DNA Edit: PM Modi's intervention over 'fake news' circular has pulled BJP out of a needless controversy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention, quelling fears over press freedom being muzzled, couldn’t have been timed better. In the face of rising hue and cry that the BJP is trying to stifle voices critical of the government just a year before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the PM has steered the ruling dispensation out of a needless controversy.

It appears that the Information and Broadcasting ministry had gone a little overboard in its bid to curb the menace of fake news. While its objective is laudable, the modus operandi of the I&B ministry, including the tone and timing of its directives, left it vulnerable to criticisms.

These are particularly trying times for the National Democratic Alliance, with allies turning hostile, farmers and Dalits staging protests and political adversaries becoming progressively strident. In other words, the government’s plate is full with pressing issues, and a new cause for a quarrel, that too with the media, can only be damaging to its image.

PM Modi, with his ear to the ground, sensed the repercussions, and acted without delay, thus averting a major crisis. However, one of the most disconcerting aspects of the affair is the speculation that the PM was kept in the dark about these amendments.

If there is a modicum of truth in this conjecture, then the I&B ministry needs to urgently work on bridging the communication gap. It should have sought Modi’s approval first before seeking views from journalists. Given the sensitivity of the issue concerning the fate of the media in India, any misstep would backfire on the government. And, backfire it did, giving rise to fears and suspicion of a clamp down.

However, the problem at hand pertaining to the onslaught of fake news, remains dire as ever. It’s a global phenomenon affecting governments and citizens alike. The frequency with which bogus headlines infiltrate social media and the internet is alarming, as almost a third of users claim to see fake news on sites such as Facebook or Twitter more than once a day.

A study from researchers at Ohio State University, published recently, found that fake news probably played a significant role in propping Donald Trump to power and depressing his challenger Hillary Clinton’s support on the day of election.

Another study conducted by MIT scientists found that fake news spreads much faster than the truth, especially on Twitter. India, too, is having its share of problems arising out of such yarns. While media houses ought to be doing due diligence before making any report public, it’ll be difficult to hold social media companies accountable for their laxity.

The arrest of the editor of the Post Card news, Mahesh Vikram Hegde, on charges of spreading fake and communally sensitive news on his right-wing website, will hardly be a deterrent for mischief-mongers.