Break the chain of viral fake news, TOI shows you how

TIMES Verified

Break the chain of viral fake news, TOI shows you how

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

17.04.2021 

Recently, before Maharashtra went under partial lockdown, a picture of a cop sporting a coronavirusshaped helmet went viral. In the photograph, three men on a bike are seen ducking from the men in khakhi and the headline suggested that the state was about to go into complete lockdown from April 9 to 19.

In the heat of the second wave of the pandemic, misinformation around Covid-19 has been spreading almost as fast as the deadly virus. If you too have contracted anxiety or vaccine hesitancy from consuming the constant avalanche of unverified news that has been tearing through family social media groups, worry not. TOI is here to help break the chain of fake news.

Starting today, Times Verified—an initiative by the Times of India—will debunk falsehoods circulating on social media. All you have to do is save the WhatsApp number 9819432222 on your phone as “Times Verified” and share unverified or suspicious messages that ambush your social media messengers with us here. As soon as we receive your message, our newly-formed expert panel comprising reporters, editors and representatives from the BMC and the government will get cracking. The panel will contact the relevant authorities and sources to check the credibility of the news story and get back to you with a clear picture as soon as possible.

So, whether it is a dubious article about a man who has found a cure for Covid-19 or about a senior citizen who has developed severe complications after the second dose, make sure to send it to us for verification first before allowing it to shape your decisions and discussions. And let our experts fight the contagion of panic caused by falsehoods—both innocent and wilful—by vaccinating you with the truth.