Organization: Press Trust of India
Applicant: Pratyush Ranjan
Assessor: Kanchan Kaur
Background
The applicant is a unit of a 70-year-old news agency, which is legally registered. The fact-checking unit is a little over a year old and hopes to debunk false information in smaller cities of the country. It has published over one fact check a week in the past year—most of these are in the public interest. Its parent body is an independent news organization who has little to do with the state.
The applicant uses the same standards of evidence and judgement for equivalent claims. It does not focus on any one side and considers the reach and importance of claims it selects to check. It discloses its sources clearly for the reader to conclude whether the interests of the sources could influence the accuracy of the evidence provided. It is not affiliated with nor shows support to any political party or candidate and does indulge in advocacy. Its non-partisanship policy for staff is clearly laid out on its website.
All sources of evidence used are identified, with relevant links so that users can replicate the fact check if they wish to. The applicant accesses primary sources through its parent company’s network of reporters, but does use secondary sources, too. It makes an effort to check all key elements of claims against more than one named source of evidence and clearly identifies sources so that readers could conclude if the interests of those sources might influence the accuracy of the evidence provided.
The funding for this unit comes from the parent organization, a 72-year-old news agency, which, in turn, is funded by various news media houses who subscribe to it and plough back profits into the company. The organizational structure of the fact checking unit is set out on its website and explains how editorial control is exercised and by whom. Professional biographies of key personnel in the fact checking unit are listed on the website. Users can contact the editorial team through a form on the Contact Us Page, email and a WhatsApp number listed on the page and at the end of each fact check.
The applicant sets out on its website the methodology it uses to select, research, write and publish fact checks. Nearly all claims it checks are in the public interest. It sets out relevant evidence that appears to undermine the claim as well as evidence that appears to support the claim and uses the same standards of evidence while judging equivalent claims, regardless of who made the claim. It seeks supporting evidence from those who made the claim and invites readers to send in claims to check, explaining its methodology.
The applicant’s correction policy is easily accessible on its website and clearly explains what it covers and how mistakes are handles. The applicant has not had to make any corrections so far, but its parent organisation makes corrections transparently and has an open and clear corrections policy.
Assessment Conclusion
The application may be accepted.
Kanchan Kaur assesses application as Compliant
A short summary in native publishing language
The main publishing language is English.
Section 1: Eligibility to be a signatory
To be eligible to be a signatory, applicants must meet these six criteria
- 1.1 The applicant is a legally registered organization, or a distinct team or unit within a legally registered organization, and details of this are easily found on its website.
- 1.2 The team, unit or organization is set up exclusively for the purpose of fact-checking.
- 1.3 The applicant has published an average of at least one fact check a week over the course of the six months prior to the date of application. For applicants from countries with at least 5 or more verified signatories need to have at least a fact check a week over the twelve months of publishing track. Consult to factchecknet@poynter.org for confirmation.
- 1.4 On average, at least 75% of the applicant’s fact checks focus on claims related to issues that, in the view of the IFCN, relate to or could have an impact on the welfare or well-being of individuals, the general public or society.
- 1.5 The applicant’s editorial output is not, in the view of the IFCN, controlled by the state, a political party or politician.
- 1.6 If the organization receives funding from local or foreign state or political sources, it provides a statement on its site setting out to the satisfaction of the IFCN, how it ensures its funders do not influence the findings of its reports.
Criteria 1.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please explain where on your website you set out information about your organization’s legal status and how this complies with criteria. Attach a link to the relevant page of your website.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Press Trust of India (PTI) is a not-for-profit, private limited company owned by a group of Indian newspapers and its subscribers. PTI was registered in 1947 and started functioning in 1949. PTI is India’s premier and its most prominent and oldest news agency, with a vast network of more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers, covering almost every district and small town in India. We at PTI take pride in being India's longest-standing custodian of free and fair news reporting. With a 72-year pedigree, the news organization is considered the gold standard in Indian journalism in terms of credibility, accuracy, and, most importantly, independent journalism. Our mission is to promote a free and independent press, advance the accountability of journalism and strengthen the overall news ecosystem in India. This information can also be accessed on our website at the link - https://www.ptinews.com/newaboutus.aspx
PTI Fact Check is a dedicated fact-checking unit within PTI’s editorial department. It is a Fact-Checking Initiative of the Press Trust of India. It is managed by a dedicated team of experienced journalists trained and certified in fact-checking. More details about PTI Fact Check can be found here: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/aboutptifact.aspx?mod=2
Fact-checking is integral to our DNA as we are extremely thorough in validating/verifying our sources and stories to maintain the huge trust our subscribers (more than 80 per cent of Indian news organisations) have in us. While we have been actively addressing misinformation via our B2B subscribers, we set up a dedicated ‘Fact-checking’ unit in February 2022 to further scale up our B2C fact-checking operations to multiply the reach and impact in response to widespread misinformation with the advent of digital media. PTI Fact Check’s objective is to empower the common citizens to identify and break the thread of misinformation to protect people's health and wealth and the country's social harmony.
We are keen to advance IFCN’s mission in India. To that end, we intend to become an IFCN signatory to help curb the spread of misinformation at a much bigger scale and shorter time than other Indian institutions, given that our content reaches almost the entire population of India. Our subscribers rely on PTI for as much as 50 per cent of their news. We genuinely believe that PTI becoming an IFCN signatory would be force multiplier for Fact-checking in India.
The PTI Fact Check has a dedicated team independent of other editorial responsibilities. It focuses on identifying, investigating, and debunking unverified information on social media platforms and the Internet. The PTI Fact Check Team reports to Pratyush Ranjan (Head of Fact Checking and Digital Services). Pratyush Ranjan reports to the Editor. The Editor reports to the CEO. The PTI Fact Check follows the IFCN guidelines and has published more than four fact-check articles per month in the last 13 months of its operation (March 2023 - March 2022). It has published almost 200 stories on its page, averaging 14 stories per month since its launch 14 months back.
As we have tried to establish above, PTI has a natural and robust right to play and win in this space in India. PTI's ethos, values, and mission are very much aligned with IFCN's philosophy. Partnering with IFCN will further help advance our mission and efforts of credibility and accountability in journalism in India.
We believe the PTI Fact Check Desk and the journalism apparatus would set new benchmarks of excellence in the Fact Check domain in India following IFCN’s core code of principles.
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The applicant is a unit of a 70-year-old news agency, which is legally registered. Details of this are available on its website.
done_all 1.1 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 1.2
Proof you meet criteria
Please answer the following questions – (see notes in Guidelines for Application on how to answer)
1. When and why was your fact-checking operation started?
2. How many people work or volunteer in the organization and what are their roles?
3. What different activities does your organization carry out?
4. What are the goals of your fact-checking operation over the coming year?
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
1. PTI’s dedicated fact-checking unit was established in Feb 2022 (Last Year) in response to the continuous rise in fake news and misinformation with the advent of digital media. As the custodian of independent, accurate and fair news for the last several decades in India, and being true to our core news philosophy and values, it has become imperative for us to scale up our abilities to debunk the widespread and viral misinformation on different social media platforms, with a particular focus on users in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
Our vast network of journalists, stringers, and subject matter experts with a presence across more than 500 districts and small towns in India allows us to investigate any news story by directly connecting to the primary source and having a wide fact-checking base in India. This vast base works alongside our dedicated fact-checking desk to identify misinformation/potential fake news and debunk them in real-time using the expertise of PTI’s certified and trained fact-checkers. This helps spread awareness quickly among ordinary people and our subscribing media houses working in different languages across the country.
PTI’s huge subscriber base (hundreds of newspapers, TV networks and digital media) allows it to reach almost the entire news-reading population of India (estimated to be over 500 million). PTI can play a significant role in enabling users across diverse Indian languages to get access to fact-check stories. All the top publishers in over 15 big states (each with a different spoken language) are our subscribers. They translate our English stories to their local language and publish them to many users in their local languages.
Hence, PTI's dedicated fact-checking operations will lift the fact-checking ecosystem in India through our massive reach and impact. More importantly, PTI’s fact checks would help curb the spread of misinformation at a much bigger scale and shorter time than other Indian institutions, which have a comparatively limited reach. India has seen many issues over the last decade due to the rampant misinformation in almost all Indic languages. Being the most trusted and premier news agency, it’s our responsibility to join the battle against misinformation to protect common people from the menace of fake news by empowering them with all knowledge and skills.
2. The PTI Fact Check team comprises three dedicated fact-checkers, including the Head of Fact Checking and Digital Services operations. Details about team members can be found here: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/ourteam.aspx?mod=3 . In addition to our dedicated fact-checking team, our vast network of 400 journalists and 500 stringers from bureaus across the country also contributes to our fact-checking work as they are empowered to choose and verify a claim with reporting help and guidance from the fact-checking team. The fact-checking team also receives ancillary support from reporting, editing, and business and legal teams in PTI. The Head of Fact Checking and Digital Services supervises the entire fact-checking network.
3. All our news desks, journalists, and stringers across the country continuously watch out for potential misinformation and track social media platforms for questionable content and stories and posts spreading misinformation – ranging from statements by public figures (such as politicians and celebrities) to social media platforms (including Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp). The PTI Fact Check team selects claims and conducts in-depth research/ investigation to verify potential claims. The team is also responsible for writing, editing, and publishing fact-check stories relating to assigned claims.
PTI is India’s premier news agency producing text stories, photos, videos, and graphics for hundreds of subscribers comprising newspapers, TV broadcasters, websites, mobile apps, and other non-media clients. PTI Fact Check team also participates in seminars and fact-check sessions conducted by different organisations in the fact-check domain.
4. PTI Fact Check was established to advance further the mission of its parent organization to increase accountability in journalism in India. We focus on fact-checking claims that potentially impact the general public negatively. More details about this can be found in our methodology section. https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/methodology.aspx?mod=4
Over the next few years, we aim to strengthen our fact-checking network and capabilities by investing in talent, training, and tools. We would build our ability to identify and debunk misinformation in new formats, focusing more on videos and audio. We would also seek to improve our fact-checking work's potential reach and impact by collaborating with platforms and other potential news organizations. PTI Fact Check strongly believes in regularly updating and improving the basic fact-checking and verification techniques, making the fact-check and media literacy drive essential for journalists and others within and outside PTI.
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago)
The fact-checking unit is a little over a year old and hopes to debunk false information in smaller cities of the country. It plans to rely on its vast network of stringers and reporters.
done_all 1.2 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 1.3
Proof you meet criteria
- The applicant has published an average of at least one fact check a week over the course of the six months prior to the date of application.
- For applicants from countries with at least 5 or more verified signatories need to have at least a fact check a week over the twelve months of publishing track.
- Consult to factchecknet@poynter.org for confirmation.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
PTI Fact Check was launched in February 2022. It's been 14 months since its launch, and it has produced 194 Fact Check articles so far, following the IFCN guidelines of publishing more than four fact check articles in a month. In the last 12 months (April 2022 to March 2023), we have maintained the flow of the stories as per the guidelines. The PTI Fact Check follows the IFCN guidelines and has published 194 stories on its page, averaging 14 stories per month since its launch 14 months back.
As mentioned above, PTI has a natural and robust right to play and win in this space in India. PTI's ethos, values, and mission align with IFCN's philosophy. Partnering with IFCN will further help advance our mission and efforts of credibility and accountability in journalism in India.
Below is the list of the last 94 stories out of 194 stories published so far on the fact check page:
101. PTI Fact Check: Concept video of 'Artificial womb facility' taken out of context, shared as real by social media users
102. PTI Fact Check: Tweet on XBB.1.5 subvariant and vaccination taken out of context, led to misleading posts on social media
103. PTI Fact Check: No, this foreign dance group didn’t perform on Indian patriotic song at 'America’s Got Talent'; Digitally altered video shared with false claim
104. PTI Fact Check: 2-year-old video of WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan slapping a wrestler shared as recent with misleading claim
105. PTI Fact Check: No, Gaurav Bhatia didn’t make remarks against PM Modi; 5-second video clip shared by Congress leader with false claim
106. PTI Fact Check: Old video, photo unrelated to Shah Rukh Khan’s film Pathaan shared on social media with false claims; Details inside
107. PTI Fact Check: Tweet calling ‘Global Warming’ a hoax is misleading; Selected years’ data shared to highlight ‘global cooling’ trend falsely
108. PTI Fact Check: Bageshwar Dham’s Dhirendra Shastri not given Z+ security; Fake tweet in name of BBC Hindi Twitter handle shared on social media
109. PTI Fact Check: Factually incorrect article claiming ‘huge asteroid to hit Earth’ shared on Twitter; ‘Box truck’ sized ‘2023 BU’ asteroid passed 2,200 miles from Earth
110. PTI Fact Check: Digitally altered video clip of TV news anchor shared on social media with false claim
111. PTI Fact Check: ‘Coronavirus’ not a Latin word but combines two Latin terms; Facebook post calling it ‘heart attack virus’ misleading
112. PTI Fact Check: Social media post on UP's Sania Mirza, who cleared NDA exam, shared with false claim, wrong photos
113. PTI Fact Check: Medical experts believe 'insufficient evidence to link artificial sweeteners and cardiac deaths'; Social media post shared with misleading claim
114. PTI Fact Check: No, person with Nirmala Sitharaman was not her father; Social media posts shared with false claim
115. PTI Fact Check: YouTube video claiming 'Elon Musk bought Google' not authentic; 'Fictive entertainment' content by 'fan channel' sparked rumours over social media
116. PTI Fact Check: Edited photo of Rahul Gandhi and meme on entrepreneur Vineeta Singh shared as real on social media
117. PTI Fact Check: Edited photo of Indian cricket fan with placard supporting Pakistan’s Babar Azam shared on social media as recent
118. PTI Fact Check: Selected part of Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor’s promotional video shoot shared on social media as real
119. PTI Fact Check: Dubai Ruler’s order to rename district as ‘Hind City’ not related to India or the Hindu community; Social media posts shared with the misleading claim
120. PTI Fact Check: 43-second video clip from Bengal Muslim cleric’s speech footage shared on social media with misleading claim
121. PTI Fact Check: Pakistan wrestler’s video shared in name of Dhirendra Shastri of Bageshwar Dham on social media with false claim
122. PTI Fact Check: 2022 photo of Shah Rukh Khan from the sets of his next film ‘Jawan’ shared as recent on social media
123. PTI Fact Check: 2017 photo of protest against Adani Group in Australia shared as recent with misleading claim on social media
124. PTI Fact Check: No, these four videos not related to Feb 6 Turkiye-Syria earthquakes; Old and unrelated footage shared on social media with false claims
125. PTI Fact Check: 2017 video of huge swarm of blackbirds hovering in sky falsely linked to Turkiye earthquakes
126. PTI Fact Check: Video of Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani dancing not from their pre-wedding party; details inside
127. PTI Fact Check: Old, unrelated photos shared on social media in name of Feb 6 Turkiye-Syria earthquakes; Details inside
128. PTI Fact Check: Sadhguru’s photo with his daughter Radhe shared on social media portraying him in bad light
129. PTI Fact Check: Fake quote wrongly attributed to novelist Salman Rushdie shared in social media post
130. PTI Fact Check: Old and edited photo of Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina shared with false claim in social media posts
131. PTI Fact Check: Report taking dig at Pakistan shared by Pak-Canadian journalist on Twitter was satire article by parody website
132. PTI Fact Check: No, Rahul Gandhi not with Hindenburg Research founder in this photo; Social media post shared with false claim
133. PTI Fact Check: Simulation video shared as real on social media after US fighter jet shot down suspected Chinese balloon
134. PTI Fact Check: No, this Bob Geldof’s interview with BBC Newsnight not original; Spoof video shared on social media with false claim
135. PTI Fact Check: Man singing Hindi ghazal not Kenyan; Video of Indian singer shared on social media with false claim
136. PTI Fact Check: No, saucer-shaped cloud, HAARP technology not linked to Feb 6 Turkiye earthquakes; Social media posts shared with misleading claims
137. PTI Fact Check: 1962 photo of Jawaharlal Nehru shared in social media posts with false claim
138. PTI Fact Check: Accused in Delhi’s Nikki Yadav murder case not from minority community; Social media posts shared with false claim
139. PTI Fact Check: Photos of PM Modi wearing Islamic skullcap digitally altered; Social media post shared with false claim
140. PTI Fact Check: No, WHO never issued advisory on milk contamination in India; Claim shared in social media post was false
141. PTI Fact Check: No, military personnel at Indonesian airport were not Chinese troops; Video shared on social media with false claim
142. PTI Fact Check: 2021 video of Delhi woman assaulting cab driver shared in social media posts as recent
143. PTI Fact Check: Job for ‘weed smokers’ announced by a German company falsely linked to UP Govt in social media posts
144. PTI Fact Check: Digitally morphed video of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan with Dhirendra Shastri of Bageshwar shared on social media with false claim
145. PTI Fact Check: 5-year-old video of Varanasi flyover collapse shared as recent in social media posts with false claim
146. PTI Fact Check: Man in viral photo was not Vicks VapoRub inventor; Social media posts shared with misleading claim
147. PTI Fact Check: Selected part of PM Modi’s Rajya Sabha speech shared with misleading claim
148. PTI Fact Check: Mixture of tomato pulp, lemon juice, toothpaste doesn’t whiten teeth in minutes; Social media post shared with misleading claim
149. PTI Fact Check: Old video from Pakistan peddled as recent from Jaipur on social media with the false claim
150. PTI Fact Check: Old video from China showing massive fissure in land falsely linked to Turkiye earthquake
151. PTI Fact Check: Video of Raipur girl who was dragged by hair on road shared on social media with false claim
152. PTI Fact Check: Social media post on Air India offering discount to senior citizens shared with misleading claim
153. PTI Fact Check: Photo of people queueing up at Bank of Baroda’s Al Ain branch in Abu Dhabi shared on social media with false claim
154. PTI Fact Check: 2018 video of Kamal Nath shared recently on social media with misleading claim
155. PTI Fact Check: Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel didn’t welcome Congress leaders with gold chains; Video shared in social media posts with false claim
156. PTI Fact Check: Edited video claiming two men didn’t steal flower pots in Gurugram shared on social media; Details inside
157. PTI Fact Check: Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel didn’t welcome Congress leaders with gold chains; Video shared in social media posts with false claim
158. PTI Fact Check: Fake photo of Shane Warne’s image on $5 note shared in social media posts; Details inside
159. PTI Fact Check: 2013 photo of Bhojpuri actor’s arrest peddled as recent with false claim
160. PTI Fact Check: Uddhav Thackeray didn’t call Mughal emperor Aurangzeb his brother during his speech; Claim shared in social media misleading
161. PTI Fact Check: 2-year-old video of snowfall in Saudi Arabia peddled on social media as recent with misleading claim
162. PTI Fact Check: Fake newspaper screenshot shared on social media with unverified claims
163. PTI Fact Check: Year-old photo of cheetahs from Kenya's Masai Mara National Park shared on social media in name of MP’s Kuno National Park
164. PTI Fact Check: 2019 report of Cambridge University’s ranking falsely linked to Rahul Gandhi’s recent visit
165. PTI Fact Check: Italian PM didn’t refuse to shake hands with PM Modi; False claim shared in social media posts
166. PTI Fact Check: Fake video of Bill Gates’ interview peddled as real on social media; Details inside
167. PTI Fact Check: Video of overcrowded train not from Tamil Nadu; Claim shared in social media post was false
168. PTI Fact Check: 3-year-old video of foreign tourist’s sexual assault narration during 2020 Holi celebrations shared as recent on social media
169. PTI Fact Check: Old and unrelated videos peddled as recent with false claims of attacks on migrant workers in Tamil Nadu; Details inside
170. PTI Fact Check: Facebook post claiming Raghuram Rajan compared Indian economy with Sri Lankan economy is baseless
171. PTI Fact Check: No, Elon Musk never endorsed ‘Shilajit’; Doctored video with cloned voice shared in Facebook Reel with false claim
172. PTI Fact Check: Photo of electric bus outside charging station in London from early 1900s is genuine; Details inside
173. PTI Fact Check: Video of TTE misbehaving with train passenger shared on social media with false claim
174. PTI Fact Check: Old, unrelated photos shared as recovery items from March 11 ED searches in land-for-jobs scam case; Details inside
175. PTI Fact Check: No, Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid did not join BJP; Video shared on social media with false claim
176. PTI Fact Check: 2022 video of a group of men thrashing a person peddled as recent with a false claim on social media
177. PTI Fact Check: ‘Funny’ video of woman refusing to vacate bus driver’s seat shared as accurate on social media
178. PTI Fact Check: No, TV animation show The Simpsons did not predict collapse of Silicon Valley Bank; Edited video shared on social media with false claim
179. PTI Fact Check: 2020 chopper photo shared in tweet on March 16 Cheetah helicopter crash in Arunachal
180. PTI Fact Check: Photo of AIMIM leader Owaisi with BJP’s Murli Manohar Joshi at a media event shared on social media with false claim
181. PTI Fact Check: IEP ‘wrongly’ mentions CPI instead of CPI (Maoist) in its Global Terrorism Index report; Incorrect report’s screenshot shared on social media
182. PTI Fact Check: Old, unrelated photos of collapsed buildings falsely linked to March 21 earthquake in Afghanistan and shared on social media; Details inside
183. PTI Fact Check: Two old and unrelated videos falsely linked to Mar 21 earthquake in Afghanistan and shared on social media; Details inside
184. PTI Fact Check: 2022 couple kissing video at a railway platform peddled as recent on social media
185. PTI Fact Check: 2022 photos of ‘red glow’ over Atlantic Ocean shared on social media with misleading claim after March 21 Afghanistan earthquake
186. PTI Fact Check: Scripted video of two men marrying same woman peddled as real on social media, news websites; Details inside
187. PTI Fact Check: Old videos unrelated to March 21 earthquake in Afghanistan shared as recent on social media; Details inside
188. PTI Fact Check: AI-generated photos of Donald Trump’s ‘imaginary arrest’ peddled as real on social media
189. PTI Fact Check: AI-generated photo of ‘Putin bowing to Jinping’ peddled as real on social media with false claims
190. PTI Fact Check: 2020 video of US veteran confronting Joe Biden shared on social media as recent with misleading claim
191. PTI Fact Check: Old and edited video of woman ‘refusing’ to accept LPG connection from PM Modi resurfaces and shared on social media with false claim
192. PTI Fact Check: Video of China’s railway bridge falsely shared on social media as Kashmir’s Chenab Bridge on social media
193. PTI Fact Check: No, NYT never stated ‘Rupee would soon replace Dollar’; Misleading claims on Indian Rupee shared in social media post
194. PTI Fact Check: No, not all UPI transactions will attract 1.1 per cent surcharge; Claim shared in social media posts is misleading
The List of all stories can be seen here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g5d5Ps3J9FsYcMmT7SvOBAtfUOXUxxyIKmJTfPBPblw/edit?usp=sharing
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago)
The applicant has published over the average of one fact check a week for the past year.
done_all 1.3 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 1.4
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will assess compliance through a review of the fact checks published over the previous three months. No additional information required.
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago)
Most of the fact checks by the applicant are in the public interest.
done_all 1.4 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 1.5
Proof you meet criteria
Please explain any commercial, financial and/or institutional relationship your organization has to the state, politicians or political parties in the country or countries you cover. Also explain funding or support received from foreign as well as local state or political actors over the previous financial year.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Press Trust of India (PTI) is a private news organisation, owned by group of newspapers that nominally hold varying number of shares in the company. They, however, get no share of PTI’s profits, which are entirely plowed back into the company. The shareholders also have no say in business or editorial policies of PTI – a structure that allows PTI to remain independent and free of any political, financial or business influence. We are funded largely by the licensing fees that we charge to our subscribers, which include most newspapers of India ( including the ones owned by our shareholders) TV networks, digital platforms and others.
PTI is an independent organization and does not receive any funding from political parties or local/ state governments.
Details on PTI funding are available in the Funding section here: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/aboutptifact.aspx?mod=2
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago)
The applicant’s parent body is an independent news organization and its editorial output is not controlled by the state or any political party.
done_all 1.5 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 1.6
Proof you meet criteria
If you confirmed the organization receives funding from local or foreign state or political sources, provide a link to where on your website you set out how you ensure the editorial independence of your work.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Not Applicable
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
This is not applicable.
done_all 1.6 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Section 2: A commitment to Non-partisanship and Fairness
To be compliant on nonpartisanship and fairness, applicants must meet these five criteria
- 2.1 The applicant fact-checks using the same high standards of evidence and judgement for equivalent claims regardless of who made the claim.
- 2.2 The applicant does not unduly concentrate its fact-checking on any one side, considers the reach and importance of claims it selects to check and publishes a short statement on its website to set out how it selects claims to check.
- 2.3 The applicant discloses in its fact checks relevant interests of the sources it quotes where the reader might reasonably conclude those interests could influence the accuracy of the evidence provided. It also discloses in its fact checks any commercial or other such relationships it has that a member of the public might reasonably conclude could influence the findings of the fact check.
- 2.4 The applicant is not as an organization affiliated with nor declares or shows support for any party, any politician or political candidate, nor does it advocate for or against any policy positions on any issues save for transparency and accuracy in public debate.
- 2.5 The applicant sets out its policy on non-partisanship for staff on its site. Save for the issues of accuracy and transparency, the applicant’s staff do not get involved in advocacy or publicise their views on policy issues the organization might fact check in such a way as might lead a reasonable member of the public to see the organization’s work as biased.
Criteria 2.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please share links to 10 fact checks published over the past year that you believe demonstrate your non-partisanship.
Please briefly explain how the fact checks selected show that (I) you use the same high standards of evidence for equivalent claims, (II) follow the same essential process for every fact check and (III) let the evidence dictate your conclusions.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Each of PTI’s fact checks demonstrates its commitment to unbiased, non-partisan news. Every story is scrutinised and followed with rigour and adherence to facts. The reports cover various topics, from politics and Covid to food and history.
For every fact check, picked up for its impact through media headlines and social media posts, reporters reach out to domain experts and study credible documentary evidence to unearth figures and other details to refute the claim being made. The idea is to give as complete a picture as possible of the fact being checked. Towards full transparency, we only use anonymous sources in our fact-match stories if a company or government official is not allowed to speak to the media.
I've included the list of 10 fact checks below with the claim's context and the verification process.
1. PTI Fact Check: Fake video of Bill Gates’ interview peddled as real on social media; Details inside
Context: A video of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’ interview was shared as a WhatsApp forward. The interviewer asked about him stealing Microsoft software and promoting the COVID-19 vaccine to make money. The purported interview ended abruptly, with Gates ‘looking upset’. The video was shared widely on social media in India, claiming how Bill Gates got angry and frustrated to end the interview abruptly. The Social media users shared the video thinking it was real.
Verification Process: The PTI Fact Check Desk scanned the video using an AI tool and found the audio was not in sync with the lips of the guest and the host in the video. In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk found that it was an edited video, and no such questions were asked or discussed in the original version of the video, which is available on the YouTube channel of ABC News. The interview topic in the original video was separate from the questions asked in the digitally edited video.
To confirm this, the PTI fact Check Desk contacted the Bill and Milinda Gates Foundation, which replied to the Desk saying the video was edited and fake. We proved that the claim shared with the edited video was false.
2. Three different types of fake claims on Feb 6 Turkiye earthquake were covered separately
A. PTI Fact Check: No, saucer-shaped cloud, HAARP technology not linked to Feb 6 Turkiye earthquakes; Social media posts shared with misleading claims
Context: A Twitter user shared a video of a rare cloud formation, relating it to America’s HAARP technology and the Feb 6 earthquakes in Turkiye, which killed more than 31000 people and injured thousands of others.
Verification Process: The PTI Fact Check Desk found in its investigation that the sizeable circular cloud formation was a natural weather phenomenon known as a lenticular cloud. Also, the HAARP Program Office at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, rejected the claim that its weather technology was the reason behind the rare cloud formation or the earthquakes in Turkiye. The claim shared in the social media posts was misleading.
We contacted the HAARP Program section of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, via e-mail. In its reply to PTI Fact Check, the institution categorically denied any link between the weather technology and the Feb 6 earthquakes, claiming that HAARP “cannot create or amplify natural disasters”. “The recent earthquake and tragic loss of life in Turkiye highlight the destruction that natural disasters can cause. The research equipment at the HAARP site cannot create or amplify natural disasters," Jessica Matthews, HAARP program manager, told PTI.
B. PTI Fact Check: Old, unrelated photos shared on social media in the name of the Feb 6 Turkiye-Syria earthquakes; Details inside
Context: Following the devasting Feb 6 earthquakes in Tukiye and Syria, many heart-wrenching photos and videos were shared on social media claiming to be related to the calamity in two middle east countries. People share these photos, thinking they are accurate, on social media. The PTI Fact Check Desk received five images on its Fact Check WhatsApp No. +91-8130503759 and found in its investigation that four pictures were old and unrelated to the Feb 6 quakes, while one was an original image.
Verification process: The PTI Fact Check team investigated all four photos separately and found that 4 of 5 were old and shared in a false context. The Desk applied image verification tools, advanced Twitter search, and customised Google search to find the source of the photos. We highlighted in the story the process and the findings so that ordinary people quickly understand the process and apply themselves to debunk any similar claims in the future.
C. PTI Fact Check: No, these four videos are not related to Feb 6 Turkiye-Syria earthquakes; Old and unrelated footage shared on social media with false claims
Context: Social media platforms were flooded with harrowing visuals claiming they were from Turkiye, formerly Turkey, and Syria, which were rocked by a series of devastating earthquakes on Feb 6, killing more than 5,000 people. The PTI Fact Check Desk received four such videos, claimed to be related to earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria, but found in its investigation that they were old and unrelated to the recent calamity in both middle east countries. The social media posts that shared these videos were misleading.
Verification process: The PTI fact Check Desk applied the same method using the images and video verification tools to investigate the source of the videos shared in the name of the Turkiye earthquakes. Advanced Twitter search and Customised Google search to find the original tapes unrelated to the Feb earthquake in Turkiye. The investigation details were separately mentioned in the fact-check copy to make the readers separately mentioned check copy to make the reader understand the process quickly.
3. PTI Fact Check: Tweet calling ‘Global Warming’ a hoax is misleading; Selected years’ data shared to highlight ‘global cooling’ trend falsely
Context: A Twitter user cited data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and claimed the Earth has been cooling, not warming, over the years, allegedly proving that global warming from carbon emissions was a hoax. In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk found that a selected part of the NOAA graphics on land and ocean temperatures over the years was taken out of context to highlight the ‘global cooling’ trend falsely. The NOAA and two environmental science experts, whom the Desk reached out to for comment, vehemently refuted the claim made in the post on Twitter.
Verification process: Since this claim had selected data to share a misleading claim, the Desk first searched for the original data in its proper context and matched it with the suit to find the truth. The Desk contacted NOAA directly with the case and got its quote that the data shared in the social media post was selective and shared in the wrong context. We also talked to subject experts to understand the meaning of the data and its relevance and context. All these investigation processes were mentioned in the story.
4. PTI Fact Check: No, FIFA will not keep football legend Pele's feet in the museum; Social media post shared with the false claim
Context: A Facebook user shared Pele's photo in a post claiming that FIFA will keep the feet of the soccer legend, who passed away on Dec 29 last year, in a museum for display with the permission of his family. The PTI Fact Check Desk contacted FIFA to verify the information shared in the Facebook post. In an email to the PTI fact Check Desk, the international organisation that controls the sport of football refuted the claim in the Facebook post.
Verification: Since this claim was directly related to FIFA, and a direct quote from the sports body was required to debunk the claim, we contacted FIFA via mail with the query. FIFA replied to PTI fact Check refuting the claim in the social media post. We believe in getting the primary or secondary source to prove the fact.
5. PTI Fact Check: AI-generated photos of Donald Trump’s ‘imaginary arrest’ peddled as accurate on social media
Context: An Instagram user shared photos which purportedly showed former US President Donald Trump arrested and taken away by the police. In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check found that the images were fake, created using AI-powered tools, and shared on social media with false claims. These photos of Trump’s arrest have been widely shared across social media over the past few days. Notably, these photos emerged after Trump said on Mar 18 that he was expecting to be arrested on Mar 21 as New York prosecutors considered charges over a hush money payment to an alleged ‘pornstar’ and called on his supporters to protest.
Verification Process: Since the shared images were about the former US President and his arrest will be international news everywhere, we first did an advanced Google search to check the information. After that, we used an AI-detector tool to find all the images created to make 'imaginary arresting pictures'. During the investigation, we found that the images were created by a Twitter user named Eliot Higgins. The Desk contacted Higgins, seeking his response on the photos and the viral claims via email, to which he replied: "It's been interesting to see the reaction to the thread as it moved through online communities, it now reached Infowars, so I'm getting quite a few angry MAGA types responding, but generally the response has been positive. What stood out for me is the number of people who don't seem to have been aware of Midjourney's existence or what it's capable of, so I think it has had a positive impact in raising awareness of what kind of images can be faked now."
6. PTI Fact Check: IEP ‘wrongly’ mentions CPI instead of CPI (Maoist) in its Global Terrorism Index report; the Incorrect report’s screenshot shared on social media
Context: A screenshot of the world’s ‘20 deadliest terror groups of 2022’ was shared on social media in which the Communist Party of India (CPI) was placed the twelfth position. The Institute of Economics and Peace released the report on March 16, headquartered in Sydney. In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk found that the name of the CPI was mistakenly mentioned in the report instead of CPI (Maoist). The information with the correct name was later updated on the official website of IEP. The claim shared in the social media posts was misleading.
Verification process: This fact check was unique because the agency (IEP) had issued a wrong list and later rectified it. The people started the lousy list as the agency issued it. The Desk directly reached out to the agency based in Australia. They replied with the entire story of their side and said it was a mistake on their part. They shared the corrected list version we published in our story with their quote.
7. PTI Fact Check: Tweet on XBB.1.5 subvariant and vaccination taken out of context, led to misleading posts on social media
Context: The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Twitter handle tweeted that the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant of Coronavirus was “more likely to infect people vaccinated or had already been infected with COVID-19”. In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk found that the tweet was taken out of context and shared by multiple social media users with misleading claims. Two medical experts told PTI that there was no conclusive evidence that people vaccinated against COVID-19 were more vulnerable to the XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron, as claimed in the tweet.
Verification process: The tweet posted by The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Twitter handle was about a Covid-19 variant; we investigated the claim with the recent data and studies by the WHO and other verified health agencies. Per our policy, we contacted two renowned doctors from India who led India's Covid fight with their experience against the Covid-19 virus. While talking to PtI fact Check, both refuted the tweet's claim. The entire investigation process was mentioned in the story.
8. PTI Fact Check: Concept video of 'Artificial womb facility' taken out of context, shared as accurate by social media users
Context: A Twitter user shared a video of an artificial womb facility, claiming it allows infertile couples to conceive a baby and even choose its characteristics from a wide range of the available menu. In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk found that the 30-second clip shared on Twitter was part of an extended version, a mere visual representation of a concept that doesn't exist. Hashem Al-Ghaili, the biotechnologist who shared the concept video, confirmed to the Desk that the technology depicted in the clip was just a concept. He also said that the video was taken out of context and was shared as accurate by some social media users.
Verification Process: The Desk started the investigation with an InVid Tool search to find a few video keyframes. A separate Google Reverse Image Search on the six keyframes led the Desk to multiple such reports. On the search result page, the Desk noticed a YouTube video by Berlin-based science communicator and producer Hashim Al-Ghaili on December 9, 2022. The video title read: "EctoLife: The World's First Artificial Womb Facility."
To check the veracity of the claims in the video, the Desk reached out to Hashim Al-Ghaili, sending a mail and asking about the details of the video he posted on its YouTube channel. Hashim Al-Ghaili replied to the mail and said: "I created the video myself. The technology depicted in the video doesn't exist yet. This is just a concept at the moment. EctoLife is a concept designed to showcase how far reproductive technology has come. The main goal of creating the video was to ignite the discussion about emerging technology and highlight scientific progress in ectogenesis".
9. PTI Fact Check: Delhi BJP's Twitter handle posts photo of Saroo Brierley’s Indian family as Kalkaji EWS flats beneficiary
https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/453324-Delhi-BJP-s-Twitter-handle-posts-photo-of-Saroo-Brierley-s-Indian-family-as-Kalkaji-EWS-flats-beneficiary.html
Context: On the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited to hand over the keys of 3024 flats to economically weaker section (EWS) beneficiaries in Delhi, the BJP Delhi's official Twitter handle tweeted a poster showing the PM's face, buildings of a residential society and a group picture of five adults and four children to promote the event on the social media platform. The Tweet claimed that thousands of slum dwellers were getting the gift of a pucca house from the government in the landless camp of Delhi. The PTI Fact Check Desk found in its investigation that the picture of the group of people was old, and they were not the beneficiaries of the EWS flat scheme in Delhi. The Desk did a detailed investigation to find the whereabouts of the family and a comprehensive Fact Check story on a misleading tweet posted by a Twitter handle of the ruling party at the Centre.
Verification Process: Since the photo shared by Delhi BJP's handle had multiple elements like text and multiple images of buildings and people, the PTI Fact Check Desk verified all the elements one by one and captured the entire process in a sequence to make people understand the way fact check was done. Different tools of Google and Twitter were used in the article to establish one of the elements (The family photograph) was not genuine and related to the PM's event.
10. Different fake claims about the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi
A. PTI Fact Check: No, Rahul Gandhi did not meet the 'pro-Pakistan slogan' girl during his Yatra in Kerala; viral claim is fake
https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/424094-No--Rahul-Gandhi-did-not-meet-the--pro-Pakistan-slogan--girl-during-his-Yatra-in-Kerala--viral-claim-is-fake.html
B. PTI Fact Check: No, Rahul Gandhi is not with producer of BBC documentary on Modi in this photo; Social media post shared with false claim
C. PTI Fact Check: 2019 report of Cambridge University’s ranking falsely linked to Rahul Gandhi’s recent visit
D. PTI Fact Check: No, Rahul Gandhi never said he would stop Bharat Jodo Yatra; Misleading tweets shared by BJP leaders
E. PTI Fact Check: Edited photo of Rahul Gandhi and meme on entrepreneur Vineeta Singh shared as real on social media
https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/495929-Edited-photo-of-Rahul-Gandhi-and-meme-on-entrepreneur-Vineeta-Singh-shared-as-real-on-social-media.html
Context: All five claims captured above were viral at different times in different context.
Verification Process: The Desk applied all possible ways (Google search with different keywords) and used all the tools (Customised Google search, Twitter search, Invid Tool etc.) required to debunk these claims. We contacted the primary or secondary sources to verify the claims and published the authenticated information. The physical verification whenever is required is a must in PTI fact Check's investigation process, and we follow this as a policy.
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The applicant uses the same standards of evidence and judgement for equivalent calims regardless of who made the claim.
done_all 2.1 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 2.2
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to a place on your website where you explain how you select claims to check, explaining how you ensure you do not unduly concentrate your fact-checking on any one side, and how you consider the reach and importance of the claims you select to check.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Details on selecting a claim can be found as part of our methodology in the following link: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/methodology.aspx?mod=4
A combination of factors determines which claim should be fact-checked – reader interest, virality and its potential impact on India's diverse society. PTI Fact Check Desk focuses on the claims that can make people believe and share very quickly, covering all genres from politics to business, technology, climate change, claims on reasons for earthquakes, and Artificial intelligence. Any claims about celebrities, politicians, and anything people think may impact their life, health and personal income or expenditure. In the case of significant news events, social media users start believing in the memes and sharing them as truth.
For example, On the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited to hand over the keys of 3024 flats to economically weaker section (EWS) beneficiaries in Delhi, the BJP Delhi's official Twitter handle tweeted a poster showing the PM's face, buildings of a residential society and a group picture of five adults and four children to promote the event on the social media platform. The Tweet claimed that thousands of slum dwellers were getting the gift of a pucca house from the government in the landless camp of Delhi. The PTI Fact Check Desk found in its investigation that the picture of the group of people was old, and they were not the beneficiaries of the EWS flat scheme in Delhi. The Desk did a detailed investigation to find the whereabouts of the family and a comprehensive fact Check the story on a misleading tweet posted by a Twitter handle of the ruling party at the Centre. (READ: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/453324-Delhi-BJP-s-Twitter-handle-posts-photo-of-Saroo-Brierley-s-Indian-family-as-Kalkaji-EWS-flats-beneficiary.html)
India assumed the G20 Presidency from Indonesia on December 1 last year and will convene the G20 Leaders' Summit for the first time in the country in 2023. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has said 100 ASI sites will be lit up from December 1-7, and all illuminated heritage structures will highlight the G-20 logo over the monument. ASI's official Twitter handle shared photos of tombstones lit up, highlighting the G20 logo on Dec 1. In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk found that ASI, in its thread of the tweets on the illuminated monuments on Dec 1, labelled Humayun's Tomb in the caption, while the corresponding photograph in the image grid was that of Delhi's Safdarjung Tomb. The social media post was misleading, and the exact position was reshared by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's Twitter handle. The PTI Fact Check did a detailed story on this. (READ: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/471864-Delhi-s-Safdarjung-Tomb-labelled-as-Humayun-Tomb-in-tweets-from-ASI--I-B-Ministry-handles-on-illuminated-monuments-with-G20-logo.html)
We know how important fact-check work becomes during the elections in India. When Gujarat, one of the most critical states from a political angle, went to polls, the flow of misinformation slightly went up on social media. We captured ten such claims in one single story and debunked all the claims one by one in the story. A few claims targeted the ruling party, and a few targeted the opposition parties. We focussed on both types and claims equally and captured them in a single fact-check story. (READ: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/470441-10-social-media-posts-on-Gujarat-Assembly-Elections-2022-shared-with-fake-or-misleading-claims---Details-Inside.html)
Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra also became a target when the Congress leader was seen with a local Kerala Congress follower in an image that went viral with the fake claim that the girl was arrested in Bengaluru a few years back for shouting pro-Pakistani slogans. This was shared widely. The PTI Fact Check Desk selected the claim, contacted the Kerala girl, and debunked the misinformation about Rahul Gandhi. https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/424094-No--Rahul-Gandhi-did-not-meet-the--pro-Pakistan-slogan--girl-during-his-Yatra-in-Kerala--viral-claim-is-fake.html
Targeting Rahul Gandhi, a Delhi BJP leader shared a video of the Congress leader claiming he said he would stop the Bharat Jodo Yatra if it didn't work. The PTI Fact Check Desk found in its investigation that Rahul Gandhi's remark was unrelated to his Yatra. The tweet shared the 9-second clip of Rahul Gandhi's video in which he responded to a query on wearing a half-sleeve T-Shirt in the winter. The video shared on social media platforms was in the wrong context. (READ: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/487408-No--Rahul-Gandhi-never-said-he-would-stop-Bharat-Jodo-Yatra--Misleading-tweets-shared-by-BJP-leaders.html)
We generally see a lot of misinformation on health-related topics. One such claim was about linking heart attacks to artificial sweeteners. A Facebook user shared a screenshot of a report claiming artificial sweeteners were responsible for the recent spike in sudden deaths due to cardiac arrests. In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk found that the claim in the report cited in the social media post was misleading. Speaking to medical experts and scanning several studies, the Desk found no conclusive evidence backing the claim made in the social media post. (READ: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/491375-Medical-experts-believe--insufficient-evidence-to-link-artificial-sweeteners-and-cardiac-deaths---Social-media-post-shared-with-misleading-claim.html)
Another claim we found questioned 'Global Warming', calling it a hoax. A Twitter user cited data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and claimed the Earth has been cooling, not warming, over the years, allegedly proving that global warming from carbon emissions was a hoax. The PTI Fact Check Desk found in its investigation that a selected part of the NOAA graphics on land and ocean temperatures over the years was taken out of context to falsely highlight the ‘global cooling’ trend. The NOAA and two environmental science experts, whom the Desk reached out to for comment, vehemently refuted the claim made in the post on Twitter. (READ: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/502468-Tweet-calling--Global-Warming--a-hoax-is-misleading--Selected-years--data-shared-to-highlight--global-cooling--trend-falsely.html)
We have noticed the leaders of neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh have become the target of fake news in India. We found two separate claims on Bilawal Bhutto and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina. We conducted a detailed fact-check on both allegations and published stories with the outcome of the fact-check investigation. A Facebook user shared a photo of Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina purportedly with a dash of vermilion powder on her forehead, claiming her to be a ‘religious trader’. In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk found that an old photo from Hasina’s 2012 visit to India was digitally altered and shared on social media with a false claim. (Read: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/512010-Old-and-edited-photo-of-Bangladesh-PM-Sheikh-Hasina-shared-with-false-claim-in-social-media-posts.html) A video of two people dancing to the ‘Besharam Rang’ song at an event was recently shared on Twitter with the claim that the male dancer featured is Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto. However, a PTI fact checks found that the man in the clip is a media student in Karachi. (Read: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/499532-Male-dancer-performing-to--Besharam-Rang--not-Bilawal-Bhutto--video-shared-with-false-claim.html)
After Turkiye's earthquake, we came across many claims questioning HAARD technology and giving some weird reasons behind the deadly quake. Separate, detailed, fact-checked stories were published by us covering all such claims to provide the people with verified information during such a sad situation where thousands lost their lives. A Twitter user shared a video of a rare cloud formation, linking it to America’s HAARP technology and the Feb 6 earthquakes in Turkiye, which killed more than 31000 people and injured thousands of others. In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk found that the sizeable circular cloud formation was a natural weather phenomenon known as a lenticular cloud. Also, the HAARP Program Office at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, rejected the claim that its weather technology was the reason behind the rare cloud formation or the earthquakes in Turkiye. The claim shared in the social media posts was misleading. (READ: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/514061-No--saucer-shaped-cloud--HAARP-technology-not-linked-to-Feb-6-Turkiye-earthquakes--Social-media-posts-shared-with-misleading-claims.html). A Twitter user shared a video of a massive swarm of blackbirds flying across a road claiming the birds showed ‘strange behaviour’ just before the devastating Feb 6 earthquakes in Turkiye, where 9000 people were killed. In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk found that the video was old and captured the blackbirds’ activities in Houston in 2017. The social media post shared the old tape with a false claim. (READ: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/510854-2017-video-of-huge-swarm-of-blackbirds-hovering-in-sky-falsely-linked-to-Turkiye-earthquakes.html)
A similar claim we found after March 21 Afghanistan earthquake. A Twitter user shared photos of a ‘mysterious red glow over the Atlantic Ocean, claiming a pilot clicked them in March 2023. The user also used the hashtag #earthquake in the post, suggesting that the rare occurrence was connected to the Mar 21 earthquake in Afghanistan. In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk found that the pictures dated back to July 2022 and were shared on social media as recent with a misleading claim. (Read: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/536812-2022-photos-of--red-glow--over-Atlantic-Ocean-shared-on-social-media-with-misleading-claim-after-March-21-Afghanistan-earthquake.html)
Since we have found many fake claims generated by AI-powered tools, the PTI fact Check Desk focuses on such claims on priority as they have the potential to convince ordinary people easily. Below are the links to the fact check story done on the fake claims created by AI tools.
PTI Fact Check: Digitally altered photo of Joe Biden eating ice cream shared in social media posts with the false claim
PTI Fact Check: Fake video of Bill Gates’ interview peddled as real on social media; Details inside
PTI Fact Check: No, Elon Musk never endorsed ‘Shilajit’; Doctored video with cloned voice shared in Facebook Reel with the false claim
PTI Fact Check: AI-generated photos of Donald Trump’s ‘imaginary arrest’ peddled as real on social media
PTI Fact Check: AI-generated photo of ‘Putin bowing to Jinping’ peddled as real on social media with false claims
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
It does not focus on any one side and it considers the reach and importance of claims it selects to check. It publishes a statement to that effect on its website.
done_all 2.2 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 2.3
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will assess compliance through a review of the fact checks published over the previous year. No additional information required.
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
In its factchecks, the applicant discloses its sources clearly and the reader could easily conclude whether the interests of the sources could influence the accuracy of the evidence provided.
done_all 2.3 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 2.4
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will assess compliance through a review of the fact checks published over the previous year. No additional information required.
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
It is not affiliated with nor shows support to any political party or candidate and does not advocate for any policy positions.
done_all 2.4 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 2.5
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to a place on your website where you publish a statement setting out your policy on non-partisanship for staff and how it ensures the organization meets this criteria.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
PTI Fact check team follows the broader PTI’s editorial standards and non-partisanship policy. Our non-partisanship policy can be found here under the heading - Non-Partisanship Policy: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/aboutptifact.aspx?mod=2
PTI’s Fact Check Desk comprises experienced journalists certified and trained in fact-checking methods and processes. The Desk follows PTI’s editorial policy, ethics policy, non-partisanship policy, correction policy, methodology, and the code of principles established by the IFCN for its signatories. PTI believes in responsible and credible journalism, and it reflects in PTI Fact Check’s all fact-checked articles.
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The applicant sets out its non-partisanship policy for its staff on its website. The policy makes it clear that employees are not to be involved in any political activity or publicise their views on policy issues.
done_all 2.5 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Section 3: A commitment to Standards and Transparency of Sources
To be compliant on sources, applicants must meet these four criteria
- 3.1 The applicant identifies the source of all significant evidence used in their fact checks, providing relevant links where the source is available online, in such a way that users can replicate their work if they wish. In cases where identifying the source would compromise the source’s personal security, the applicant provides as much detail as compatible with the source’s safety.
- 3.2 The applicant uses the best available primary, not secondary, sources of evidence wherever suitable primary sources are available. Where suitable primary sources are not available, the applicant explains the use of a secondary source.
- 3.3 The applicant checks all key elements of claims against more than one named source of evidence save where the one source is the only source relevant on the topic.
- 3.4 The applicant identifies in its fact checks the relevant interests of the sources it uses where the reader might reasonably conclude those interests could influence the accuracy of the evidence provided.
Criteria 3.1
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the applicant’s use of sources in a randomised sample of its fact checks to assess compliance. No additional evidence is required.
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
All sources of evidence used are identified, with relevant links so that users can replicate their work if they want to.
done_all 3.1 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 3.2
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the applicant’s use of sources in a randomised sample of its fact checks to assess compliance. No additional evidence is required.
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The applicant dips into its parent company’s network of reporters and uses mainly primary sources for its fact checks. However, it has used secondary sources, too.
done_all 3.2 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 3.3
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the applicant’s use of sources in a randomised sample of its fact checks to assess compliance. No additional evidence is required.
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The applicant makes an effort to check all key elements of claims against more than one named source of evidence.
done_all 3.3 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 3.4
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the applicant’s use of sources in a randomised sample of its fact checks to assess compliance. No additional evidence is required.
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The applicant clearly identifies its sources and readers would conclude if the interests of those sources might influence the accuracy of the evidence provided.
done_all 3.4 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Section 4: A commitment to Transparency of Funding & Organization
To be compliant on funding and organization, applicants must meet these five criteria
- 4.1 Applicants that are independent organizations have a page on their website detailing each source of funding accounting for 5% or more of total revenue for its previous financial year. This page also sets out the legal form in which the organization is registered (e.g. as a non-profit, as a company etc).
- 4.2 Applicants that are the fact-checking section or unit of a media house or other parent organization make a statement on ownership.
- 4.3 A statement on the applicant’s website sets out the applicant’s organizational structure and makes clear how and by whom editorial control is exercised.
- 4.4 A page on the applicant’s website details the professional biography of all those who, according to the organizational structure and play a significant part in its editorial output.
- 4.5 The applicant provides easy means on its website and/or via social media for users to communicate with the editorial team.
Criteria 4.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please confirm whether you are an ‘independent organization’
or ‘the fact-checking section or unit of a media house or other parent organization’ and share proof of this organizational status.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
PTI Fact Check is a fact-checking unit of the Press Trust of India (PTI). All fact-checking work of PTI is published on a dedicated section of PTI website.
Link: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/factcheck.aspx
More details about PTI and its fact check unit can be found here under the About Us section:
https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/aboutptifact.aspx?mod=2
Press Trust of India (PTI) is a not-for-profit, private limited company owned by a group of Indian newspapers. With a 72-year pedigree, PTI is India’s premier as well as its most prominent, oldest and trustworthy news agency. PTI is considered the gold standard in Indian journalism in terms of credibility, accuracy, and, most importantly, independent journalism. PTI Fact Check is a dedicated fact-checking unit within PTI’s editorial department.
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The applicant is a unit of a 72-year-old news agency. It’s funding comes from the parent organization, who in turn is funded by subscription of various news media houses. This information is available on its website.
done_all 4.1 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 4.2
Proof you meet criteria
If your organization is an “independent organization”, please share a link to the page on your website where you detail your funding and indicate the legal form in which the organization is registered (e.g. as a non-profit, as a company etc).
If your organization is “the fact-checking section or unit of a media house or other parent organization”, please share a link to the statement on your website about your ownership.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Press Trust of India (PTI) is a not-for-profit, private news organisation, owned by group of newspapers that nominally hold varying number of shares in the company. They, however, get no share of PTI’s profits, which are entirely plowed back into the company. The shareholders also have no say in business or editorial policies of PTI – a structure that allows PTI to remain independent and free of any political, financial or business influence. We are funded largely by the licensing fees that we charge to our subscribers, which include most newspapers of India ( including the ones owned by our shareholders) TV networks, digital platforms and others.
PTI is an independent organization and does not receive any funding from political parties or local/ state governments.
The PTI Fact Check is a fact-checking unit of PTI and is funded by PTI’s general news budget.
Details on PTI ownership, funding and PTI fact check are available in the Funding and About Us section here: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/aboutptifact.aspx?mod=2
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The subscribers to PTI are its shareholders, ploughing profits back into the company. It makes a statement on ownership on its website.
done_all 4.2 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 4.3
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to where on your website you set out your organizational structure, making clear how and by whom editorial control is exercised.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
PTI's fact-checking operations are led by Pratyush Ranjan (Head, Fact-checking and Digital Services). He oversees the day-to-day operations and has editorial control of PTI Fact-checking. Details about his role and profile can be found here: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/ourteam.aspx?mod=3
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The website sets out the organizational structure of the fact checking unit, too and explains how editorial control is exercised and by whom.
done_all 4.3 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 4.4
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to where on your website you set out the professional biographies of those who play a significant part in your organization’s editorial output.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
PTI Fact Check is a dedicated fact-checking team within PTI. While fact-checking is deeply embedded in our day-to-day editorial operations, we rely on our dedicated team of fact checkers for selecting claims and conducting an in-depth research/ investigation to verify potential claims. The team is also responsible for writing, editing, and publishing fact check stories relating to selected claims.
Profiles of PTI Fact Check team members can be found here:
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The professional biographies of the key personnel in the fact checking unit are listed on a page in the website. The organization, however, also depends on its vast network of reporters and stringers to fact check claims.
done_all 4.4 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 4.5
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to where on your website you encourage users to communicate with your editorial team.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
We encourage readers to share potential claims for fact-checking, feedback, suggestions etc., through the 'Contact Us' tab within the Fact Check section on our website here - https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/factcontact.aspx?mod=6
or via email (factcheck@pti.in)
PTI Fact Check also has a public WhatsApp number (+91-8130503759) for people to reach out and share the claims they want to verify. The WhatsApp number is mentioned at the bottom of every article, so people notice and use it accordingly.
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Users can contact the editorial team through a form on the Contact Us Page, through email and through a WhatsApp number listed on the page and at the end of each fact check.
done_all 4.5 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Section 5: A commitment to Standards and Transparency of Methodology
To be compliant on methodology, applicants must meet these six criteria
- 5.1 The applicant publishes on its website a statement about the methodology it uses to select, research, write and publish its fact checks.
- 5.2 The applicant selects claims to check based primarily on the reach and importance of the claims, and where possible explains the reason for choosing the claim to check.
- 5.3 The applicant sets out in its fact checks relevant evidence that appears to support the claim as well as relevant evidence that appears to undermine it.
- 5.4 The applicant in its fact checks assesses the merits of the evidence found using the same high standards applied to evidence on equivalent claims, regardless of who made the claim.
- 5.5 The applicant seeks where possible to contact those who made the claim to seek supporting evidence, noting that (I) this is often not possible with online claims, (II) if the person who makes the claim fails to reply in a timely way this should not impede the fact check, (III) if a speaker adds caveats to the claim, the fact-checker should be free to continue with checking the original claim, (IV) fact-checkers may not wish to contact the person who made the claim for safety or other legitimate reasons.
- 5.6 The applicant encourages users to send in claims to check, while making it clear what readers can legitimately expect will be fact-checked and what isn’t fact-checkable.
Criteria 5.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please provide a link to the statement on your website that explains the methodology you use to select, research, write and publish your fact checks.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
All our news desks, journalists and stringers across the country continuously watch out for potential misinformation and track social media platforms for suspicious content, and stories and posts spreading misinformation. We rely on our news departments, experts, fact-checking team as well as our audience to source and identify potential claims for fact-checking. We follow a robust methodology, as laid out in this section of the website: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/methodology.aspx?mod=4
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The methodology used by the applicant to select, research, write and publish fact checks is explained on the website.
done_all 5.1 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 5.2
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the methodology used in a randomised sample of your fact checks to assess compliance with these criteria. No additional evidence is required.
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Nearly all claims by the applicant are checked based on the reach and importance of the claim—most of them are in the public interest. It explains the reason for selecting the claim to check.
done_all 5.2 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 5.3
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the methodology used in a randomised sample of your fact checks to assess compliance with these criteria. No additional evidence is required.
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
In its fact checks the applicant sets out relevant evidence that appears to undermine the claim as well as evidence that appears to support the claim.
done_all 5.3 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 5.4
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the methodology used in a randomised sample of your fact checks to assess compliance with these criteria. No additional evidence is required.
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The applicant uses the same standards of evidence while judging equivalent claims, regardless of who made the claim.
done_all 5.4 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 5.5
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the methodology used in a randomised sample of your fact checks to assess compliance with these criteria. No additional evidence is required.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
It tries to contact those who made the claim to seek supporting evidence.
done_all 5.5 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 5.6
Proof you meet criteria
Please describe how you encourage users to send in claims to check, while making it clear what readers can legitimately expect will be fact-checked and what isn’t fact-checkable. Include links where appropriate. If you do not allow this, explain why.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
We encourage readers to contact us if they wish to share any claim for verification, feedback on our published fact-check stories or any further suggestions for improvement.
Our readers can contact us via the Contact Us form on our website (published here: https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/factcontact.aspx?mod=6
or email us at factcheck@pti.in
Readers can also contact PTI Fact Check to share any claim via WhatsApp (+91-8130503759).
The claims sent in by our readers are selected for fact-checking based on editorial judgment using the following principles:
1. Is this a fact or an opinion?
2. Is the claim in the public interest? Does it have the potential to sway the audience?
3. Can the information potentially have harmful or dangerous consequences for society?
4. Is the information getting viral/ gaining significant traction online across different platforms?
The users can also read these principles under the heading ‘Selecting a Claim’ here –
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
It invites readers to send in claims to check and explains its methodology to that effect clearly.
done_all 5.6 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Section 6: A commitment to an Open & Honest Corrections Policy
To be compliant on corrections policy, applicants must meet these five criteria
- 6.1 The applicant has a corrections or complaints policy that is easily visible and accessible on the organization’s website or frequently referenced in broadcasts.
- 6.2 The policy sets out clear definitions of what it does and does not cover, how major mistakes, especially those requiring revised conclusions of a fact check, are handled, and the fact that some complaints may justify no response. This policy is adhered to scrupulously.
- 6.3 Where credible evidence is provided that the applicant has made a mistake worthy of correction, the applicant makes a correction openly and transparently, seeking as far as possible to ensure that users of the original see the correction and the corrected version.
- 6.4 The applicant, if an existing signatory, should either on its corrections/complaints page or on the page where it declares itself an IFCN signatory inform users that if they believe the signatory is violating the IFCN Code, they may inform the IFCN, with a link to the IFCN site.
- 6.5 If the applicant is the fact-checking unit of a media company, it is a requirement of signatory status that the parent media company has and adheres to an open and honest corrections policy.
Criteria 6.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please provide a link to where you publish on your website your corrections or complaints policy. If you are primarily a broadcaster, please provide evidence you frequently reference your corrections policy in broadcasts.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The Fact-checking team follows the broader news organisation's (i.e. PTI’s) corrections policy which can be found here:
https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/correctionpolicy.aspx?mod=5
PTI's main website has its Correction Policy highlighted at the bottom of the page. Here is the link to the PTI's Correction Policy: https://www.ptinews.com/corrections-policy.aspx
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The applicant’s correction policy is easily accessible on its website.
done_all 6.1 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 6.2
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the corrections policy to verify it meets critera. No additional information needed.
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The policy clearly explains what it covers and how mistakes are handles.
done_all 6.2 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 6.3
Proof you meet criteria
Please provide a short statement about how the policy was adhered to over the previous year (or six months if this is the first application) including evidence of two examples of the responses provided by the applicant to a correction request over the previous year. Where no correction request has been made in the previous year, you must state this in your application, which will be publicly available in the assessment if your application is successful.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
We are always on the look-out for latest news and accordingly update the articles (if needed). We also constantly track responses via our “Contact Us” and our Fact Check email address – factcheck@pti.in and the WhatsApp number (+91-8130503759). We take any correction requests very seriously and thoroughly assess and verify them.
PTI has a transparent and unambiguous corrections policy and the fact-checking team at PTI follows the broader PTI correction policy. All factual mistakes (including numbers, names, dates and misquotes) are acknowledged and corrected as soon as possible. This is marked for subscribers with a ‘CORRECTED’ next to the slug and an Editor’s note specifying the error being corrected and where exactly in the story. The Editor’s note rule holds true even for lapses such as typos. The disclaimer is carried with every update on a story.
Since starting our fact-checking operations this year, we have not received any correction requests from the general public.
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The applicant has not had opportunities to make any corrections so far, but its parent organisation makes corrections transparently.
done_all 6.3 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 6.4
Proof you meet criteria
If you are an existing signatory, please provide a link to show where on your site you inform users that if they believe you are violating the IFCN Code, they may inform the IFCN of this, with a link to the complaints page on the IFCN site.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Not Applicable
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
This is not applicable yet to the applicant.
done_all 6.4 marked as Compliant by Kanchan Kaur.
Criteria 6.5
Proof you meet criteria
If you are the fact-checking unit of a media company, please provide a link to the parent media company’s honest and open corrections policy and provide evidence that it adheres to this.
Press Trust of India
27-Mar-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
PTI has a transparent and unambiguous corrections policy. All factual errors, including numbers, names, dates and misquotes, are acknowledged and corrected as soon as possible in a prominent space. The corrections are marked for subscribers with a ‘CORRECTED’ next to the slug and an Editor’s note above the story specifying the error being rectified and where precisely in the text. The Editor’s note rule holds even for lapses such as typos.
The link to PTI's Correction Policy ( https://www.ptinews.com/corrections-policy.aspx ) is placed at the bottom of the main website (https://www.ptinews.com/)
In case of an error in a news alert transmitted to subscribers and on Twitter, the correction is made by issuing another alert promptly and specifying why this is being done. For Twitter, the corrected tweet goes with an explanatory line on the earlier post, pointing to the mistake made, the correction and informing that it has been deleted. The same rule will apply to any other social media platform PTI will use in the future.
Mistakes in PTI copies and alerts are identified through different avenues – readers pointing out errors on social media platforms or through direct communication with the office and reporters, rejoinders from officials or parties concerned and those caught by the journalist and other colleagues after the story is published.
The editorial team concerned begins investigating the matter as soon as the feedback comes in. This could require going back to the information source, whether an official or a document, and sometimes accessing other resources such as a subject expert to ascertain the actual fact. Once that is done, the story or alert is immediately corrected.
A ‘Contact Us’ page on the PTI website -- https://www.ptinews.com/ContactUs.aspx -- lists addresses and telephone numbers of the head office as well as regional and bureau offices across the country for the benefit of readers and subscribers.
With a legacy of 72 years of service, PTI is recognised as India’s most trustworthy, unbiased, and credible source of news. This is reflected in its daily body of work, with every story steadfastly objective and transparent in its sourcing. It has been a core contributor towards building a free and fair press in the country.
Fact checking is embedded in its day-to-day editorial operations and is integral to the DNA of the organisation, which relies on a vast network of journalists, stringers, and experts across various subjects to source and verify each story.
To continue the mantra of accuracy and ethical journalism, PTI launched in Feb 2022 a Fact Check Desk to filter the flow of misinformation over the Internet and create fact check stories on a range of topics/claims. For any complaints on fact check stories, readers can reach out to the team using the link https://www.ptinews.com/factcheck/factcontact.aspx?mod=6 .
According to PTI's Correction Policy and the IFCN guidelines, the desk promptly acknowledges and issues a correction. For updated/corrected stories, a disclaimer is appended to the original report with the details on the modification made/updated information.
Please find below the examples of instances when PTI adhered to its corrections policy (4 links across 4 different months). The corrections were made to the published content and were acknowledged under Eds note at top of the story (Eds: ). These corrections were shared with our hundreds of subscribers comprising of newspapers, TV broadcasters, websites, mobile apps, and other non-media clients.
• http://archive.ptinews.com/news/13334011__Naresh-Kumar-is-new-Corbett-director$storyes
• http://archive.ptinews.com/news/13207456__Man-threatens-sessions-judge-in-UP's-Muzaffarnagar
• http://archive.ptinews.com/news/13118659__2-Haryana-policemen-held-in-HP-extortion-case
Kanchan Kaur Assessor
11-Apr-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The parent company has an open and clear corrections policy.