Reels To Votes: How Politicians Tapped Influencers’ Reach In 2024

LEARN WITH BOOM

Take Control: Your Guide to Verifying Information in 2025

Blink and you'll miss it. That's the pace of information in the digital age, and as we head into 2025, it's only going to get faster.

From AI-generated visuals of celebrities to deepfakes of public personalities promoting fake schemes to AI voice cloning used in 2024 election season, the need to separate real from fake is more crucial than ever. 

Before we all get swept away by the next wave of viral trends, let's arm ourselves with the survival guide for navigating the infodemic of 2025 and beyond.

Note: No, this isn't about becoming a professional detective. It's about equipping ourselves with the everyday skills needed to spot the spin and make informed decisions. 

Red flags for misinformation:

• Sensational headlines or images: Misinformation creators often use shocking content/language to provoke an emotional response. 

• Lack of sources: Claims that are not supported by evidence or that cite unreliable sources. Always, rely on primary sources of information.

• Websites with unusual domain names: Websites that look amateurish or that use unusual domain names.

• Requests for personal information or money: Misinformation used to trick people into revealing personal information or sending money.

Remember:

• It's okay to be skeptical even if the information comes from a source you generally trust.

• Thumb rule: anyone and everyone can get it wrong.

• Just because it’s viral, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s right or wrong. 

• Take your time. Don't feel pressured to share information immediately. Stop, verify and then share.

• If you're not sure, don't share. It's better to get it right than get it first.

Resource: 

At BOOM’s Teen Fact-Checking Network India (TFCN) Season 2, teens have attempted to tackle concepts related to fact-checking, internet safety and media literacy. 

DECODE

Reels To Votes: How Political Parties Tapped Influencers' Reach in 2024

• India's 2024 general election marked a shift in political strategy, with social media influencers playing a central role in campaigns, shaping public opinion alongside traditional rallies and manifestos.

• The inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya became a turning point, with influencers amplifying its significance and boosting the BJP's messaging.

• Influencers promoted government initiatives and political messaging without clear disclaimers, raising ethical questions about transparency and neutrality. 

• Policies like the Uttar Pradesh Digital Media Policy 2024 formalised collaborations but faced criticism for curbing creative freedom and favouring positive narratives. 

Hera Rizwan recaps how social media influence has become an indispensable tool in modern political campaigns. 

LAW, JUSTICE ET AL

How Supreme Court Judgements Shaped 2024: A Year in Review

Tackling the caseload: It has been a busy year for the Supreme Court. Though pending cases still number an all-time high of 82,397, top court data suggests it cleared 59,098 cases against 60,341 cases registered this year clocking in at an impressive 98 percent disposal rate. 

Democracy on trial: In election year, democracy was on trial where the Supreme Court dealt with many poll-related issues when it heard pleas seeking 100 per cent voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT), a decision on the government’s flagship electoral donor scheme and adjudicated on a vote tampering row in the Chandigarh mayoral elections that saw Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) winning the polls.

The Supreme Court delivered at least 1,012 judgements this year that included decisions on Constitution Bench matters, bail, human rights, and child rights matters among other issues. BOOM’s Ritika Jain lists a few matters of importance.

'FAKE NEWS’ YOU ALMOST FELL FOR

🔍 An old video of a man using a blade to tear seat covers of parked vehicles in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, surfaced with false communal claims that a Muslim man damaged the vehicles to boost his puncture and seat cover business. Read 🔗 Rohit Kumar & Anmol Alphonso’s ↗️ fact-check.

🔍 Did former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal say that Dr BR Ambedkar drafted the Indian Constitution when he was drunk? Find out in 🔗 Anmol Alphonso’s ↗️ fact-check.

🔍 A scripted video showing police officials helping a roadside vegetable vendor whose saree was stuck under a car's wheel went viral on social media as real incident, with posts commending the Indian police for their good work. 🔗 Srijanee Chakraborty ↗️ debunked the claim.

🅱️ RECOMMENDS

This week's recommendation is: How and why does misinformation spread?

Verified By Boom is written by Divya Chandra, edited by Adrija Bose and designed by H Shiva Roy Chowdhury.

If you have suggestions about this newsletter or want us to conduct workshops on specific topics, drop us a line at 👉 [email protected] and we will get back to you in a jiffy. Thanks for reading. See you next week.👋

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