The Free Press Journal Takes on Fake News

The Free Press Journal, the trusted English newspaper with a legacy of unimpeachable editorial integrity spanning over 90 years, is making a statement through an integrated campaign targeting fake news and forwards.

Rooted in the thought that ‘You are what you read; we are what we share’ as a nation, the campaign urges the public to #ReadResponsiblyShareResponsibly through a digital, radio, OOH, print and TV campaign launching 27 July 2021.

Partners on board for taking the public interest message across include creative partner Beanstalk Asia, OOH partner Bright Publicities, TV partner TV9 (Marathi) and radio partner Red FM.

On the campaign, Abhishek Karnani, director, The Free Press Journal, said, “Fake news can actually destroy lives and nations. Especially in times like these when we are battling a pandemic, it can wreak havoc. The need therefore is to consume news from reliable sources and equally importantly, share only what is verified to be true. This campaign is a humble attempt to reiterate that point. As long as the problem of fake news persists, we need to keep reiterating the message that we need to ‘Read Responsibly’ and ‘Share Responsibly’.”

He added, “Social media and forwards are not all bad. We have seen a phenomenal growth of our e-paper edition on WhatsApp since the beginning of the pandemic. We are also encouraging people to download it for free and also share it with others. So, this is as much a brand campaign asking people to share what is reliable as it is to be wary of the ill-effects of fake news.”

Speaking on the campaign creatives, Upendra Singh Thakur, founder & director, BeanstalkAsia, said, “We are delighted to partner The Free Press Journal in conceptualizing this socially responsible campaign to pick on the unfortunate popular culture of mindless forwards of Fake News. This multimedia campaign, is a clever play of words that reflects the common behaviors of people at large on social media and messaging platforms. We are confident that the thought will resonate well with the public and encourage them to read responsibly and share responsibly.”

(We got this information in a press release).