Being factual in the post truth era
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, for all practical purposes, recently threatened Israel with a retaliatory (बदले का/प्रतिकार का) nuclear attack, in response to a fake news report that the Israelis had said they would use nuclear weapons against Pakistan if it sent ground troops to Syria. Earlier, a man fired an assault rifle in a pizzeria in Washington, D.C. after reading online that it was involved in a child trafficking ring linked to Hillary Clinton. In India, a fake story said there was a GPS tracking chip embedded (सन्निहित/अन्तः स्थापित होना) in the new Rs.2,000 note. Fake news — the deliberate creation of factually incorrect content to mislead people for some gain — is becoming an increasingly serious problem. And tackling it is imperative (आवश्यक/अनिवार्य) in a perpetually (निरंतर/नित्य) wired and click-happy world. Everyone with an Internet connection and a social media presence is now a content generator. Access to the web at all times on mobile platforms has raised expectations for real-time news and constant entertainment, and competition among websites and social media platforms has resulted in the proliferation (प्रसार/फैलाव) of ‘clickbait’. With platforms such as Facebook, that have hundreds of millions of users, news, fake or otherwise, spreads rapidly.
While the news may be fake, its impact is real and potentially far-reaching. A recent study from the Pew Research Center found that approximately two-thirds of Americans felt ‘fake news’ had caused a “great deal of confusion” over current affairs. The abundance of fake stories during the U.S. presidential elections has raised concerns about their impact on election results. This has set alarm bells ringing in Europe where several countries are about to go to the polls. Germany is considering imposing (लगाना/लागु करना) a €500,000 fine on Facebook if it shares fake news, and an Italian regulator has asked European countries to set up an agency to combat (विरोध या सामना करना) fake news. The danger is that instruments to identify fake news could become muzzles (मोहरा) on opinion and speech. Therefore, while such regulation is needed, it is vital that it comes from within. Social media and news organisations can regulate themselves at different levels, most importantly through rigorous (कठिन/कठोर/सख्त) internal editorial and advertising standards. Industry-wide measures, such as adherence to a charter (शासनपत्र) of standards on fake news and imposition of fines on organisations falling short of these, could be done. Meanwhile, the broad contours of what constitutes fake news need to be defined. News and social media companies have a moral responsibility to ensure that they do not, directly or otherwise, deliberately (जान बूझकर) misrepresent the facts to their audiences and pass them off for news. If it is a post-truth world we inhabit, this becomes especially important.
Retaliatory (adjective)
Of or relating to or having the nature of retribution. बदले का/प्रतिकार का
Synonyms: Reactive, Revengeful, Retributive, Of Redress
Example: The country will more than likely retaliate against the sanctions with its own trade restrictions.
Embedded (adjective)
An object deeply implanted, enclosed, or ingrained within something. सन्निहित/अन्तः स्थापित होना
Synonyms: Fixed, Ingrained, Installed, Planted, Encapsulated, Enclosed, Inserted, Nested
Example: Because the bride loved sparkles, many beads were embedded in her wedding dress.
Imperative (adjective)
Of vital importance; crucial. अनिवार्य/आत्यावश्यक
Synonyms: Vital, Crucial, Critical, Essential
Example: Self-discipline and persistence are two of the imperative qualities to have for anyone who is serious about being successful in life.
Perpetually (adverb)
Without interruption. निरंतर रूप से /नित्य
Synonyms: Constantly, Endlessly, Always, Forever, Continuously, Everlastingly
Example: The Syrian territory has been perpetually under the war zone.
Proliferation (noun)
Rapid increase in the number or amount of something. प्रसार/फैलाव
Synonyms: Spreading, Dissemination, Dispersion, Expansion
Example: The great writer told the nosy reporter that if it weren’t for the booze, the ideas for his stories would cease to proliferate.
Impose (verb)
Compel to behave in a certain way/ force (an unwelcome decision or ruling) on someone. लगाना/लागु करना
Synonyms: Enforce, Inflict, Levy, Place, Promulgate
Example: To maintain order, the prison warden will impose as many rules as necessary to keep the inmates in line.
Combat (verb)
Take action to reduce or prevent (something bad or undesirable). विरोध या सामना करना
Synonyms: Fight, Battle Against, Strive Against, Contend With, Attack, Counter, Oppose, Resist, Withstand
Example: Malala dedicated her life to combating the government for the rights of education of children.
Rigorous (adjective)
(of a rule, system, etc.) strictly applied or adhered to. कठिन/कठोर/सख्त
Synonyms: Strict, Severe, Stern, Stringent, Tough, Hard, Rigid
Example: Unless you get a truly rigorous workout, you should not expect to see any results.
Charter (noun)
A document incorporating an institution and specifying its rights. शासनपत्र
Synonyms: Constitution, Document, License, Endowment, Authority
Example: In a way, the constitution is a charter because it guarantees certain rights to the people of this country.
Deliberately (adverb)
Consciously and intentionally. जान बूझकर
Synonyms: Intentionally, Purposely, Meaningly, Consciously, Willingly
Example: The father broke the sticks deliberately so that his sons can take the lesson about unity.
Homage (noun)
An act of showing respect आदर/सम्मान/श्रद्धा
Synonyms: Respect, Admiration, Esteem, Adulation, Acclamation, Commendation, Honour, Reverence
Example: The soldiers displayed homage to their fallen comrade by saluting his coffin.
Exhibit (verb)
Manifest clearly (a quality or a type of behaviour). दिखाना/प्रदर्शन करना
Synonyms: Show, Reveal, Display, Manifest, Evince, Disclose
Example: Children exhibit a low tolerance for the frustrations of learning.
Hanker (verb)
Feel a strong desire for or to do something. चाह या लालसा रखना
Synonyms: Crave, Want, Desire, Yearn
Example: Since Kelly has a hankering to listen to music, she’s going to a jazz club tonight.
Affluence (verb)
The state of having a great deal of something. समृद्धि/ सम्पन्नता
Synonyms: Prosperity, Opulence, Fortune, Richness, Plenty
Example: When the economy crashed, many people of affluence became poor.
Garner (verb)
Gather or collect something. संचित या इकठ्ठा करना
Synonyms: Gather, Collect, Accumulate, Amass, Assemble
Example: The actor hopes to garner interest in his film by promoting it on several talk shows.
Whopping (adjective)
Very large or extremely big. बहुत बड़ा
Synonyms: Huge, Massive, Enormous, Gigantic, Giant, Colossal, Mammoth, Vast, Immense
Example: The car sped by at a whopping 220 miles per hour which was a world record.
Inadvertently (adverb)
Without intention; accidentally. अनजाने में
Synonyms: Accidentally, By Accident, Unintentionally, Unwittingly
Example: Probably the most horrific consequences of violence are the inadvertent injuries or deaths of innocent bystanders.
Bristle with (phrasal verb)
To have a lot of something/be abundant with. परिपूर्ण होना
Synonyms: Replete, Filled With, Abundant with
Example: Before the match all players were bristled with enthusiasm.
Penurious (adjective)
Desperately in need; not having enough. दरिद्र/कृपण
Synonyms: Poor, Scaly, Penniless, Needy, Straitened
Example: The penurious little boy could not afford to buy school lunch.
Pitiful (adjective)
Very small or poor; inadequate. दयनीय
Synonyms: Miserable, Meager, Beggarly, Insufficient, Insignificant, Trifling, Negligible, Pitiable, Derisory
Example: Because the homeless man looked pitiful and hungry, I gave him my last dollar.
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