Media Matters for Democracy, MMfD, has launched a fact checking initiative to counter rising instances of online disinformation and misinformation.
Sachee Khabar (translation: factual news) has been set up in the form of a Twitter handle in the first phase, and through the account, MMFD intends to fact check mis/disinformation on social media platforms.
The initiative aims to identify the pieces of disinformation online, flag them and help the netizens connect with fact-checking resources, and also fact-check ourselves whenever we can, through an in-house network of journalists.
More importantly, through Sachee Khabar, MMFD intends to put out fact-checked in Urdu, ensuring maximum reach.
The new initiative comes at a time when social media is flooded with false information in the wake of India-Pakistan tensions.
Some of the online content flagged by “Sachee Khabar” over the past four days includes videos falsely attributed to skirmishes between Pakistan and Indian armed forces at the Line of Control and a false statement attributed to Turkish President Recip Tayyip Erdogan.
Follow Sachee Khabar on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/khabarsachee