CLAIM
As countries across the globe are trying to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak, the fake news factory is working overtime to spread misinformation around the virus. In one such case, multiple screenshots of graphics of AajTak are being circulated saying that the channel claimed that blood of various communities like the Jats, Biharis are immune to the virus.
TRUE OR FALSE?
False.
While one image has been morphed out of a 2018 Aaj Tak bulletin, the other image clearly shows visual differences in terms of the lower band, top band and ticker, that is being used in the recent Aaj Tak bulletins.
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
IMAGE 1
We found a 2018 bulletin by Aaj Tak in which the channel has falsely claimed that Aam Aadmi Party’s 20 MLAs were disqualified by the Delhi High Court.
It is interesting to note that the ticker, lower ‘Breaking News’ band, and the time stamp on the right in the 2018 bulletin (left) are exactly the same as the one seen in the viral image (right). The coronavirus made its outbreak in the end of 2019, so the channel cannot possibly use the ticker of 2018 in a purportedly 2020 bulletin.
Only the claim being made in the centre of the viral image is different to that of the 2018 bulletin.
IMAGE 2
We noticed a watermark on the viral image (left) on the top right corner. We found a bulletin which was aired by Aaj Tak on 18 March (right) and compared it with the viral image.
We found that the top ‘Breaking News’ band is entirely different in terms of font and colour scheme. The channel in its latest bulletins is not using the one seen in the viral image.
Further, there is no similarity in the lower band and the ticker used in the viral image to that of the one seen in the recent Aaj Tak bulletin.
A Google keyword search using the terms ‘communities immune to coronavirus’ showed no relevant results and hence we were able to assert that there is no truth to the viral screenshots and no such news was aired by the channel.
You can read all our fact-check stories on coronavirus here.
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