The most common type of photographic misinformation I have encountered is the direct result of the Broken Telephone Effect.
It's simple, it's easy to mess up, and it can lead to atrocity denial.
A thread.
It's simple, it's easy to mess up, and it can lead to atrocity denial.
A thread.
The following photo is currently being used within the framework of "dark humor", a type of comedy that focuses on making a joke out of taboo and serious topics.
In this case, it's joking about the current situation of children in Gaza who lost their parents.
In this case, it's joking about the current situation of children in Gaza who lost their parents.
Beyond the joke itself, the image is being deemed to be of an actual child from Gaza who lost their parents. Now, it's being made fun of by online commentators.
But what is the back story of this image?
But what is the back story of this image?
In 2015, this same photo was uploaded with a different backstory, then about a Syrian child who lost their parents. It’s unclear if the original poster was making the same "dark joke" as the current one, as the caption and name suggest different intents.
The origin of the photo (Based on my review and several independent fact-checking sites) is from Yanbaa, Saudi Arabia!
So, is this a Saudi child sleeping next to the graves of his parents in 2014?
So, is this a Saudi child sleeping next to the graves of his parents in 2014?
No.
This was staged. It was filmed by a local photographer named Abdelaziz, who took the image as part of a fictional tragic scene to raise awareness about horrific realities that real children endure.
The link to his interview:
moroccoworldnews.com/2014/01/120051…
This was staged. It was filmed by a local photographer named Abdelaziz, who took the image as part of a fictional tragic scene to raise awareness about horrific realities that real children endure.
The link to his interview:
moroccoworldnews.com/2014/01/120051…
All it takes is 1 person to misunderstand the original image, share the photo without copy-pasting the caption, or even just remove the credit of the photographer for an image to be reused under pretenses.
This rush to be first in war reporting often compromises journalistic integrity, leading to unverified information and anonymous sources - both riddled with signs of misinformation. This issue has been a recurring problem throughout history, not just during this current war.
This results in atrocity denial, a serious issue that is the direct result of people uploading images/videos without verifying their authenticity.
I discussed this at length here:
I discussed this at length here:
https://x.com/talhagin/status/1810840604701573223?t=yxO1_7lCiCeMlVoCFOpunQ&s=19
If you care - enough to like, share, retweet, write about it, protest, or discuss it - verify it.
If you don't, and you end up consistently sharing unverified imagery, not only will the important message you're trying to get out there be dismissed completely - but you also used the false story bhind the death/pain of someone for your ambitions.
If you don't, and you end up consistently sharing unverified imagery, not only will the important message you're trying to get out there be dismissed completely - but you also used the false story bhind the death/pain of someone for your ambitions.
This guideline I wrote should help with verifying the majority of the content you come across - and you are always welcome to reach out for help.
https://x.com/talhagin/status/1781780190206533937?t=yxO1_7lCiCeMlVoCFOpunQ&s=19
You can follow my Telegram channel to get (semi-daily) Fact-Checked posts I've analyzed:
t.me/factchecked101
t.me/factchecked101
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