SEARCH ARTICLE

59 Pages : 638-644

http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2023(VIII-I).59      10.31703/gssr.2023(VIII-I).59      Published : Mar 2023

Analyzing problematic information in the political discourse in Pakistan: The case of Twitter

    This study investigates the prevalence and forms of hate speech and disinformation in the posts of Pakistani populist leaders on Twitter. A total of ten populist leaders’ Twitter accounts were examined through quantitative content analysis. The variables for the hate speech and disinformation were derived from available literature. The results showed that the selected populist leaders tweets contained a sizable amount of disinformation and hate speech. This phenomenon has serious implications for democracy and social cohesion in Pakistan. We emphasize a viable legal frameworks and critical media literacy education to deal with this malaise.

    Twitter, Hate Speech, Disinformation, Populism, Pakistan
    (1) Muhammad Anwar Kakar
    Independent Media Researcher, Pakistan.
    (2) Shabir Hussain
    Professor, Department of media studies, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
    (3) Farraukh Shahzad
    Assistant Professor, Department of Media Studies ,Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan.

12 Pages : 134-149

http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2025(X-I).12      10.31703/gssr.2025(X-I).12      Published : Mar 2025

The Impact of Fake News on Public Trust in Journalism: Challenges and Solutions

    Scientists examine how fake news shapes public reception toward media platforms as they analyze the obstacles that journalists face when producing factual reports. The research studies fake news operations through surveys in addition to media professional interviews and fake news article content analysis to understand its procedures along with public consequences and control methods. The study reveals social media recommendations as the main source that drives fake news distribution which creates growing partisan beliefs and mistrust between both mass and online news outlets. The emotional intensity in fake news reports results in rapid dissemination because of these strong responses, particularly when they cause anger. Fact-checking websites haven't significantly improved public ability to spot fake news, as 68% of people still remain confused. The paper underlines media monitoring as the foundation for addressing fake news through increased media literacy education as well as transparent journalistic practices and rigorous fact-checking systems.

    Fake News, Public Trust, Journalism, Misinformation, Media Credibility, Disinformation, News Ethics
    (1) Robina Saeed
    Associate Professor, School of Media and Communication Studies, Minhaj University Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
    (2) Sher Baz Khan
    Research Fellow, Erich Brost Institute for International Journalism, Technical University Dortmund, Germany.