Pause before sharing
A screenshot can be misleading even when the photograph itself is real. The image may be years old, photographed in another city, digitally altered or paired with a caption that invents the speaker’s intention. The first responsibility of a reader is to avoid becoming a distributor of an unverified allegation.
Check the original context
Search for the earliest credible appearance, compare photographs from the same event, identify visible landmarks and look for the full image rather than a crop. Check whether an organizer explicitly adopted the message or whether it was an individual participant’s placard. If the text is in Urdu, verify the translation carefully.
Different levels of certainty
“We found a contemporaneous photograph” is not the same as “the organization endorsed this statement.” Likewise, an edited image is not proof that the underlying issue never existed. Make the verdict specific: authentic image, false caption, edited text or insufficient evidence.
How to submit corrections
When our editorial email is active, we will accept original links, publication dates and reproducible evidence. We will not publish personal addresses, private phone numbers or accusations of grave misconduct without a clear public-interest justification and verified sourcing.
Sources and further reading
- Academic study — Women marching for solidarity
- Academic study — Networked Struggles: Placards at Pakistan’s Aurat March
- AFP Fact Check — misidentified flag at a march
Editorial note: This article offers information and analysis, not a personal legal ruling or an official statement of the organizers.