figures from local Barelvi centres led the protest in different parts of Maharashtra. The protests soon turned violent in different parts of the state. In Nanded, stones were even pelted on policemen and two officers were injured in the violence. Also, in Amravati and Malegaon, the protestors targeted the shops of innocent civilians. Several shops, as well as police vehicles, were torched. Finally, a riot squad was called in to crush the violence. Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil named Raza academy and stated that the protests for submitting a memorandum to authorities turned violent. This was not a one-off incident for the Raza Academy. Raza Academy has a history of citing religious tension.

Raza Academy started as an education society in 1978. Under the leadership of Saeed Noori, Raza academy was established to print and publish books written by 17th-century Muslim scholar Aalahazrat Imam Ahmed Raza. Soon Raza Academy tried to establish itself as a voice of the Sunni Barelvi movement. Over a period of time, Raza Academy has earned notoriety for religious incitement on various occasions. In 2012, a protest March led by Raza Academy turned violent in which two police personnel were killed. Raza Academy has often sided with religious dogmatism and extremism.

Earlier in the year Raza Academy Chief Saeed Noori condemned the removal of Muslim Only boards at Madinah by the Saudi Government. Later he organized a meeting of Ulemas in Mumbai and condemned the decision of the Saudi regime on the opening of cinema halls and other sources of entertainment in Madina. Raza Academy also filed a written complaint against the Tamil Web series Navarasa to Mumbai Police Commissioner as it used Quranic verses in the posters.

Moreover, Raza Academy over the past few months have been targeting Wasim Rizvi for publishing edited versions of the Quran. There are many other such incidents that directly exhibit communal bigotry of the organisation. Thus, when Raza Academy called for protests and precedents were to be believed, violence and disruption of communal harmony is not an anomaly. The various Barelvi centres established in different parts of the state respond to such calls of protest by Raza academy. Such protests often turn violent. Supposedly the agenda of the protest was to submit a memorandum which included demands for people like Wasim Rizvi to be arrested for blasphemy and action against Tripura Violence.

Organisations such as Raza Academy use the fault lines in the democratic model to push their agenda and influence people. They play around with the religious sentiments of people. The situation in Maharashtra speaks volumes about their end goal. Organising protests based on rumours leading to an economic loss for innocent civilians and physically hurting police personnel reflects on their ideology of supremacy over Indian law. Organisations such as Raza Academy also receive political patronage from parties indulging in dangerous vote-bank politics. The Academy leaders have in the past met several leaders across party lines and received assurance on the passing of blasphemy law. Even for actions against Wasim Razvi, various political meetings have been held. Raza Academy receives support from various Barelvi scholars. The scholars even push forward their agendas in their various discourses. Even before the recent violence in Maharashtra, few Barelvi scholars highlighted the incidents in Tripura trying to inflame passions. They even gave a clarion call to raise their voice against Tripura violence citing their Muslim brotherhood. Such religious scholar networks consider themselves as real flag bearers of religion. Protests against allowing cinemas by the Saudi government is a clear reflection of the same.

Organisations such as Raza Academy can be detrimental to the democracy of India. Inflaming religious sentiments and supporting organisations such as Raza academy will be detrimental for political miscreants in the long run. It does nothing but harms the communal harmony of the country. The issue is very serious when it is not a one-off incident but a replication of past incidents. Organisations such as Raza Academy which have led violent protests in the past need to be dealt with strictly. If such incidents are promoted and organisations are given support, it will not only have short term detrimental effects but will also leave long term scars in our democracy.

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Violence in Maharashtra: A saga of fake news, an Islamist organisation, organised protest and political patronage - OpIndia

Breaking News LIVE, November 22, 2021: Hello and Welcome to the Daily Live Blog of ABP Live! We bring you the latest breaking News and updates from the day.

Tripura police on Sunday arrested actor-turned TMC leader Sayani Ghosh on charges of attempt to murder after she allegedly disrupted a meeting of state Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb by shouting Khela hobe (We will play) on Saturday night.

The arrest and an alleged attack on TMC workers by unknown persons whom the Trinamool Congress believes to be BJP supporters happened barely 24 hours before the Mamata Banerjee-led party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee is slated to reach Agartala to stand beside attacked party workers.

The Supreme Court is likley to hear pleas today seeking directions to the government to bring in legislation enabling the prosecution of Twitter for alleged anti-India tweets. One of the pleas has sought the framing of a mechanism that could check advertisements and paid content on Twitter that may be hateful or seditious and to rein in social media accounts "in order to stop the hatred, fake, investigative and other news which are contrary to the law of the country or violates the law of the country".

Former national co-convener of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT cell Vinit Goenka, advocates Vinit Jindal, Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay and others had filed petitions in the apex court on the issue. The court issued a notice to the Central government in February and tagged Goenkas plea along with another similar matter pending before the top court. A bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and CT Ravikumar will hear pleas today.

In Andhra Pradesh, hundreds of vehicles and people were stranded, traffic was either closed or suspended in arterial highways and over 100 trains cancelled snapping rail-road link between southern and other parts of the country on Sunday as the Penna river in spate caused heavy destruction.

The death toll in rain-related incidents in different districts of Andhra Pradesh touched 33 as more bodies were retrieved from the flooded streams and at least 12 people were reported missing.

The Chennai-Kolkata National Highway-16 remained cut off for traffic between Nellore and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh as was the Chennai grand trunk rail route severing the all-important link between the southern and eastern and northern parts of the country.

According to the South Central Railway, more than 100 express trains were cancelled because of the damage caused to the railway tracks near Nellore and 29 more diverted.

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Breaking News LIVE: SC To Hear Pleas Accusing Twitter Of Promoting Fake News - ABP Live

President Arif Alvi on Thursday said that United States should play a leadership role in curbing the spread of fake news, and catastrophes of climate change. He gave the example of the USA as a country which spreads fake news regarding countries changing their voting patterns. He said this while speaking in a virtual event organized by The School of International Service of American University Washington DC on November 18, 2021. President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi was the honorable guest speaker. He was joined by Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, SIS professor and Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic studies at AU, for a moderated Q/A with the audience.

The host, Dean (School of International Service) AU, Christine BN Chin started by giving a brief introduction of President Arif Alvi. She said, in 1981, Alvi became Chairman of the first Pakistan International Dental Conference. In 1997, Alvi also became a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. He prepared the constitution of the Pakistan Dental Association and went on to become its president. He also served as Chairman of the 28th Asia Pacific Dental Congress. Later, he joined PTI and became the President of Pakistan in 2018. Then, Ms. Christine BN Chin introduced Ambassador Akbar Ahmed as a moderator, who is Pakistani-American academic, author, poet, playwright, filmmaker and former diplomat. He currently holds the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies and is Professor of International Relations at the American University in Washington, D.C.

The event aimed to address the issues of Pakistan being a nuclear power, home to several ancient civilizations, and a place in which the governments over the decades have alternated between civilian and military, secular and Islamic, democratic and authoritarian. Pakistan has at times had a negative media image abroad. It is surviving not only by managing high stake relationships with Afghanistan and India, but also by dealing with the competing interests of the United States and China.

Ambassador Akbar Ahmed began by saying that historically, tribes, communities and religions have villainized against lands and neighbours for gaining personal benefits.

The conflicts and biases among various religions have always resulted in further conflicts and vilification of each other. He asked President Arif Alvi to express his thoughts over the roots of such conflicts.

President Alvi, in his first public lecture, said Pakistan has a long history of ancient civilizations. He said that Pakistan is a home to Mehrgarh civilization, which is 9000 years old, whereas, Indus Valley civilization, which is 5000 years old, also originated in Pakistan. Mohenjodaro and Harappa are also a part of Pakistan. At such times, Buddhism was the main religion, followed by Hinduism and then Islam.

Ambassador Akbar Ahmed asked the President of Pakistan that how should the tensions be countered among various religions and communities? Mr. Arif Alvi said that the tensions can be countered by bringing the people together. He went on to say that Islam preaches forgiveness. Therefore, we should forgive each others past mistakes and learn to live together and think out of the box. He said that world powers are focused on making the weapons of mass destruction out of hatred. Religions are being used for terrorism, attacks, and suicide bombings all over the world. He said that Islam is a peaceful religion and preaches inter-faith harmony. He further said that Pakistan as a nation also propagates the Islamic ideals.

Mr. Akbar Ahmed said that even the intellectuals such as Yuval Noah Harari are saying that humanity is under tremendous danger. Natures reaction regarding COVID tells that humanity is in danger. President Arif Alvi added that all religions preach tolerance. He said that we need to rewrite history and the future. He went on to say that there are bigger issues such as global warming, fake news propaganda and COVID that require the worlds attention and diligent actions. He said that much more cooperation between developed and developing countries is needed in these difficult times.

President Arif Alvi further said that Pakistan has a Ministry of Interfaith Harmony as Quaid-e-Azam also reiterated that Pakistan is a home to various religions and communities. Whereas, he said that the so-called secular countries such as India have carried out various anti-minorities legislations. He asserted that the political environment of the world is encouraging and breeding hatred by spreading fake news propaganda against each other. President Alvi gave the example of the USA as a country which spreads fake news regarding countries changing their voting patterns. Similarly, India on social media constantly tries to vilify Pakistan.

President Arif Alvi stressed the need of monitoring freedom of speech. He said that the misuse of freedom of speech gives rise to Islamophobia. He said that Islam is a religion of peace. It preaches peace, harmony and dialogue.

Ambassador Akbar Ahmed asked the President of Pakistan, What are the practical administrative policies of the government of Pakistan to ensure inter-faith harmony? President Arif Alvi revealed that the government of Pakistan takes quick and diligent actions whenever discriminatory incident takes place against a minority. He quoted the incident of a boy who was tortured enough to deny his God by another boy. He said that the government took swift action against the perpetrator when the incident was reported by the media. He said the same is the case with the recent Hindu temple attack in Pakistan. He said that diligent actions were taken against those who were responsible. President Alvi further said that the government of Pakistan is negotiating legislative bills regarding child marriages and forced conversions, which presently are the biggest concerns of the Hindus living in the Tharparkar area of Pakistan.

Ambassador Akbar Ahmad said that Pakistan is a country rich in sufism. It has many sufi shrines such as that of Baba Bulleh Shah, Sachal Sarmast, Data Ganj Baksh and so on. But they are not as well-known as they should be. He asked the President Arif alvi that is it the fault of the educational institutes that the history and culture of Pakistan is not highlighted enough to promote its soft image in the West? President Alvi responded by saying that Islam preaches Tareeqat, which means brotherhood, and sufi path, and it teaches Shariah (Islamic law). He said that the Prime Minister of Pakistan has taken an initiative by forming a Rahmatul-lil-Alameen Authority. Its aim is to make the country and the world aware of Islam and the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). It will focus on spreading the true message of Islam in the light of the teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). It will also commence the research on Muslim heroes. President Alvi remarked that the Prime Minister Imran Khan said a cartoon series will be made to introduce Islamic culture to our children.

Lastly, Ambassador Akbar Ahmed asked the President what features of Pakistan does he want to highlight? The latter said that Pakistan is a beautiful country with scenic views. It has five of the highest mountain peaks in the world. Its imagery attracts tourism. He said that Pakistan is a land of deserts, civilizations, and tourist spots. He said that Pakistan is looking forward to becoming the pathway for trade with Central Asian Countries (CARS). He asserted that Pakistan is also looking forward towards the maintenance of peace and stability in Afghanistan.

President Arif Alvi invited tourists from all over the world to visit Pakistan and make memories of its land and people. He also gave a message to the USA that being a world power, the USA should play a leadership role in maintaining peace in the world. He reiterated that the USA should not unlearn the lessons it has learnt in the past. He said that Sufi and Muslim traditions believe in forgiveness. The USA should also forgive the past mistakes of each other. It should avoid and discourage fake news, weapons of mass destruction and AI that spread hatred. The event ended with this beautiful message.

The writer is a staff member of Daily Times and can be reached at raesaf21@gmail.com

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President Arif Alvi and Akbar Ahmed discuss fake news, climate change, rising Islamophobia at a virtual event of American University Washington DC -...

Author of 101 Fake News on EndSARS Exposes Inconsistencies in Panel Report

The award-winning campus journalist and the author of 101 Fake News on EndSARS, Dahiru M. Lawal among other Nigerians have exposed what they regard as inconsistencies in a report submitted by Justice Doris Okowubi, Chairperson of Judicial Panel probing allegations of brutality against EndSARS protesters in Lagos.

The document was submitted barely a month after the book on EndSARS was presented in Abuja.

The book 101 Fake News on #EndSARS identifies major fake news items that contributed to the massive destructions after the peaceful #EndSARS movement turned to violent protests nationwide in 2020.

After receiving the report on Monday night, Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu set up a four-member committee for White Paper, vowing to ensure justice is done to all concerned.

Speaking to PRNigeria, following the controversy, Lawal said he had examined the over 300-page report where he identified a number of claims that raise more questions than answers.

A large portion of what the panel relied on to pronounce their findings were based on accounts for protesters, the same set of people who paddled the misinformation and fake news that sabotaged the EndSARS movement. So how reliable can these accounts be?

Also, Justice Okowubi said the Panel considered 186 petitions out of the 252 it received, what happened to the remaining 66 and on what basis were they filtered out and how much can we rely on the procedure that filtered what was considered and what was not?

Lawal also expressed his shock over some names in the report that were allegedly listed as victims of Lekki Massacre.

He said For instance Page 168 and 185 of the report identifies Kolade Salami (Johnson) as a victim of the Lekki Tollgate incident when in fact, media reports in April 2019 identified the same Kolade as a victim killed by men suspected to be from police special anti-cultism unit when he was watching a football match in a neighbourhood viewing centre.

At the time, Lagos police spokesperson, Bala Elkana, issued a statement at about 6:40 p.m. of the following Monday, announcing the arrest of members of the squad who perpetrated the act.

Another name, Nathaniel Solomon, who appeared at the resumed hearing of the panel on 30th January 2021 which was also reported, claiming that his brother who died at the Lekki incident had since been buried in Mubi, Adamawa State. The same name Nathaniel Solomon also appeared among the deceased in the report

Similarly, a certain Folorunsho Olabisi who was mentioned on page 185 as a victim had earlier been denied by St. Nicholas Hospital Lagos.

However, reactions have continued to trail the report from various quarters with some describing it as riddled with concoctions and fallacies.

Similarly, a social media influencer, Adejare Ibrahim described the report of the EndSARS Panel as Fallacies and Inconsistencies on Lekki,

Posting on Facebook, Ibrahim said the Lagos State Panel of Enquiry on EndSARS, under the chairmanship of Justice Doris Okuwobi, did a great disservice to many Nigerians.

He said: The report is a pure distortion of glaring facts and cannot, in the face of in-depth probe and sophisticated analysis, stand the test of time.. The report is fraught with discrepancies, irregularities and fallacious stances, which further substantiates the claim of some Nigerians that no one truly died in Lekki Tollgate.

Citing some of the examples of Kolade Johnson, Nathaniel Solomon, Florunso Olabisi among others, he said that amidst the spread of fake news by EndSARS protagonists and supporters that one Folorunso Olabisi was shot by the Army and his corpse deposited at St. Nicholas Hospital, VI, Lagos. The Management of the Hospital later debunked the malicious claims that they did not receive any corpse in their hospital. Till date, no one has countered the claim of St. Nicholas Hospital. The fact remains that the purported death of Folorunso Olabisi remains a myth. How the name later crept to the Okuwobi Panel Report is surprising.

While mentioning the names of Jide, Tola and Wisdom, Ibrahim simply wrote that Sincerely, this is hilarious and laughable. I dont want to believe that a retired Justice of the Lagos High Court approved this below-the-belt report for public consumption. For Gods sake, what is the meaning of this? Who is Jide, Tola, Wisdom without surnames, descriptions, nothing! This is disgraceful!

Kenechukwu Ugoh: His identity could not be traced on social media. The only person, whose name is close to this, is not active on social. I went through the profiles of some of his family and friends. None of them said anything about him being dead. The Panel should tell us how they came about his name.

Olalekan Abideen Ashafa: Theres no one bearing this name on social. How he does not have a social media address or anyone declaring him dead is amazing.

Olamilekan Ajasa: There are some people bearing this name on Facebook. Some of them are active and alive. There is nothing pointing to the fact that they are dead.

These are the people Justice Okuwobi Panel wants us to believe died in Lekki, whereas there is no iota fact substantiating these claims. The Panel should have understood that that Nigerians are critical thinkers, who will not accept everything thrown at them hook, line and sinker. They will always probe the veracity of anything you tell them. Nigerians are greatly brilliant.

Till date, none of their family members has shown up. Is the panel telling us they have no family members in Nigeria. After all, the family members of the Ikoyi Collapsed Building victims, within hours, quickly showed up after the sad incident. Why have the family members of the phantom Lekki victims not shown up after a year? Are they still afraid?

The truth of the matter is that the Nigerian Army, represented by Major General Ibrahim Taiwo, had spoken the pure truth on the day of presentation at the Panel. The presentation was evidence-based and devoid of empty emotions. The Army, as a public institution, deserves some respect from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Their report has brought the truth to bare. Many of us, as well, have presented the truth in its plainest form. Our reports deserve to be looked into, not the report of those who have proven not to be neutral right from the inception of the report.

In conclusion, I implore Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to think deep and ponder on this report before accepting it as a fact. The report is in no way different from all the junks reported by CNN, some Nigerian newspapers and their social media acolytes. It is full of irregularities, discrepancies and fictions. It will be a great disservice to many Nigerians if the report is in anyway considered.

The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), should thoroughly go through the report before raising any White Paper as ordered by the Governor. Those who killed and maimed our security operatives and innocent citizens and destroyed public and private property deserve to be punished, not compensated for their criminal acts, he concluded.

Justice Doris Okuwobi, who headed the panel, has said that it considered 186 petitions out of the 252 it received in coming up with its report.

Meanwhile, the fact-check specialist, Dahiru M. Lawal is billed to appear on Arise TV today by 9 pm on the latest development.

By PRNigeria

Spent 88 days from May 30, 2021 - August 26, 2021

Report By: PRNigeria.com

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Author of 101 Fake News on EndSARS, Other Expose Inconsistencies in Panel Report - PR Nigeria

Press Release | Greentarget

As fake news continues to plague journalism and arguably, democracy itself journalists are pessimistic that their own efforts, self-policing by Big Tech and government efforts are enough to turn the tide, according to a new study released yesterday by strategic communications firm Greentarget.

In Fake News 2021, Greentarget surveyed more than 100 journalists, 35 percent of whom have worked in the profession for more than 20 years. Its the second edition of the report, the first of which was released just days before the 2020 presidential election. But journalists optimism when it comes to fake news hasnt changed much despite last years contentious political system fading into history.

Instead, 2021 has been a year in which facts around COVID-19 vaccines have been fodder for intense political debate. Thats likely part of the reason why journalists were about as pessimistic about fake news broadly defined as misinformation and disinformation as they were a year ago and why they think the term itself is overly political and doing harm to their profession.

With the term fake news so widely weaponized and disinformation and misinformation so common in everyday life, its hard to say how much of this years results reflect standard journalist cynicism or correctly gauge a very urgent threat, said Betsy Hoag, Greentargets director of research and planning, and Paul Wilson, vice president of content and editorial. Journalists also certainly arent bullish about any of the methods available to combat fake news but we think its critical that something, or perhaps many somethings, be done for the sake of our democracy.

Fake News: 2021s top findings

We support journalists in their efforts and know the value of what they do for a free society, said Lisa Seidenberg, Greentargets vice president of media relations. That said, we think and we certainly hope theyre being overly cynical about fighting fake news. Media literacy efforts, which have proven effective, are increasing across the country. We find these efforts encouraging and we hope journalists and the broader public get behind them more fully.

A full version of Fake News 2021 is available here. For more information, contact Lisa Seidenberg at lseidenberg@greentarget.com or 312-252-4108.

About Greentarget:

Greentarget is a strategic public relations firm that helps leading law, accounting, management consulting, real estate and financial services organizations create unique positions of authority through skillful participation in the conversations that matter most to their key stakeholders. With 60 professionals in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and London, Greentarget combines earned media, research and market intelligence, content and publishing, digital strategy and amplification, and special situations counsel to help clients grow market share, attract leading talent and achieve a higher purpose. For more information, visit http://www.greentarget.com.

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Journalists say the fake news epidemic isn't improving, they also don't know how to fix it, new study finds - Editor And Publisher Magazine

HOUSTON, TX Another week, another game. The Texans went out and played a game, this time at home. After that game was over, they immediately began planning for their next game, which is not in Houston.

However, when looking at the 2021 variant of the Houston Texans, there are concerns about the direction of the team and what the organization values most. After an opening week win, the Texans now see their losing streak up to 7. They sport the worst point differential in franchise history to this point in the season (-122), even worse than the expansion 2002 version. Taking out the first 6 quarters of the season, the team has been outscored 58-206. As confirmed by our query with some smarty-pants mathematical professor at Rice University, those are not good numbers.

The fallout from the on-field performance is appearing to impact some of the Texans financial prospects. The most recent game saw plenty of Texans fans get into the holiday spirit, attending the games in costume. Among the most popular:

No word on whether or not the team handed out their special holiday costume award.

Yet, even with all of these issues, there are many analysts who think the Texans are quite content with the way that things are playing out.

It does appear that the Texans are maximizing their efforts to secure and strengthen the most critical parts of their organization, aka the critical node observed Air Force strategic planner Colonel Fawn Turgidson. As you know, a critical node is An element, position, or command and control entity whose disruption or destruction immediately degrades the ability of a force to command, control, or effectively conduct combat operations. Also called target critical damage point. Can apply to an adversarys nuclear command and control system or a NFL Teams operations.

From there, Col Fawn Turgidson went on a long explanation about the doctrinal background of critical nodal analysis, the methodology of targeting and desired effects on critical nodes, long remanences of the stories his granddaddy Buck told him about various War Room fights, etc. When our intrepid reporter finally came too after an unexpected standing nap, Fawn immediately linked his vastvery vast doctrinal acumen to the current situation.

Well, you look across the NFL, and you can determine what the critical node for any franchise is. For some, like the Green Bay Packers, the critical node for their team is long-time franchise QB Aaron Rodgers. Given all the trades and moves the team is making in order to placate a talented, but disgruntled superstar, you can see that so goes Aaron Rodgers, so goes the team. [Editors Note: That is especially relevant given recent revelations.]

Then you take a team like the Dallas Cowboys. While they too have a quarterback that is critical to on-field success in the form of Dak Prescott, that is not the critical node for the franchise per se. It is not even the owner, Jerry Jones, though he is important to the execution of the franchise. The critical node for the Cowboys is their financial value/name recognition. That can be a bit more nebulous to define and/or impact. Still, that is the most important thing to them, and so long as they continue to be at the top of the prime TV markets/advertising dollars/draw in the fanbases, they will do what they can.

Well then noted our reporter, what of the Texans?

Replied Turgidson Oh, for the Texans? Thats easy. You only have to look to the actions of the past year and a half or so to figure on what, or who, the critical node for that organization is?

When our reporter seemed puzzled, Col Turgidson sighed: Come on. You know this. Dont tell me there is something in the water here too? Well, ok, you are probably just practicing some sort of journalistic integrity or something like that. Anyway, look to the key player on the team.

Our reporter gave a quizzical look Deshaun Watson?

No. I misspoke. I meant the most critical person over the past year and half or so. None other than the Executive Vice President of Football Operations. THAT is the critical node for the Texans proclaimed the Colonel.

An Executive Vice President of Football Operations? How do you figure that? asked our reporter.

Col Turgidson replied:

Lets look at the evidence. While it might seem strange that an Executive Vice President of Football Operations (EVPFO) fits the bill of a critical node, but see what has happened, especially over the past year or so:

1) The former pastor manages to work his way into the personnel department of the team, perhaps one of the most consequential areas of a football franchise (need players to play). Thus, he is in on the personnel decisions. Yet, he was not the primary. It was as if he managed to have it both ways. Taking credit for the success, but shielded from the blame, which was taken full force by the former HC/GM.

2) He is very, very close to the CEO, who will have the final say on so many matters, from the future GM to what happens with contacts/etc.

3) The team emphasizes culture and the mindset/actions of players on the team. It is not so much on-field prowess, but how they fit into the vision of the good, moral player. All in line with the philosophy of a pastor, no?

4) The previous regime had players/personnel not beholden to the EVPFO, thus, to secure the EVPFOs position, they were purged. In particular, the Texans, to reduce the threat to the EVPFO, removed or forced the removal of players that held greater power/status than the EVPFO. Think DeAndre Hopkins, JJ Watt, Randall Cobb, Whitney Mercilus, Mark Ingram... Thus, you are left with a small amount of rookies and/or veterans that could not play on any other team. Totally dependency on the EVPFO and significant threat reductions.

5) The non-Texans football press has caused the EVPFO considerable stress. Thus, the team has limited the EVPFO exposure to press threats. Concurrently, the recent struggles of the team are driving away threats, thus fortifying the stature and ego of the EVPFO.

Thus, any and all actions of the Texans to this point, with few exceptions, are falling in line with the teams objective of protecting its most critical node.

What of the losses of the team, to say nothing of the financial hits?

Probably should be an area of concern, but I dont run the Texans. Some other dude does, and while he is in charge, the critical node will remain the EVPFO.

Will this continue to be the critical node for the Texans? Stay tuned. We at Totally Not Fake News will as we continue our mission to cover all of the news that is fit to print, and even if it is not, well publish it along anyway.

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Totally Not Fake News: The Critical Node - Battle Red Blog

A new survey suggests that 84% of journalists believe fake news has contributed to the delegitimization of traditional journalism and news sources. And more than half of thesurveys respondents believe fake news is more dangerous than no news at all.

This isnt all that surprising, given whats happened in the five years since the phrasefake news rose to prominence.

It was first coined as a reference to malign propagandists spreading made-up material (mostly on Facebook) that masqueraded as journalism. Later itwas co-opted by former President Donald Trump and his followers to discredit any news stories they didnt like.

Now the origin of the term has been obscured, and respected mainstreammedia brands struggle every day with audience trust. This is borne out in the survey findings. Ninety-three percent of respondents said they believe, or somewhat believe, that fake news negativelyimpacts journalism. About 30% of respondents said the term was either confusing or outdated. And 62% indicated they were sure of one thing: The term fake news has become overlypolitical. Indeed, just 6% of respondents think the term itself is even useful anymore.

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The survey defines the term as false information spread unwittingly (misinformation) orintentionally (disinformation).

The survey of more 103journalists, was conducted online in July and August by the Chicago-based PR firm Greentarget. This years report is the second annual. The results, in many cases, track to the findings from2020.

The findings indicate that journalists are at a loss for how to respond to fake news. Most put the onus on themselves journalists, editors and journalism organizations ashaving an ethical responsibility to vet fake news and identify misleading information. That number increased in 2021 to 93% or respondents, up from 85% last year.

Fewer (70% of respondents)indicated the responsibility should rest with social-media companies, and fewer still 51% saw that burden being placed on government.

The cascade of calamities of the past year COVID, the contentious elections, the social-justice movement, the economic collapse might have done a little good for journalism. Top-tier publications, such as The Wall StreetJournal, appear to have gained trust in the eyes of the journalists surveyed. More than four in five answered that way, nearly 30 percentage points higher than in 2020.

The surveyindicates where respondents think fake news is most prevalent. Asked which of the several choices has/have benefited most by the rise of fake news, 76% of respondents said far-right fringe groups.Asked which demographics they believe are most often targeted by fake news, 65% of respondents said Republicans, 62% said lower income, 57% said conservatives, and 57% also said social-media users.Plus, 53% of respondents said fake news was more prevalent under the Trump Administration.

The report includes a variety of illuminating responses on reform of Section 230 of theCommunications Decency Act (47% believe reform is needed) and social media (60% of respondents dont rely on social media often for their reporting.)

The full report is here.

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Journalists Fear 'Fake News' Harms Their Profession - But Unsure How To Combat 11/05/2021 - MediaPost Communications

Iran claimed this week that it would release momentous news about a great military operation. Irans state media said Wednesday that in the next few hours news would be released that would make regime supporters proud of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps power. Iran observers waited patiently. What could it be, they asked. Hacking of the US. A cyber attack on Israel? A new aerospace program, drones, missiles, satellites, nuclear technology.

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When the announcement came it claimed that the US had tried to pirate a tanker being used by Iran and that the oil on the tanker was transferred by the US. Iran, in a daring raid, sent a helicopter with elite IRGC troops to rope down onto the ship and grab the oil back, right in front of the Americans. Then Iran did its greatest feat of all, it took the tanker back while the US 5th Fleet, the greatest naval power in the world, was helpless. The US chased the tanker and failed, the Iranians claimed.

There was even video, oddly it seemed to be shot from the ship before it was boarded, and followed the Iranian raid, which was unopposed. The tanker was supposedly taken back to Iran on October 25. Not since Sir Francis Drake outwitted the Spanish Main had such an epic naval encounter been done, apparently. Perhaps.

The US rejected the Iranian claims. US Defense officials disputed the story to US media, such as CBS. They said that the incident last week involved two US Navy destroyers that were sent to monitor a Vietnamese flagged vessel which had been seized by Iranian Revolutionary Guards, but that there was no attempt to intervene or seize the cargo, CBS said. Pentagon Spokesman, John Kirby countered the IRGC claims of seizure of an Iranian oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, saying allegations are "totally false and untrue."

Basically, the story is that the IRGC wanted to show off. It didnt have much to do, so it seems to have invented a story of great daring raids just to show video, that it had prepared to produce, like a propaganda film or staged incident. Meanwhile, Irans Fars News published an article about how US Naval personnel were stopped and detained in 2016. Iran also detained British sailors in 2007. This means that Iran is attempting to relive past incidents but apparently has not been able to lure the US into a similar scenario.

The overall lesson here is that Iran wants to create an incident. It is willing to use fast boats, helicopters and IRGC forces in a way that could lead to a real live-fire incident. It has harassed US ships in the past. Much of this is made for propaganda purposes, to create video that can be shown in Iran.

The IRGC is also trying to prove its worth to the regime. However, Irans leadership must know this story is either totally false or partially false and they will wonder what the IRGC is up to. The IRGC operates in a shadow world of lawlessness, conducting Irans foreign and military policy. However, even in the shadows it apparently needs to create fake news every once in a while to pretend it is doing something. It is also possible it is trying to lure the US into an incident, and this was just a test.

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What was the point of Irans 'fake news' IRGC ship raid? - The Jerusalem Post

The Russian government Tuesday dismissed as cheap, fake news reports of a major buildup of troops and weaponry near the countrys tense borders with Ukraine and Belarus.

Politico, citing commercial satellite imagery and an assessment by the respected London military analysis firm Janes, has reported there were clear signs of a buildup of troops, artillery and armored units in a town close to Belarus border and that equipment from Russias 4th Tank division had been relocated to areas near Ukraines northern border.

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the accounts in a Tuesday briefing with reporters in Moscow, insisting that Russia has never threatened anyone, nor is it threatening anyone.

It is not even worth commenting on the quality of these reports and generally such news should be ignored, Mr. Peskov said. The quality itself serves as perfect proof that time should not be wasted on getting acquainted with such cheap, fake news.

Both Belarus and Ukraine are a focus of rising East-West tensions. Authoritarian Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko, a Russian ally, is trying to hold on to power in the face of strong popular pro-democracy protests, while Russia is also aiding pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine battling the pro-Western government in Kyiv.

Mr. Peskov said any recent Russian military moves were a defensive reaction to the quite aggressive expansionist tendencies by NATO and its allies along Russias western border.

The Reuters news agency, citing a statement from the Russian RIA news agency, also reported Tuesday that CIA Director William Burns had made an unannounced trip to Moscow for talks with Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev.

In addition to border tensions between Russia and U.S. allies, the Biden administration has also voiced suspicions that Russian intelligence or Russian-linked groups are behind a string of mysterious attacks that have left more than 200 U.S. diplomats, intelligence officers, military officers and other government employees complaining of debilitating headaches, dizziness and other symptoms.

See original here:

Kremlin: Western reports of troop buildup near Ukraine 'fake news' - Washington Times

To the researchers surprise, the data showed those conservatives who shared misinformation did so regardless of how much time they spent on social media, whether they supported the ideas in the falsified story, or even because they were trying to align their support with a particular political figure, Kakkar said. The analysis found participants who shared erroneous reports were driven by a desire to create chaos, he said.

We were shocked to see this had nothing to do even with a distrust for mainstream media, Kakkar said. It had more to do with their dissatisfaction with current political and social institutions, and a desire to break those down in favor of anarchy."

"Unfortunately, this desire is not assuaged even when the participant saw a warning that the story they were sharing may be false. So one critical question for the future is if theres anything that can help reduce this behavior, maybe by addressing these individuals desire for chaos.

The researchers hope the public will take away a specific message from the findings that a combination of personality and political beliefs not just political beliefs influences whether people perpetuate false information.

Conscientiousness appears to be a truly important factor determining the relationship between a persons political ideology and whether they share disinformation, Lawson said. That behavior almost completely disappeared in people with higher levels of conscientiousness.

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Research Pinpoints the Role of Personality in Sharing of 'Fake News' - Duke Today