Batch: - Journalism Batch of 2020

Semester: - Six
Name of the course, - (0609) Media Laws and Ethics (JR)
Name of the student, -Arpan Cheema
Roll No: - 1833
PRN: - 17050422026
SEAT NO: - 224519
Q.1) What does CRAAP mean? Write a note on the types of misinformation and
disinformation (CO3)

The CRAAP test was created by Sarah Blakeslee in 2004 while formulating a first-year
workshop for instructors as she wanted to give her students an easy test to determine which
sources are credible and are trustworthy to use as tools for research. CRAAP was further
developed by her with the help of her team of librarians at the California State University and
thus became an acronym for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose.
The test aims to give researchers and students an easy way to check the objective reliability
of sources across academic disciplines.
The test therefore stands for: -
 Currency (When was it published? Has it been updated?) This currency of the source
is imperative as the content can be updated changed or disproved after its publication
which can further affect the quality of research done by the person citing the source.
The source should be updated up to date and the timeline should be related to the
study to avoid mistakes.
 Relevance (Does it relate to your needs? Who is the audience?) It is important for the
source material to be relevant as citing and referring to unnecessary sources may
derail the study or make it too complicated for the author as well as the reader.
 Authority (Who are the author and publisher? What are their credentials?) The
source’s reliability is primarily recognised by whose stamp of approval does it carry,
often unofficial sources are unreliable as they are not approved by a trustable
authority.
 Accuracy (Is it reliable and truthful? Is it supported by evidence?) The content is of
the prime importance while using a source, the source should be based on facts and
should contain truth to be accurate which determines the core of the study done based
on the source.
 Purpose (Why does this information exist? Is there a bias?) Often material is
published in order to fulfil a personal purpose which makes the source biased, such a
source should not be cited as it contains selective and coloured information which
might only tell one side of a story or narrative, it might also target a particular group
or species and can be malicious, therefore the purpose of the source is of prime
importance to be checked.

Misinformation is the kind of information that is false or factually incorrect but not created
with the intention of causing harm, for example the WhatsApp forward which makes rounds
on social media every Diwali citing the image apparently taken by a NASA Satellite, of India
glowing due to Diwali lights and crackers on the image of Earth taken from the moon which
is in fact a composite image and the information is false . Disinformation is information that
is false and deliberately created to harm a person, social group, organization or country for
example a WhatsApp forward making rounds during the 2019 Lok Sabha election which
stated that Nehru was a Muslim planted by Jinnah in the Congress.

Types of misinformation and disinformation are as follows: -

1Satire or Parody – A piece of information in any sort of medium which has no intention to
cause harm but has intention to fool. Satire is the usage of humour to criticize a subject. For
example the comedian and social activist Kunal Kamra bases his criticism on the present
government and the PM by using satire, Vikram Seth was well known for writing satirical
poems on the society etc.
2 False Connection – When headlines, Blubs, visuals or captions don’t support the content.
News agencies often use misleading captions and pictures as clickbait’s or as breaking news
in order to keep the viewers glued to the television screens. This is done as humans are
mostly guilty of passing judgment after checking the headline without reading the entire
content. Great propagandists in history have mastered and executed the art of enticing
headlines that elicits emotion from people, and readers are too irresponsible and lazy to read
the full content. To spot a false connection one as responsible consumers of content should
read beyond the headline (if it’s a video, watch the entirety of it) or check one’s biases.

3 Misleading Content – The use misleading information to frame an issue or individual

An example of this could be taken from the media trial of Ria Chakrovaty where the media
has taken snippets of assumptions made on her life and character and has portrayed these as
facts in order to frame her as a murderer for case of suicide. To spot misleading content one
must look for similar stories or read beyond the headline.

4 False Context – When genuine content is shared with false contextual information.
A plethora of old local government news keeps resurfacing on social media time and again.
One example is this news is an old picture of a farmer protesting was related to the 2020
farmer strikes against the bill, while the famer in the picture is indeed protesting against the
BJP regime, it is an old picture taken in 2018. To spot false content one must check the date,
biases or ask experts.

5 Imposter Content – When genuine sources are impersonated.

Often photoshopped images or letterheads ore used for this deception. In this type of
misinformation and disinformation, even the URL of credible news sites can be altered to
mimic them. To spot imposter content, one must inspect and check the URL or check the
author or source

6 Manipulated Content – When genuine information or imagery is manipulated to deceive.

During 2016 Lok Sabha elections the party manifesto of BJP was photoshopped and fake
pictures and messages carrying false promises if people voted for BJP made rounds in social
media, and was widely shared on WhatsApp and Facebook by the party supporters.

7 Fabricated Content – New content is 100% false, designed to deceive and do harm.People
readily believe fabricated content because of their biases. This type of fake content consumer
would instantly believe information they see no matter how illogical or hilarious it is because
their perception of truth is clouded. If the news is in favor of their biases, regardless if it
being completely made up, they will believe it and even further share and spread it .
Example would be the Whatsapp message which stated that banging utensils will kill the
Corona Virus in support of the PM .© 2020 LIFE STYLE SHARER

Q.3) Write a 400-word essay on a journalist’s guidelines on reporting on children.

(CO4)

News can make or break a person’s image, if portrayed badly a person can be subjected to
harsh criticism and judgement throughout their lives. A piece of journalist article if reveals
the name of a child, the child might have to live with the name tag attached with the news all
his life and its impact can be phenomenal on a child’s future. Therefore, it is imperative that
journalists should be extra cautious while reporting cases involving minors. For that purpose
the following guidelines have been developed with the input of children and media
professionals to assist journalists and media practitioners to produce better quality reporting
on children, on the understanding that respecting children’s rights today will mean respect for
all people’s rights in the future. Principles Children’s issues are important. Media
professionals should always strive to bring attention to issues that affect children in society,
eg social conditions, as outlined in the Millennium Development Goals, such as the
eradication of child hunger and other general issues of education, lack of shelter,
sustainability and more. Children’s interests (ie trends, music, and social media etc) should
also be explored and reported on by media professionals to encourage the involvement of
children in the media. Journalists should report on children in an ethical manner, and
specifically:
Here are some guidelines for Protection of Child Rights Guidelines Drawn up for
Reporting on Children as per the Press Council of India -Do not further stigmatize
any child; avoid categorisations or descriptions that expose a child to negative
reprisals including additional physical or psychological harm, or to lifelong
abuse, discrimination or rejection by their local communities: - this can be
applicable to the victims of child abuse which can be either physical or mental
violence or sexual abuse. The society is not yet evolved to not blame the victim in
cases of harassment and assault and some people indulge in victim blaming and
shaming, the child who is already mentally, physically and emotionally in pain further
gets hurt from stigmas or labels the society places on him or her. As reporters
andjournalists, it should be a part of our job to protect the identity of such victims and
survivors.
Always provide an accurate context for the child’s story or image: - Often the
voices of the wear or the less powerful gets supressed by those with authority, since
children are dependent on adults to an extend and should be protected, their
narratives, experiences and their part of the story should not be disregarded and be
taken and heard seriously. The story then should be written accordingly, with the
child’s input given in a correct context.
Always change the name and obscure the visual identity of any child who is
identified as:
a. A victim of sexual abuse or exploitation: - to avoid victim shamming,
stigmatisation, judgements and further exploitation of the child, the child has
a right to start afresh which may be taken from him/her on disclosing their
identity.
b. A perpetrator of physical or sexual abuse: - often in such cases the child can
be targeted by public anger and violence, such children should be punished
by the law after being given a fair trial, disclosing their identity might affect
their future after serving their punishment given to them by law. As minors
they might commit crimes due to a negative influence for which they should
be punished by the law, but for such minors it becomes very hard to survive
as adults if their identities are revealed in the media. They lose their chance
to reflect and start afresh.
c. HIV positive, or living with AIDS, unless the child, a parent or a guardian
gives fully informed consent: - being HIV positive is not a crime, but the
society highly stigmatises the disease due to its mode of transmission. Since
people are not yet educated that AIDS cannot be transmitted through touch, it
should be the job of the journalists to safeguard the future of such children by
not publicly mentioning their name or indications that might lead to them
being known to have this disease unless there is an informed consent of the
child or his/her guardian.
d. Charged or convicted of a crime. In certain circumstances of risk or potential
risk of harm or retribution, change the name and obscure the visual identity
of any child who is identified as:
i) A current or former child combatant.
ii). An asylum seeker, a refugee or an internal displaced person.

1) In certain cases, using a child’s identity - their name and/or recognizable image
- is in the child’s best interests. However, when the child’s identity is used, they
must still be protected against harm and supported through any stigmatization or
reprisals. Some examples of these special cases are:
a. When a child initiates contact with the reporter wanting to exercise their
right to freedom of expression and their right to have their opinion heard: -
The journalist or the reporter should inform the child of the repercussions of such
an action and should prioritise his/her safety and write a story which would
protect the child as much as possible. Such a story should be written as everyone
holds the right to express their views and experiences and as reporters one should
not deny the voice of a child.
b. When a child is part of a sustained programme of activism or social
mobilization and wants to be so identified: - Often organisations or NGO
working for children’s benefit, with the child’s consent want their names to be
 published, in such a case the minor’s name can be revealed if the story holds in
the child’s and public interest.
c. When a child is engaged in a psychosocial programme and claiming their
name and identity is part of their healthy development:- Sometimes speaking
out can be therapeutic and can provide catharsis to an individual, in such cases
the journalist should try their best to become the voice of the minor who on being
revealed can find solace and a way to get ahead in life.
2) Confirm the accuracy of what the child has to say, either with other children
or an adult, preferably, with both: - As children are yet to understand the ways
of the world , their stories should be believed but not without confirmation. There
is a possibility that a child could be wrong, coaxed or forced into making a
statement by an adult or simply be mistaken of the chain of events. The accounts
given by children should be verified by reliable sources.
3) When in doubt about whether a child is at risk, report on the general
situation for children rather than on an individual child, no matter how
newsworthy the story:- A story should be written to inform and educate people
and not to cause sensation and collect readership, if there is an unverified source,
a story which might harm the minor mentally, physically or emotionally should
not be published.

It is the duty of a journalist to represent and become the voice of those who cannot speak for
themselves, human interests for journalists should always come before self interest and
journalists should protect their sources and ethics first and then write a story. Safeguarding a
child’s future and identity is not just an ethic journalists should follow but also is expected as
basic human decency. Therefore, as a journalist whose words hold power one should never
use this power to put a child or his future in danger intentionally or by being ignorant
therefore these guidelines should be adhered while reporting cases involving minors’