April 23, 2020
Sharing information for the sake of one’s intention to gain financial assistance has become a new normal with the rise of #infodemics.
It is simply because this rise of infodemics has now been a town-talk of collecting money by all false means. People are now misled to worry less for the expenses of money.
As it has been seen that a fake Facebook post of a daughter crying prayer for her mother suffering from novel coronavirus attracted audiences in large numbers with sympathy and compassion. This is no good to earn such compassion by false means.
The post by one of the users has been shared for more than 73,000 times, which simply indicates how a continuation of false post can trap innocence mind and exploit them.
It is unfortunate that at a time when the cases of Covid-19 are increasing day by day and the death toll is about to touch 2 lakhs, such fake posts create wildfire over social media platform leading to panic.
India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) found the post to be misled as it is a collage of two photographs based on different context that dates back to pre-corona period.
Reports published in various news websites earlier clarified that the name of women was Jenny Bone and she was paralyzed. Therefore, doctors were heard asking her husband John to switch off her life support machine while she was in a coma. The husband refused and she later recovered.
Whereas, another website clarified that the picture of the girl with tears rolling down her cheeks was taken by Cat Simpson and was uploaded on October 22, 2018.
FAKE: The fake post reads, “Please help save my mum I don’t want to lose her. Am not asking for money but prayer and single share. Oh, My Heavenly Father, deliver everyone who shares this prayer from any form of CORONAVIRUS and DEATH. Please share to at least 5 groups on Facebook so she can get more prayers. Thank you and God bless you.” – a facebook user.
FACT: First of all, the image of women is not a Covid-19 patient and the picture of the lady was published on several news website in 2015. Secondly, image of the child with tears in her eyes is available on the Internet since 2018 as a stock shot in several websites such as “Adobe Stock” and “Shutterstock” – India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA).
#CheckTheFake is a movement against #Infodemic in this crisis, initiated by Dr Anamika Ray Memorial Trust #ARMT (www.armt.in) in collaboration with The Assam Tribune and Northeast Now (www.nenow.in) to create awareness on #fakenews on #Coronavirus and improve media literacy through #Cartoons. ARMT Research