When the picture does not tell the story: How did Syria become Patankot?

Media organisations and journalists are using Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp to disseminate news and gain new audience like never before. Indeed “shares” and “likes” have become important parameters with which we judge the reach (and success) of a story today. The Times Group has, in fact,linked journalists’ salaries to their Twitter and WhatsApp activity.

But these social networks are also emerging as powerful newsgathering tools for journalists across print, TV and new media. While this enables journalists to act fast and churn out news at lightning speed, it can backfire in the absence of due diligence and multiple layers of fact-checking.

Two recent incidents show how placing too much reliance on social media apps and networks can do more harm than good to journalistic credibility and reputation.

Syria in Pathankot

An image from war-torn Syria found its way to India Today.

The channel used the image, claiming these were the terrorists shot dead in the Pathankot operation.India Today along with CNN-IBN also tweeted out this image reiterating that these were the men behind the Pathankot attack. 

The gaffe caught the eye of certain discerning Tweeples, including journalist Kanchan Gupta, who pointed out that CNN-IBN was passing off an image from Syria as Pathankot. 

 

Shame on @ibnlive for tweeting a June 2015 Syria pic as its exclusive pic of #PathankotAttack Truly shameful. pic.twitter.com/VawyN3nJKQ

— কাঞ্চন গুপ্ত (@KanchanGupta) January 3, 2016

source : http://www.newslaundry.com/2016/01/06/when-the-picture-does-not-tell-the-story-how-did-syria-become-pathankot/#