Fake News and Misinformation: Challenges in the Digital Age
                     FAKE NEWS AND MISINFORMATION: 
CHALLENGES IN THE DIGITAL AGE
INTRODUCTION
In the age of the internet, fake news 
has become the new social evil that is 
haunting us
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LOW DIGITAL LITERACY
India's digital literacy rate is still low, which makes 
it easy for fake news to spread, as people often do 
not have the skills to verify the authenticity of news 
sources.
According to the India Inequality Report 2022: 
Digital Divide, approximately 70% of the population 
has poor or no connectivity to digital services.
Among the poorest 20% households, only 2.7% have 
access to a computer and 8.9% to internet facilities.
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POLITICAL USE
Fake news is often used for political purposes in 
India, especially during elections. Political parties 
use fake news to manipulate public opinion, which 
makes it challenging to control the spread of fake 
news.
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LIMITED FACT-CHECKING 
INFRASTRUCTURE
India has limited fact-checking infrastructure, and 
many of the available fact-checking organizations 
(PIB fact check units) are small and poorly funded.
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LACK OF PENALTIES
There are currently no strict penalties for the 
spread of fake news in India, which makes it diffi cult 
to deter people from creating and disseminating 
fake news.
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OPACITY OF SOCIAL MEDIA 
PLATFORMS
Social media platforms are increasingly becoming 
the primary ground for public discourse over which 
a handful of individuals have inordinate control.
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ANONYMITY
The most famous reason for anonymity is to be able 
to speak the truth against vindictive governments 
or to not let the views be tagged to the real person 
being spoken about, in the offl ine world.
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PROMOTE MEDIA LITERACY
Education and awareness are critical tools in 
combating fake news. People need to be taught how 
to verify sources, fact-check claims, and understand 
the difference between reliable and unreliable news 
sources.
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ENCOURAGE RESPONSIBLE 
JOURNALISM
Journalists need to adhere to ethical standards and 
be accountable for their reporting. Media 
organizations can play a role in promoting 
responsible journalism and fact-checking.
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THANK YOU