Fake news: A wire trap

The digital media are increasingly being touted to be the future of information and communication. Along with this assertion, however, comes an important question: will such a digital future be both free and inclusive? A report by the Reuters Institute throws up some worrying figures in response to this question. Among other factors, it found that 55 per cent of Indians who read news in English are hesitant to air their political views online because they fear that doing so will “get them into trouble with the authorities”. This fear is not misplaced: the report points out that at least 17 people in the country have been arrested since 2012 for posting material online that was considered ‘offensive’ to a political leader.