It is now a widely accepted fact that the mainstream media’s fact-checking and news reporting skills are unreliable. But who would’ve thought that their comprehension skills would also questionable. And it all started with a tweet. Let me walk you through.
Scientist and columnist Anand Ranganathan, who has been a vocal critic of selective reporting by mainstream media and regularly exposes hypocrisy of politicians and journalists, had put up a satirical tweet about two years back claiming Mysorepak is a Tamilian invention, as endorsed by Lord Macaulay. In the very apparently fake news clip he had posted for fun also quoted Macaulay’s ‘good friend Lord Crinklybottom’.
As always, authentic documents come to the rescue. Here it is – confirmation that Mysorepak is a Tamilian invention. pic.twitter.com/GxSVfquwRN
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) August 2, 2015
Somehow, many so-called journalists took the tweet on its face value and credited Lord Macaulay for gifting the sweet to Tamilians. The ‘news’ made it to Times of India (TOI) and to many publications after that.
Ranganathan’s exasperation was evident as he discovered the mainstream publications picking up the tweet and writing ‘factual reports’ around it.
You. Cannot. Be. Serious. @timesofindia takes my old sarcastic tweet of the Macaulay story for real and PUBLISHES a piece on the Mysorepak spat. On #NationalPressDay. (via @vasudevan_k) https://t.co/x8xDZhMqDW
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) November 16, 2017
TOI: “In 1835, British officer Lord Macaulay had talked about the origins of Mysuru Pak during an address in the Indian Parliament.” This is just. UNBELIEVABLE. https://t.co/x8xDZhMqDW pic.twitter.com/V7R5VuXJWn
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) November 16, 2017
After being called out by Ranganathan, the report was removed from Times of India website. But by then, the word had spread.
Okay. This is getting UNREAL now. Dear Indian media. In GOD’S NAME, stop. https://t.co/0LcPCOvT3I
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) November 16, 2017
One more. https://t.co/56zBBYNp62
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) November 16, 2017
For me, personally, the saddest was the one where the Marathi newspaper Loksatta ignored Lord Crinklebottom in their story.
In Marathi now. [Lord Macaulay is mentioned by name but Lord Crinckleybottom, presumably difficult to write in Marathi, is sadly just mentioned as his friend.] (via @Win_Yess) https://t.co/15Dd69KbaZ pic.twitter.com/pJtUe5lEFh
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) November 16, 2017
The word has spread far and wide, including the vernacular newspapers, even in the states which ‘claimed’ the sweet as theirs.
Lord Macaulay and Lord Crincklybottom’s Mysorepak testimonials are now reaching millions of Tamilians, in print and digital. This pleases me no end. (via @srini_kris and @arvind_ryb ) https://t.co/pmIwp3ei7g pic.twitter.com/xFxCw63uNn
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) November 17, 2017
Remember Indian states bickering over origin of the sweet Rasagulla? And the misleading tweet by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee which sparked the debate about Indian sweets on Twitter? Of course, we wrote a satire piece that Modiji should take moral responsibility about the mithai mess and resign immediately. But when hate for one man is so strong, it is easy to mistake sarcasm for real.
Shockingly, this is not the first time Ranganathan has been left facepalming for media houses’ inability to understand satire.
Rajdeep Sardesai, who regularly places his prejudice over journalism, also could not understand when someone is being sarcastic to him, especially Anand Ranganathan.
As sincere as @ARangarajan1972 ‘s tone seems, truth emerges when u notice the 1st letter of each word? #WhatSillyCrap pic.twitter.com/MjpZ971ujq
— The-Lying-Lama (@KyaUkhaadLega) September 26, 2015
In case you wondered too, the tweet by Ranaganathan was a code word, to be decoded by picking up first letter of every word in his message. Rajdeep failed to get that in a hurry to share any praises he got, while his wife too, who writes ‘satire pieces’ herself, could not understand it:
Epic ! Like husband like wife. Read the first letters. This time Ma’am RTed it ! #TotalBS pic.twitter.com/FCLdQo6Kri
— The-Lying-Lama (@KyaUkhaadLega) October 7, 2015
Earlier, too, Ranganathan’s satire on Indian babudom was taken up seriously on National Museum ‘loaning’ priceless artefacts to journalists, including the Harappan Dancing Girl, was taken as true by many media houses.
2/n Three years ago yours truly wrote a satire, as part of the Doodles series. The article contained this letter, that was also a satirical take on Indian officialdom. https://t.co/KtdHqdmDQt pic.twitter.com/5j7fLQTZ2u
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) November 17, 2017
Soon the piece got picked up and people started asking ’eminent’ journalists whether it is true.
5/n Soon the Media picked it up. Tribune ran a major story. They interviewed all involved (except me, of course).
Tourism minister denied any knowledge; BJP alleged a scam; Museum Director assured the Dancing Girl was available. https://t.co/Il7LpEQeLE pic.twitter.com/Ieti06Q9ct
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) November 17, 2017
Tribune ran a major story and interviewed everyone except the one who started it all, Ranganathan, for clarification. The BJP had alleged a scam and the Museum Director had to assure that the Dancing Girl was very much ‘available’ with the authorities and not loaned out.
Perhaps the blame to media houses mistaking satire for real news should go to Rahul Roushan who founded Faking News, one of India’s first satire websites. One of the fake news titled “Unable to attract even a single girl, frustrated man sues Axe” was taken as seriously by mainstream media houses.
Now, if only mainstream media houses has tried to check facts before sensationalising, or even had a sense of humour, we wouldn’t have to spell out sarcasm to them.
