Arnab Goswami’s Republic TV and little-known TV9 Bharatvarsh have earned global shame for peddling fake news on Afghanistan their dubious coverage on Afghanistan found a place on a French TV channel. Reacting to their fake news on the fighting in Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley, a prominent presenter of French TV channel, France 24, said, “These people are giving journalists an appalling name. Absolutely dreadful stuff.”
In a viral video, two journalists from France 24 could be seen discussing the menace of fake news peddled by Republic TV and TV9 Bharatvarsh on the recent fighting in Afghanistan. In one video, Republic TV was seen airing fake visuals of drone attacks from Afghanistan claiming them to be ‘air force attacks by Pakistan.’ Those visuals, in fact, were taken from a video game.
Republic TV’s headline had screamed, “Sources: Pak Forces fighting on Taliban’s behalf.” Another headline by Arnab Goswami’s TV channel on the video read, “Pak Air Force attacks Panjshir.”
Republic TV had used the visuals from ‘Hasti TV,’ an Afghan diaspora TV channel broadcast from the UK, without verifying their authenticity.
France 24 journalist highlighted how TV9 Bharatvarsh had used the same visual from a video game last year to claim them to be fighter jets from Armenia attacking the Azerbaijani jets. Appalled by the menace of fake news gripping Indian TV channels, France 24 presenter said, “Glory be.”
The reporter said, “The gong for the worst ascertaining facts goes to TV9 Bharatvarsh. They broadcast those images the same as other networks did. But they also broadcast the same images last year and this time they said Armenia shooting down Azerbaijani jets.”
Arnab Goswami's Republic TV won another glorious award for spreading fake news. pic.twitter.com/O72EbOFnQw
— Ravi Nair (@t_d_h_nair) October 1, 2021
Last month, several Indian TV channels including Republic TV, Times Now and TV9 Bharatvarsh had earned global widespread condemnation for airing fake videos to claim that the Taliban in collusion with Pakistan had launched aerial attacks on the local fighters.
Last month, a fact-check by UK-based news platform, UK Defence Journal, had heaped more embarrassment on Times Now and Navika Kumar after the channel, in its recent broadcast, showed fake visuals of fighter jets that it claimed were hovering over the Panjshir Valley in Afghanistan. The fact-check had revealed how the video in question was not from the Panjshir Valley but of an ‘American jet flying through Welsh valleys’ in the UK.
