On the first day of the Gen Z protest on 8 September, rumours spread on social media that over 35 skeletons had been discovered at the Bhatbhateni Superstore in Chucchepati, Kathmandu. Later, however, only six bodies were actually recovered.
The next day, another
hearsay went the rounds that 32 missing protesters had been found dead inside
the Parliament building in New Baneshwor. Although the Nepal Police confirmed
these stories were baseless, social media influencers and public figures such
as Tanka Dahal, Sujan Dhakal, Shiva Pariyar, Himesh Panta and Bhagya Neupane
went on to disseminate false information.
A video of an air
hostess claiming that Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was spotted fleeing
the country to an unknown destination via Dubai on 10 September went viral. She
said Oli was being carried in a wheelchair by her colleague under the security
of the authorities in Dubai. She even expressed her helplessness for not being
able to do anything and urged others to help, calling on Nepalis in Dubai to
reach the airport. This video was shared by hundreds of thousands of people on
various social media platforms.
The posting of this
video coincided with rumours since September 9 that then PM Oli was fleeing the
country on the pretext of medical treatment in the wake of the Gen Z uprising
in which 19 youths were killed on its first day. Himalaya Airlines – a Chinese
and Nepali joint venture – was linked with the rumours. The company stated that
its serious attention had been drawn to online reports, citing unnamed sources
that PM Oli was preparing to fly on a Himalaya Airlines aircraft for medical
treatment abroad.
Fake news flies
fast
However, online media
continued to carry the news, forcing the airline to issue another press note
the next day, saying the report was “completely false and misleading.” “Despite
yesterday’s press note, we have come across various media channels reporting
the news of Mr KP Sharma Oli flown or flying to Dubai on Himalaya Airlines. We
would like to reiterate that this news is completely false and misleading. We
sincerely request everyone not to believe or disseminate such unverified
information,” read the note.
Likewise, another
video went viral showing a man – allegedly identified as Nepali Congress
general secretary Gagan Thapa – being dragged along and kicked by a mob.
Similarly, another featured a man – allegedly the then Deputy Prime Minister
and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel – running in a river to save himself
from protesters, only to be pursued and beaten. Videos purporting to show other
leaders, such as Mahesh Basnet, also went viral.
As seen in many
countries around the world – with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia being the
latest – Nepal’s recent protests provided fertile ground for spreading
misinformation and disinformation. Social media sites, especially Facebook,
TikTok and X, were flooded with videos containing fake information, while some
users deliberately sought to misinform the masses.
With more than
three-quarters of the population having smartphones, and most accessing the
internet via broadband or GPRS, the impact of social media has risen like never
before. Sadly, some of the popular legacy media outlets have stooped to
competing with social media, creating another challenge in protecting the
essence of journalism, which is under severe threat from the rise of
influencers and content creators.
One example is the
YouTube channel Tough Talk, operated by Dil Bhushan Pathak, former editor of
Kantipur Television. In one presentation, Pathak claimed that Jaybir Deuba, son
of Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba, had bought the international hotel
chain Hilton. He linked the issue to corrupt political leaders, including Deuba
and his wife, Arzu Rana Deuba, then Foreign Minister. But most of his
presentation was based on assumptions and hearsay. The only fact he
substantiated was the denial of a share purchase between the hotel owners and
Jaybir.
Clips of Pathak
explaining how corrupt money was being channelled into business expansion by
politicians’ children went viral. While the issue had already been raised by
some YouTube channels, Pathak’s credibility further pushed the misinformation
to the masses.
Increased access to
smartphones,
According to a survey
by the National Statistics Office (NSO) in March 2024, about 76 per cent of
Nepali households own smartphones, with 4.9 million families having at least
one device. This figure is higher than in neighbouring India and Bangladesh, where
smartphone use is slightly above 50 per cent.
In Nepal, those aged
25–35 make up over half of all smartphone users. Social media use has also
reached a significant milestone, with 50 per cent of the population (about 15
million) using Facebook and YouTube. Both platforms require minimal technical
skills and English, making them popular even among the elderly and rural
population. Other widely used social media channels include Instagram and X.
The protests and the
flood of fake information coincided with Meta – the parent company of Facebook
– monetising the application, allowing users to earn from reels. “There are
people who unknowingly fall victim to fake information, while others enjoy it knowingly.
And influencers are running after the cents, willing to say anything that will
bring them more dollars,” said journalist and fact-checker Deepak Adhikari.
Umesh Shrestha, known
as Shalokya, a fact-checker and one of Nepal’s first bloggers who still runs
mysansar.com, said misinformation was rife in earlier movements, COVID-19 and
elections, but this time it was more noticeable. “The monetisation of Facebook
motivated more people to make misinformation viral. Since this happened when
mass media and journalists’ credibility is dwindling, it inflicted greater
damage,” he said.
Shrestha noted that
misinformation such as claims that the Nepali Army was preparing a coup, or
that Narayanhiti Palace Museum was being cleaned to welcome the dethroned king,
preyed on public fears. Other claims, such as 32 bodies found inside Parliament,
incited the youth to further violence. Even platforms with small user bases in
Nepal, like Telegram, carried false claims.
Social media:
Source of misinformation
A research report by
Ujjwal Acharya and Chetana Kunwar, published in Nepal’s Misinformation
Landscape (Centre for Media Research, 2024), found that political and social
issues make up almost 75 per cent of misinformation topics in Nepal.
Analysis of 414
fact-checked items showed that 76.17 per cent of misinformation originated from
media or social media authors, while politicians accounted for 17.69 per cent.
By platform, 56.5 per cent spread via social media, 19 per cent via mainstream media
and 17 per cent via online portals. These findings challenge the commonly held
notion that the legacy or mainstream media perform fact-checking seriously and
that the journalistic process ensures that only accurate information is
transmitted. As many scholars and media experts suggest, credibility is
probably the best asset that will help the traditional media as well as online
news channels amidst the information blizzards created by social media.
Another report in the
same book, based on a survey of 3,448 adolescents conducted by Kunwar and
Ujjwal Prajapati over 2023–24, found that 58 per cent admitted sharing
unverified information, with 20 per cent doing so frequently. About 68 per cent
encountered misinformation on social media, 38 per cent on online news sites,
25 per cent by word of mouth, 19 per cent on television, 13 per cent in
newspapers and 10 per cent on radio.
Influencers,
particularly celebrities, were the most responsible for spreading
misinformation, according to 40 per cent of respondents. About 25 per cent
blamed social media users, while others identified journalists, media workers
and politicians. The researchers found that 60 per cent had never heard of
media and information literacy. This demands an urgent action from the
government, academia, civil society and media channels, including the social
media operators, to design and implement Media and Information Literacy (MIL)
programmes for various categories of masses, from those who are native to the
new media and those who migrated to it recently.
However, there have
been only a few efforts to implement MIL programmes, especially by the
non-government organisations like the CMR. The institutions like the Ministry
of Communication and Information Technology, the Department of Information and
Broadcasting, and press registrar offices at the provincial level could have
designed and organised such initiatives. But the results are not
encouraging.
Fact-checkers were
overwhelmed by the torrent of misinformation during and after the protests. At
one point, world-renowned eye surgeon Dr Sanduk Ruit had to call a press
conference to deny rumours he was joining a cabinet led by Sushila Karki. By
the time fact-checkers complete their verification, the damage is often already
done, with fake content spread beyond measure. Worse still, fact-checked
corrections are largely ignored, even by educated audiences, said Shrestha.
Fact-checkers argue
that media houses must maintain in-house verification teams. Even opinion
articles and letters to the editor should be checked so that the historical
record is not distorted. Ultimately, however, audiences themselves bear
responsibility. With access to verified information from official sources,
users can avoid being duped, at the very least by not sharing doubtful content
instantly.
Often, people share
information in close circles, from where it rapidly spreads outwards. “Do not
send or share any information until you understand the whole context. Wait and
verify. Even doubt the camerawork, because an alternative angle can change the
entire meaning,” said Adhikari. He added that had people simply asked “where is
Oli in the video?” they might not have spread the rumour of his escape.
Shrestha also
maintains that users have the first responsibility to check misinformation,
though government, media and educators also have crucial roles.
How to spot it
The increasingly
professional use of AI tools and creators’ expertise is making fake news and
deepfakes harder to detect. “As fact-checkers find new ways to identify it,
propagators find new ways to improve their content,” said Adhikari. He advised
paying attention to landmarks, geography, locality and natural features in
videos or photos to verify authenticity, noting that many fake items are
actually from other countries but passed off as Nepali events.
Checking and verifying
the credibility of the source of information is the basic. Users should look
for reputable and trusted sources or media outlets that have a good track
record in terms of accuracy. Many media channels that claim to be neutral or
non-partisan have their tilt to certain political parties or interest groups,
even foreign countries or powers. This is rampant in the case of Nepal;
audiences can find all these media in operation.
Users should avoid
instantly reposting information. Instead, they should save and scrutinise it
before sharing. Adhikari said many people also fall victim to confirmation bias
– liking or sharing information that aligns with their existing beliefs. Comparing
the information with other trusted sources, especially with the official
documents, data or statements from the related authorities, not clicking the
obscure sites, and checking timelines of the event can be instrumental in
identifying fake information.
Likewise, fake
information mostly uses sensational, emotional or indecent language while
legitimate sources of information use a moderate tone and show a balanced
attitude. There are high chances that highly viral information was verified by
the fact-checkers, so one can visit their sites – such as nepalfactcheck.org,
factcheck.org, and politifact.com.
