NaikRooh has done a detailed twitter thread regarding some reporting issues of some media outlets & journalists during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately there seems to be a deliberate attempt to create panic stories, propaganda reports and even click-bait fake stories to confuse the public and create a degree of mistrust between the govt and the public. It has been essential to counter these stories in a timely manner but credit to NaikRooh who does well to document their flaws in the last few months. I share below his entire thread for sake of documentation
ORIGINAL THREAD CAN BE RT’d HERE
Role of Media Outlets & Some Journalists During COVIDー19.
This thread shall cover few of the many instances where Pakistani media channels & some journos were caught spreading disinformation due to obvious reasons.
Click Bait Story (sensationalism) : It was about Italy.
That report regarding medical equipment was outdated & was about Dengue’s mitigation effort in 2017-18 (equipment was distributed).
Jang Group did a breaking story on the first Covid-19 case in Karachi which was proven to be fake.
Dawn News, naam hi kaafi hai.
To them there was some kind of competition going on.
According to Klasra, Pakistan wasn’t serious at all about mitigating Covid-19
Another clickbait story, there were no deaths at that time but for the sake of sensationalism….
Another biased reporter was trying to politicize the much needed control & mitigation efforts during a pandemic.
Program Topic: Where is the coordination for Covid-19 mitigation?
Discussion: Mir Shakil, Mir Shakil
Level of Journalism: Dr Zafar Mirza marked his tweet # as he always does but Geo News reported as number of deaths.
Plane Fake News which was peddled by multiple News Channels & media persons.
It is an established fact that whole clan of Jang Group & Dawn was bent backwards to spread disinformation. They had no data or study to prove back their claim for effectiveness of full fledged lockdown for Pakistan.
Fine rebuttal by @Pk_FakeNews 👍
Again, this news was peddled by many re the rent of a facility installed in Expo Center Lahore. Blatant Lie!
Another wave of propoganda which was designed right in the peak of Covid-19. Interestingly, it was everything about Federal, Punjab or KP/Balochistan Govts. Nothing for Sindh.
Tribune did a whole story during the peak of Covid-19 re misplaced priorities of @GOPunjabPK which was proven to be a fake as well.
While they were spreading disinformation re Covid-19, they didn’t ignore the potential of political uncertainty amidst the pandemic.
Fahad Husain of Dawn, did a story damaging the repute of CM Punjab which was nothing but a blatant lie. It was peddled by many, it even trended on Twitter despite the rebuttal. That’s how low was the level of Journalism during Covid-19.
Another fake news which was peddled by many including the legend himself.
A brief package on Fake News
More;
This is what media was doing at the peak of Covid-19 when Federal govt was about to get the finance bill passed. They were hell bent to topple it.
Originally tweeted by عســکری رینــچ ™️ (@NaikRooh) on September 6, 2020.