A Novel on Fake News feat. Amitava Kumar

The Wire Talks

Fake news has become an endemic problem all over the world. With the advent of social media and sharing platforms, fake news travels in seconds and often ends up hitting the target much before the real news even begins to go out. Refuting or exposing every bit of fake news is a futile task because the damage is done. People seem to be more inclined to believe the fake news that conforms with their well-set beliefs.

So far, authors have not engaged with the issue in any kind of major way, but a writer-journalist reacts much faster. Author, writer and journalist Amitava Kumar is just such a person.

On this episode, Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Amitava Kumar, teacher, journalist and author, Amitava Kumar has come out with a new novel - 'A Time Outside This Time' which grapples with fake news and the harm it can do. Of course, the novel is far more complex than just that - it talks about Hindutva, about identity, and about the narrator's own personal story.

Amitava Kumar teaches at Vassar College, a small but exclusive liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, and has written for very prestigious newspapers and magazines, along with writing 11 books!

Sidharth and Amitava talk about his book, the spread of fake news in today's India through Whatsapp and other means, the real world consequences we have seen due to this blind belief in fake stories, how people succumb to lies, the art of satire and how satire can be a liberating way to contest and critique the truth, getting put on the 'hit-list' of the New York offshoot of the Bajrang Dal, and lots more. Tune in for an extremely important and fascinating episode.

Follow Amitava: https://twitter.com/amitavakumar and https://www.instagram.com/amitavawriter

Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallah

You can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

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