Thread by @althecat

After acknowledging this recording is fake
@KjetilTronvoll tweeted this BBC news report based on it.

Media and those involved in peace & conflict need to be careful with unverified information when engaged in an information warfare environment.

https://twitter.com/KjetilTronvoll/status/1399636137396867074?s=20

https://twitter.com/KjetilTronvoll/status/1400073162591813641

Here is his earlier tweet. He claims that a high ranking party member of the Prosperity Party authenticated it for him.

The lesson in this is simple: If you don't know whether incendiary information is true or false don't spread it.

https://twitter.com/KjetilTronvoll/status/1399636137396867074?s=20

The @guardian has now published a ill-considered incendiary op-ed by @KjetilTronvoll containing his reckons on a subject he doesn't appear to be treating with care. He seeks resignations over a complex war the details of which remain far from clear. theguardian.com/global-develop…

As for the @BBCRealityCheck piece which @KjetilTronvoll cites as a reason to re-up the apparent disinformation. It reports on the existence of the incendiary recording and notes that it is disputed.
"The BBC cannot independently verify whether the audio is genuine or fake."

To the BBC reports that it doesn't know whether its fake but publishes it anyway with the denial (which is ok), then edits its report to add the claim from #KelloMedia that it isn't fake. And as we can see this is then used by this Professor of Peace to re-up the story.

@KelloMedia is a satellite TV and @Youtube broadcaster. dates from 2012, but only has content from June 2020. I.E. this Ethiopian election cycle. It is based in New York in the United States. youtube.com/c/KelloMedia/v…
youtube.com/c/KelloMedia/a…

I have not reviewed its content in any detail and have no idea whether it's news reports are accurate or not.

However, the US / New York also appears to be the base for well funded public relations / lobbying efforts to promote disputed allegations of genocide against Ethiopia.

.... (continuing)....

This is more a case of sloppy reporting..
At least 6 journalists were detained in November...

--- << when fighting erupted between Abiy’s troops and rebellious leaders in northern Tigray >> ---

... said CPJ and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

euronews.com/2021/05/28/us-…

I very much doubt that this is what either CPJ or RSF said. And if they did they should reconsider their words.

Fighting did not "erupt". The "rebellious leaders" = the TPLF & they attacked a garrison of Ethiopian Troops, killed hundreds and stole heavy weaponry starting a war.

In debates on the subject of the Tigray war between Tigray / Ethiopian camps this is the focus of the argument. But there is no factual dispute about this. The TPLF started this war & news media need to get this right. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_…

Horrendous atrocities have been committed in Tigray, this much is clear, and some Ethiopian troops have been brought to account. As far as I am aware no TPLF fighters have.

As for other aspects of this war. The fog of war is still very much obscuring what is happening.

The @CPJAfrica have issued a safety kit for journalists reporting on the Ethiopian Elections. It is mostly concerned with harassment of journalists, but what it says about misinformation is relevant to this discussion. >> See full kit here >> cpj.org/2021/06/ethiop…

/ ENDS

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