I never thought there would come a day when I would have to
create a classification of various types of falsehoods in shades of
grey, though it stands to reason now. A rumour is not a lie, a claim is
not a fact and allegation is not quite a verdict. And, as it turns out,
there is propaganda, there is fake news and there is wilful
disinformation done with dubious intent.
The
outrage this weekend in India over Poonam Pandey, a small-time
celebrity known for reality TV acts, glamorously exposing photoshoots
and outlandish claims, is understandable because she has crossed a red
line in public relations and attention-seeking. In the process, she has
even turned the rules of journalism upside down in the eyes of a section
of the public. That needs some cleaning up now.
Ms
Pandey has faked her own death to ostensibly raise public awareness
about cervical cancer. Coincidentally, the news came on the day India's
finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a government initiative to
boost cervical cancer vaccines among Indian women. That kind of makes
it all curiouser.