Fighting Fake News in Election Season

How can the uncontrolled spread of fake news during election time be contained? This was the question raised by a group of students from various colleges in Thrissur district. Since social media platforms are the main channels through which misinformation spreads, how can they be effectively countered? The students’ question was timely — Kerala is preparing to face two major elections.

From party offices to social media, election campaigning is in full swing. This is also the period when fake news circulates most widely. A large share of news now originates and spreads through social media itself. Only through continuous monitoring can misinformation campaigns on social media be tackled — this was the key message shared with OBC students during a one-day fact-checking workshop.

The session discussed how tools like Google Lens, Google Reverse Image Search, and Artificial Intelligence can be used to identify fake news and defamatory content. Using examples of recently circulated false stories, the workshop demonstrated how the content of a news item can be distorted. It reminded participants that everyone must make a conscious effort to verify whether the news they encounter is factual or false — this is an era where every individual needs to become a fact-checker.