We know by now that many media outlets and their employees have serious issues reading and comprehending information, which often results in blatant misrepresentation. Huffington Post India, it seems, has gone one step ahead. They seem to have difficulty in seeing images and understanding what they depict!
It was just a month ago when Huffington Post used the picture of what seems to be a Bajrang Dal protest, along with the caption: “Outstation students at NIT Srinagar allegedly threatened with rape”. Of course the allegations were against local Kashmiris and not anyone remotely associated with Bajrang Dal.
After getting massively trolled and ridiculed online, Huffington post deleted the tweet and put up a new, better suited image. But they did not apologise or accept the error.
A month has passed and Huffington Post was at it again. Again a similar modus operandi. A crime committed by someone on the ideological polar opposite of ABVP, yet ABVP’s picture being used in the image:
Rocky Yadav, the accused in a road-rage murder, and son of a JDU legislator was arrested, but Huffington Post chose to use the image of an ABVP protest with the above news break. The ABVP agitation was in fact in protest of the police inaction in Rocky Yadav’s case.
The explanation given by the author was that “they cant lift copyrighted images and have to use what’s available”. The same piece carried pictures of policemen from Bihar. One wonders whether ABVP picture was indeed the best option available.
Social media users though let Huffington Post have a piece of their mind:
Poor hardworking guys at HuffPo couldn’t find an image of Rocky Yadav. Please help them get one. pic.twitter.com/LKcHdSpaUT
— Rahul Roushan (@rahulroushan) May 10, 2016
quality gaanja phoonkte hain huffpost wale.. pic.twitter.com/oDpe7tTiNN
— Keh Ke Peheno (@coolfunnytshirt) May 10, 2016
Who are we?
PuffPuffPo
What do we want?
Arrest of JDU leader’s son
How will we get it?
With pics of ABVP protest https://t.co/HTq0HeyOl5— Urban PooRatty (@YearOfRat) May 10, 2016
Pliz welcome @HuffPostIndia, new Team of Journalist.. pic.twitter.com/8nVuvSA43Q
— Dipendra Dipzo Khati (@DipendraDipzo) May 10, 2016
Irresponsible reporting and clear bias of @HuffPostIndia but @MasalaBai will dismiss this as bhakt rant and block me https://t.co/iKpmAv9I5x
— Arun Rajput (@RTsWala) May 10, 2016
Dear @HuffPostIndia , it would be of great help if you tell us which one of these is Rocky Yadav. Thanks pic.twitter.com/Ua3M7iBYfU
— Ankita Lal (@iAnkitaLal) May 10, 2016
Unless Rocky Yadav (JDU MLCs son) was from ABVP, @HuffPostIndia is bat shit crazy! pic.twitter.com/xjORezOHzu
— Vande Mataram (@UnSubtleDesi) May 10, 2016
Pic of ABVP guys in a news about JDU leader’s son? Article on stupidity should have pics of @HuffPostIndia editors pic.twitter.com/9p9fdbv6Uj
— The Bad Doctor (@DOCTORATLARGE) May 10, 2016
Urban Poor HuffPo cant afford to pay for single Rocky Yadav pic hence had to use ABVP pic
Cc @MasalaBai @sruthijith pic.twitter.com/d3oVGLYXei— India in Emergency (@IdeaofEmergency) May 10, 2016
Wonder why @MasalaBai couldn’t use this image again? Focusing on propaganda now or breaking IPR laws then? pic.twitter.com/6vCIw3GzyA
— Vande Mataram (@UnSubtleDesi) May 10, 2016
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