Fake news and declining media trust during COVID 19 pandemic

Abstract

Fake news is not a new phenomenon and has been an ever-growing threat to many democracies across the globe, especially in India. This paper is an attempt to understand the growing mistrust on media among Indians during covid 19 pandemic. The health crises that emerged during the pandemic jolted many institutions including the fourth pillar of democracy, media. The study has attempted a comprehensive systematic literature review of the growing mistrust around media and tried to assess the various factors that were involved leading to mistrust. The study done during the year 2020 employed a survey and an online focus group discussion to assess the output. The results revealed that misinformation was at its peak during Covid lockdown and a large number of people shared fake posts on social media platforms, thinking it to be true.