By Khdr Domle
In recent times, especially since the war between Israel and Iran, a massive wave of fabricated news, images, and videos—produced with extreme precision—has spread widely. This phenomenon has led to psychological distress, confusion of thoughts and positions, and in some cases, created anxiety and panic. Such developments require in-depth studies to understand their future impact.
Alongside fake, fabricated, or manipulated news—where this type of journalistic product has flourished—there has also been a growing trend of reusing historical archives of past events and situations related to the positions, orientations, ideologies, and affiliations of parties involved in the regional conflict. These have also been tied to the stances of political and religious figures, in ways that were never imagined possible before. This misuse has gone beyond ethical boundaries and journalistic values, with some cases creating fear and pushing individuals into making life-changing decisions that they later regretted.
Observers of such news have noticed how it spreads with unexpected speed, shared in various formats, often with sensational comments or linked to sources, institutions, or individuals in order to give them more credibility.
In Iraq, on the local level, every period associated with events or religious occasions witnesses the circulation of media products designed specifically to fit certain social media pages and platforms. These are intended to spread panic or fake news, based on the opinions of individuals or analysts. As a result, anyone can suddenly appear as a foreteller of collapse—predicting the downfall of a state, a political party, or declaring paralysis for those who fail to follow a certain ritual, act, or belief.
What is strange is that such fabricated news is sometimes followed and even shared by individuals with significant social or academic weight. Their reposting of such content in turn fuels confusion, distorts facts, and undermines the vital role of the media in providing accurate knowledge based on professional standards.
It is regrettable that some well-known platforms—trusted by the public as sources of news and knowledge—compete in transmitting reports they know for certain are fabricated. This is especially the case with those based on old archival material, modified with new images, captions, or figures to fit the mindset of the current audience. Consequently, many recipients themselves become secondary sources, circulating these fake reports under the justification that a “trusted person” or a “credible platform” has already published or reshared them.
What is even more alarming is the rise of such manipulative media products as election campaigns draw near. Different parties compete to spread cleverly edited videos aimed at defamation and character assassination. More frightening still is the widespread use of artificial intelligence without any regard for professional ethics, which has resulted in intellectual paralysis and moral decay.
Since this phenomenon is ongoing, measures must become more effective. Relevant institutions monitoring harmful content should treat such publications with equal seriousness and encourage people to report and refrain from resharing fabricated news and fake reports.
- Khdr Domle – Journalist, Activist, and Consultant at Journalists Without Borders
