Thursday Brief

On Covid-  With more than 47,000 deaths, India now occupy 4^th place among all the nations with death count due to this pandemic, the only solace is India’s deaths per million of population  (D/M) and Case Fatality Rate (CFR) is lowest among the top 5 nations on death counts.  Other countries are- on the top is USA with 1,68,000+ deaths, CFR  3.3, D/M 508; followed by  Brazil with 1,03,000+ deaths, CFR 3.3. D/M 485; on no. 3 spot is Mexico with almost 54,000 deaths, CFR 10.9 and D/M 418; at 4^th spot is India with 47,000+ deaths, CFR 2.0, D/M of 34; and on 5^th spot is  UK with 46,000+ deaths, CFR 14.9, DM 688.

Now coming to Maharashtra, with  almost 5.5 lakh cases and 18, 650 deaths with CFR of 3.4 is topping the list of states in cases and number of deaths. If you consider Mumbai city with 1.26 lakh cases and 6,900+ deaths and CFR of 5.5. The CFR of Mumbai is 2.75 times higher than national average, which is quite alarming.

Now coming my other topic of the day:

Many of us are grown up in a time when the best source of news was morning newspaper. Then came the advent of TV, Doordarshan (DD) which used to convey news daily in the evening. With now news channel going 24*7, and so much happening on social media, we are bombarded with the breaking news throughout the day. Constant debates with panellist from various parties are a common scene on every news channel. All this is good, if only we were sure about what we are being told or what we are reading. Recently there have been many FAKE NEWS concerns which even govt noticed. The issue is that at times, few anti social elements, deliberately create or spread the fake news, wih malicious intentions. So what constitutes the fake news?

Understanding the fake news

Typically when some people create and share unverified news specially on social media, with a deliberate intention to create unrest, or malign famous people, leaders, institutions or organisations or even community or religion etc, it will be termed as fake news. The instant nature of social media adds to the fast spreading, and there are many instances when this has led to unrest etc. Most people are  unable to verify the news and hence fall prey to it and react, and therefore the fake story gets circulated very fast. So as a citizen it is our duty to verify the news before forwarding. So how do we know if news item is fake?

How to figure out if news or an article is fake

Check the source, the publisher, the author, the website etc of the news item. Check if the same news item is being seen on other mainstream news portals. Check who has shared with you, and if that person is trustworthy  or not. Usually original and authentic articles will always have references to some people or proper website. They will quote valid sources that you can check easily. Also the language used will be professional. Most fake news articles have language issues, but all well written articles need not .be true as well. Following few simple steps, like mentioned above can help you figure out if the material is fake. This is even applicable to WhatsApp messages, which also get forwarded without any verifications.

How does it impact you

You may be affected in two ways. One is the fact the news may be about something or someone that you actually care about. So, it may distress you, when actually there is no need for that. So if the news is political and social, you may discuss with your family and friends. This can lead to some minor arguments, leaving bad taste. All this for nothing, as the news was fake anyway .Many times false medical news items are forwarded, and if you follow them , may ruin your health. One more thing, when others receive the fake news you lose your credibility as well. It is possible that other person may verify the news or even know better. So when they constantly receive fake news from you, they might tag you as someone who is deliberately doing it.

There are also legal implications of sharing fake news, especially if any unrest, riots, or any issues  associated with it. Hence, when one forward or share any such sensitive news item, it has to be with a sense of full responsibility. You may be held liable for it as well.

Awaiting your comments/feed backs/views.

Anil Malik

Mumbai, India

13^th August 2020.