Yesterday, I shared a global study on X (Twitter), highlighting that India leads the world in propagating fake news, with the United States and Pakistan ranking between fourth and sixth and England standing at twelfth. But it was not just the study that concerned me; it was the broader reality of how citizen journalism, once heralded as a democratic breakthrough, has become a potent weapon in the arsenal of misinformation and manipulation in Musk’s era of digital media.

The Arab Spring, often dubbed the “Twitter Revolution,” showed us how individuals armed with smartphones could shake oppressive regimes.

Citizen journalism is where ordinary individuals, rather than professional journalists, gather, report, and share news through blogs, social media, or other digital platforms, often bypassing traditional editorial oversight. It is rooted in democratizing information but operates without the checks and balances of conventional journalism. Citizen journalism, in its ideal form, is a powerful tool for societal accountability. The Arab Spring, often dubbed the “Twitter Revolution,” showed us how individuals armed with smartphones could shake oppressive regimes. Whether exposing police brutality in the United States or highlighting environmental destruction in the Amazon, ordinary people with extraordinary courage have changed the course of history. Yet, alongside these triumphs lies an undeniable truth — this unregulated medium has opened the floodgates to a torrent of fake news, deliberate distortions, and dangerously polarized narratives.

Take, for instance, the far-right riots in Southport, England, this August. What began as a baseless rumor on social media — that a Muslim man had stabbed children in a dance class — escalated into days of unrest. The actual suspect, a mentally unstable African boy, had no ties to the fabricated narrative that fueled hate-filled protests. The damage was done even after the authorities released his photograph and made multiple clarifications. It took the intervention of Keir Starmer’s government and swift legal action to quell the unrest, but the underlying tensions remained, simmering like embers waiting for the next spark.

In Pakistan, the dangers of unchecked false propaganda have taken on a uniquely chaotic form more often. A recent incident in Lahore saw students pouring onto the streets in violent protests over a fabricated story of a college girl’s rape and subsequent death. Despite the Punjab government’s timely approach, led by Maryam Nawaz, the narrative had already spiraled out of control. By the time the fake news was debunked, the trust deficit between the state and the people had only widened. Add to this the bizarre actions of the clergy, who issued fatwas declaring VPN usage haram when the state blocked X to counter the spread of misinformation.

In Pakistan, the dangers of unchecked false propaganda have taken on a uniquely chaotic form more often.

It is essential to clarify a distinction that has confused decision-makers in Pakistan. Fake news and false propaganda are not exclusively the domain of citizen journalists, such as TikTokers or users of platforms like X (formerly Twitter). As my senior colleague and former Information Minister Murtaza Solangi rightly explained on a Pakistani TV channel, the government is targeting illegal VPNs while encouraging the use of registered VPNs to track cyber criminals and terrorists. This approach is logical. I rely on a registered VPN to access UK-based websites in Tajikistan, and that is where the government needs to voice the logical reasoning for why they are banning the illegal use of VPNs. Instead, the bizarre fatwa is causing embarrassment.

Solangi also highlighted another critical issue — the unethical practices of electronic media channels on social media platforms like YouTube, which use sensationalist and completely fabricated news thumbnails to attract views and grow their audience. This is where the boundaries blur between genuine citizen journalism and the outright dissemination of fake news propaganda in Pakistan, a problem that the Pakistani government must address and tackle adequately with urgency. To differentiate between false propaganda and genuine citizen journalism, it is crucial to evaluate the source’s credibility, verify the information against multiple authentic sources, and hold those spreading malicious content accountable.

In the UK, courts swiftly convicted the culprits for a misleading tweet during recent far-right riots. In contrast, in Pakistan, courts, often backed by PTI-leaning judges, appear to grant impunity to such propagators. A YouTuber behind the fake Lahore rape case was immediately released by the court, with the judge even dismissing the case altogether. The issue is that TikTok and YouTube vlogs have become tools for fake news and live propaganda videos beyond citizen journalism. Still, the government is instead taking a grudge against X by blocking it while all the ministers, including the Prime Minister, use the identical X through VPNs. Such absurd measures highlight a lack of strategy and an unwillingness to address the root causes of digital anarchy.

Also read: Freedom of Inciting Violence: Billionaires Shaping The World

Coming back to the actual point of this article, Elon Musk, co-chief of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), has made citizen journalism a cornerstone of his vision. Musk seeks to bypass traditional media gatekeepers by promoting this concept on X, empowering individuals to report news directly.

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1852807779863691389

But in doing so, he has inadvertently dismantled the pivotal layers of editorial oversight and fact-checking that professional journalism relies upon. The consequences are glaring. When a platform becomes an unfiltered megaphone for misinformation, the line between truth and falsehood blurs, leaving people overwhelmed and disoriented by a relentless flood of misleading narratives, outright falsehoods, half-truths, and lies.

Platforms like X must implement stricter content moderation policies, employing AI and human oversight to flag and remove misinformation.

As someone with a PhD in Ethics, I find the ethical implications profound and deeply troubling. citizen journalists, often untrained and anonymous, operate without accountability. Their “scoops” can lead to real-world consequences, from wrongful arrests to communal violence. During the Arab Spring, many citizen journalists risked their lives to document state oppression, but what happens when such documentation is misused? As noted by the London School of Economics study, photographs and videos intended to expose injustices have sometimes been weaponized by authoritarian regimes to prosecute dissenters. The lack of safeguards makes citizen journalism precarious, particularly in illiberal democracies and autocratic states.

Moreover, the rise of citizen journalism has led to the erosion of traditional media’s credibility, which has recently been witnessed in the US elections. In Musk’s worldview, editorial checks are viewed as barriers to the “truth.” Yet, these checks are precisely what distinguishes journalism from propaganda. Without them, platforms like X have become echo chambers, amplifying biases rather than challenging them. This is especially dangerous in countries like Pakistan, where political parties like PTI have weaponized social media to propagate false narratives. Their digital brigades flood timelines with doctored videos and inflammatory rhetoric, creating an alternate reality that stokes division and distrust.

But it would be disingenuous to dismiss citizen journalism outright. There are moments when it shines as a force for good. In the absence of professional reporters, citizens have exposed rapes, murders, and systemic corruption. The footage of George Floyd’s murder, recorded by a bystander, sparked a global movement for racial justice. However, these instances are exceptions rather than the rule. For every truth unearthed, countless lies are spread, each chipping away at the fabric of societal trust.

The question, then, is how to reconcile citizen journalism’s benefits with its glaring pitfalls. The answer lies in regulation and education. Platforms like X must implement stricter content moderation policies, employing AI and human oversight to flag and remove misinformation. Simultaneously, digital literacy campaigns are essential to equip users with the tools to discern credible information from falsehoods. Therefore, the Pakistani government, too, must play their part by enacting laws that hold platforms accountable without stifling freedom of expression.

The onus also falls on us — the consumers of news. We must approach every sensational tweet, video, or blog post with skepticism, verifying sources before accepting anything as fact. Citizen journalism, for all its flaws, is here to stay. But unless we address its ethical, social, and political implications, it will continue eroding the democratic ideals it was meant to uphold. And in a world where truth is already a casualty, that is a risk we cannot afford to take.