The spread of fake news on social media is a problem which can have serious repercussions. From inciting communal violence and hate to passing on misleading information, several fake news websites and pages on social media generate unverified news on an everyday basis.
To fight this menace, Facebook has partnered with some well-known faces to create awareness among people. Malayalam actors Mohanlal and Manju Warrier, Tamil actor Vijay Sethupathi, Kannada actor and producer Rakshit Shetty are in the line-up of celebrities cautioning the public about fake news.
The video was shared by Manju Warrier with the following message: There isn’t one solution to misinformation. Together, we can reduce fake news, rumor and other activities meant to cause harm. Happy to be part of Facebook's initiative to speak against misinformation and the ways to stop the spread of rumours and fake news on social media.
In the video, the celebrities admit that they too have fallen for fake news and that they now check for signs before believing or passing on the message. Some of the checks are: looking for a source of the news and being aware that photos/audio/video may be edited to mislead, verifying the news with other sources, searching online for facts and crosschecking with trusted news sites for the source of the story, asking fact checkers for more information if you still have doubts.
The video also asks people to help stop the spread of fake news by checking its authenticity before sharing it - even if the information comes from friends.
Others in the video include Diana Penty, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Jeetendra Madnani, and social media influencer Varun Pruthi.
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