When ‘fake news’ becomes a frontline weapon
By Moa Jamir
In times of conflict, the battle is often fought not just on the ground, but also through competing narratives and optics. Whether in geopolitics or personal or organisational relationships, rivalries are shaped as much by what is seen and believed as by what actually happens. When the players are arch-rivals—such as India and Pakistan—the stakes of this narrative war are heightened, even in times of uneasy “peace.” One-upmanship becomes the norm, and every act, real or alleged, is weaponised for public consumption.
In the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam attack, tensions surged once again between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. India’s retaliatory response—codenamed Operation Sindoor—targeting nine alleged terror infrastructures across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on the night of May 6–7, ignited not just explosions on the ground, but a firestorm of rhetoric and misinformation online.
Social media platforms exploded with jingoistic fervour, unverified footage, and selective framing—all serving to construct, distort, or reinforce nationalistic positions. In such moments, facts often get buried under a pile of half-truths, rumours, and emotional appeals. As highlighted by UNESCO, the internet becomes fertile ground for different kinds of false or harmful information. Some of it is shared intentionally to mislead (disinformation), some by mistake (misinformation), and some is based on fact but shared to cause harm (mal-information). Together, they fall under the now-common yet troubling label of “fake news.”
This spread of content—whether false, twisted, or selective—is not driven only by official voices. It is either by design, by default or otherwise. Motivations vary: from state propaganda to misplaced patriotism, from political and financial gain to sheer impulse. In the end, truth is often the first casualty.
For instance, as early as 6:16 AM on May 7—just hours after Operation Sindoor—the Government of India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check Unit began flagging false narratives. By early Thursday evening, it had already debunked over a dozen pieces of disinformation and misinformation. It is important to note, however, that as a government agency, the PIB primarily focuses on narratives targeting or misrepresenting India.
The real battleground, however, is unfolding on social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), where citizens from both sides—driven by ideology, emotion, or sheer unawareness—join the fray. The scale of this can be seen on tools like the Fact Check Explorer, which shows a growing list of debunked items linked to the conflict, with new entries added almost every hour. One thing is clear: both sides are equally at fault, and even seasoned journalists, established news outlets, and well-meaning individuals are not immune.
Though fake news is not new, it has become faster, slicker, and more widespread in the digital age. Technological advances, particularly in social media and AI, have revolutionised how news is created, shared, and manipulated. Sensational, misleading content can now go viral in minutes, often masked as harmless messages like “forwarded as received” or “copy paste.” The rise of deepfakes and AI-generated videos further complicates the issue, blurring the line between fact and fabrication. What was once a simple rumour is now a convincing doctored video or synthetic news report.
The digital revolution is increasingly being (mis)used by vested interests to push selective narratives. In this landscape, mainstream media cannot remain passive. It must actively challenge falsehoods, debunk viral myths, and reaffirm its role as a credible, objective, and verified source of information.
Rather than focusing on regulation, the government agencies too should prioritise be accessibility, transparency, and continuous engagement with the public to combat misinformation.
Timely access to trustworthy information can help curb the misuse of digital platforms, but it is ultimately up to citizens to stay vigilant. What is received, shared, or forwarded must pass one crucial test: authenticity. Verification should outweigh virality.
As this column has noted before—borrowing and tweaking Alexander Pope for our times: “To share is human; to share it after verifying is superhuman.”
For any feedback, drop a line to jamir.moa@gmail.com
