Do powerful groups engage in generating fake news and misguide the general public? Authors of India Misinformed: The True Story try to find out
HarperCollins India is proud to announce that it will publish an anthology that explores the fake news machinery in India. India Misinformed: The True Story, edited by Pratik Sinha, Sumaiya Shaikh and Arjun Sidharth, is a riveting volume of essays written by the team of popular fact-checking website Alt News. “Here facts strike back in the era of fake news. This book doesn’t just expose lies, it exposes the pattern of lies. Everyone ought to read it,” says Arundhati Roy about the book.
The book will be released in March, ahead of the General Elections. In praise of the book, scholar and author Arun Shourie said, “No one in India is doing anything that even remotely approaches the splendid work that Pratik Sinha and his tiny team at Alt News are doing to nail the menace of falsehood. Their research is as fearless and fair as it is meticulous. Here is a book that is a must for every citizen.”
Social networking sites have been reduced to the status of conduits for unscrupulous minds and unabashed manipulation. According to Pratik Sinha, “Misinformation has been weaponised in recent times with the objective of sowing the seeds of division, prejudice and hate among citizens. The intention is quite clearly, political gain.” Journalist Ravish Kumar says, “There is undoubtedly greater awareness now about fake news, but where did this all begin? Through the efforts of individuals like Pratik Sinha. He has given this fight an organisational form … Please read this book, so that you realise what has been done to you, and what may happen further.”
Ananya Borgohain, who commissioned the book, added, “There has not been such a book in India; fake news has led to multiple cases of lynching and communal violence. Society is disintegrating upon a simple tap on a smartphone. This book has several photos to underline its arguments; one will be shocked by the amount of fake news we consume each day. The false claims revealed in the book cater to the fields of politics, history, science, media, healthcare, society, et al. It also has a powerful foreword by journalist Ravish Kumar and Pratik Sinha’s own narrative of Alt News’s vision in his introduction. We aim to reach out to the young minds and help discerning voters make better decisions while casting their votes this year.”
About the book
The propaganda of misinformation and hoaxes disseminated through print, graphics, and the internet has altered the social landscape of this nation. It has led to multiple cases of lynching, mob violence, defamation, and riots, and continues to pose a serious threat to Indian democracy. India Misinformed: The True Story, written by the team of Alt News, a fact-checking website that debunks fake information — and edited by Pratik Sinha, Dr Sumaiya Shaikh, and Arjun Sidharth — identifies the purveyors of fabricated news, exposes the propaganda machinery and familiarises readers with techniques to detect these menacing stories.
Was Jawaharlal Nehru anti-Hindu? Is Sonia Gandhi the fourth richest woman in the world? Did Rahul Gandhi register as a non-Hindu at the Somnath Temple? Does genetic mutation occur in women due to ‘gravitational matrix’ at Sabarimala Temple?
With photographs to underline its arguments, India Misinformed: The True Story presents the real picture.
About the editors
Pratik Sinha is the co-founder of Alt News, where Dr Sumaiya Shaikh, a neuroscientist, is the science editor. Arjun Sidharth is a writer with Alt News. He has previously worked in the television news industry.
