False news to fake narratives: How BJP has influenced large part of society by its propaganda

Propaganda is amazing. People can be led to believe anything - - Alice Walker (Poet, essayist, and novelist)

Propaganda lies, rumors and information wars have existed throughout human history, accompanying conflicts and power struggles. However, the current global concern about fake news is different because of the role technology plays today. Modern technology has revolutionized the way information is produced and shared. With the widespread availability of digital tools and platforms, almost anyone can create and disseminate content. This democratization of media production means that false information can spread rapidly and widely, reaching a vast audience in a short amount of time. As a result, fake news can have a more significant and immediate impact on public opinion and behavior than ever before.

Misinformation and trolls

Misinformation can spread quickly across various platforms, including social media, message boards, and even through word of mouth. Bots, trolls, and AI have made it easier for misleading content to become common in everything from product reviews to social media posts. Trolling involves posting false or derogatory messages in public forums to provoke emotional responses or divert discussions for amusement, personal, or political gain, or to spread hatred. Since the 2014 election, this behavior has become more prevalent in our country. The current central government is actively spreading false news, fake narratives, and malicious content to politicize issues, spread disinformation, and target individuals through platforms like WhatsApp, Twitter, and Facebook. By using these tactics, the BJP has influenced a large part of society with false narratives and propaganda.

According to the 2020 media manipulation survey from the Oxford Internet Institute, which found evidence in every one of the 80+ countries surveyedSocial media manipulation of public opinion is a growing threat to democracies around the world.

Fact checking eco-system catching up

The ecosystem of fact-checking in India cuts across digital, television, and print media and even crosses over into the corporate domain. Fake news continues to be a growing menace in India, which has seen the most number of fake news incidents compared to anywhere else in the world, a recent survey by Microsoft has warned. However, the good part is that citizens of India have now started realizing how they have been influenced by myriad campaigns of fake news by the BJP troll army.

Over 60% of Indians said they had seen fake news online against the global average of 57%, according to findings of a survey by Microsoft.

Social media, which was initially perceived as a liberating force for disenfranchised individuals without a voice, has now become an agent of hate. In a society like India, social media platforms have become primary sources of fake news and propaganda, empowering disruptive voices, hateful ideologies, and misinformation.

With the potential to alter civic engagement, some social media platforms are hijacking democracy by influencing individuals toward a particular way of thinking. The political landscape has been transformed negatively by the way of social media. Revelations by a Facebook whistleblower about the company’s decision to prioritize profit over human rights point toward the platform monetizing hate at the cost of user safety.

Misuse of social media platforms

Social Media Platforms amplify hate, misinformation, & political unrest and bring out the worst in humans. All this because hate speech, divisive political speech & fake news get more reach and reaction than any other kind of content. It is easier to incite anger than any other emotion. Angry and hateful messaging can stir up emotions.

The BJP has made good use of the drawbacks of social media. It has exploited it to change the political and ideological discourse of the country. However, since last year things have changed and some reality is syncing with the common man.

Telangana BRS party

In Telangana, the BRS party is employing the same strategy to spread disinformation against the current congress government in the state. They have been spreading fake news like the Child death claims made in Gandhi Hospital which was fake news. The current government published the correct data. The other misinformation campaign carried out by TRS was on the overall state's poor ranking in the country. However, when the fact check was made, the data published by BRS was from 2022, when they were in power.

Ask questions, seek accountability

Democracies depend on the people—accessing, understanding, and using information from social media networks to make decisions about the society they want to live in. Thus, a democracy needs to be free from these disruptive forces to function. We must continue to do what we do—ask the right questions and seek accountability—because the only ones who could stop this worrying spread of hate in India are we Indians ourselves.

Disclaimer: The writer is Irfan Aziz, All India Professional Congress, president of Secunderabad Chapter & Congress Manifesto Head from Telangana, and TPCC Media and communications state convenor. The views and opinions expressed in the article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of NewsMeter.