(MENAFN- Arab Times) SOME think that people will believe the lies they fabricate. It is really funny whenever those who fabricated lies turn out to be the first victims of their own lies. Among this kind of people is Asha'ab who is mentioned in Arab history. He used to tell lies and believe them.
Some wrote that in the beginning, British author and poet William Shakespeare used his books as propaganda; spreading rumors such as police arrested him because the books had sexual or religious overtones or the contents were deemed offensive to the king. The books were sold before the truth was revealed.
Today, people no longer believe such rumors due to remarkable media and communication advancements. However, it is regrettable that some media outfits still have the mentality of faking stories in a delusional manner. For certain reasons which might be known, a person spreads a rumor that someone suffered from bankruptcy, figured in an accident or died as it usually happens with well-known figures.
These delusional stories, so to speak, have been transferred to media bodies which are considered credible. This tactic was used in political conflicts. It has become part of stories fabricated by a Gulf news TV channel and its relevant media units. This happens also when someone shares a tweet on his account and spreads quickly by using a hashtag. Nevertheless, they fell into the trap they made when they lost their credibility.
We recently noticed the spread of fake tweets and press stories from certain sources claiming there is a dispute between Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. According to the fake story, the Vice President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) does not support the Qatar blockade while HH the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi supports it.
Rumor has it that there is dispute between UAE and Saudi Arabia. Other rumor-mongers claimed that Saudis are offended by the position of their government on the Gulf crisis. They alleged that Saudi Arabia is angry over the Kuwaiti position and there is a dispute between the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and King of Bahrain Hamad bin Issa.
The identities of those behind the biased tweets and posts were exposed immediately. Despite all this, the media substance of the channel and mass media changed the orbit and those who call themselves experts have commenced narrating stories, tales and analyses which are nothing but delusions.
Those fishing in clear waters are supposed to find what will quench their thirst, but they opted to gear towards the phantom of rumors as a result of their bankruptcy because the mass media and social media today are no longer monopolized by one team. It used to take days to verify information but it just takes minutes nowadays.
Abusing mass media and social media in this naïve and backward way is not seen anywhere except the Middle East; because in the West, there is respect for people and there are no such rumors which, in simple terms, cannot be attributed to cognizant and rational societies.
The Kuwaiti adage, 'One expands it while the other shrinks it,' applies to people who spread rumors and believe them even if a quick denial follows.
Up to this day, they do not believe all pieces of evidence that Kuwaiti-Saudi, Saudi-Bahraini and Emirati relationships are at their best; and that harmony between the leaders of these countries proves their decisive position against any issue – whether regional or local.
Therefore, the rope of rumors and lies was cut off immediately. They only make their country and the mass media, which stirs up rumors, move into isolation.
Actually, such channels have started going into oblivion because of their lies which prompted people to unfollow them; making them ineffective contrary to what those working in these channels and the politically shortsighted individuals think.
By Ahmed Al-Jarrallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times
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