A JOURNALIST’S FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19 DISINFODEMIC IN INDIA

As Covid-19 unfolded in India, news media took the responsibility of sharing credible information to avoid panic and fear among the public. However, fact-checking was not enough to target the rising misinformation and disinformation in a country that lacked the resources to deal it. In this case, journalists in India faced increasing number of challenges in tackling misinformation and disinformation. Much of these, arose from various mediums including social media, prominent media personalities and the current government. Drawing on Reese’s Hierarchy of Influence, this research uncovers such challenges on an individual, news routine, and organizational level to understand how Covid-19 coverage shaped in India. This study uses the qualitative method of in-depth interviews (online) and uses thematic analysis to understand the study’s findings.