Claim: 24 News makes various claims about petrol, the US dollar, and government decisions in the thumbnails of at least four of its videos.
Fact: All 24 News videos, except one, carry false claims in their thumbnails. Only one clip — which claims Pakistan’s caretaker government has provided relief after a petrol price hike — has mostly true content. However, that is misleading as well since the decision was taken by the Punjab government and applies to Punjab only.
On 16 and 17 September 2023, the media outlet 24 Digital and 24 News HD — the latter of which is a verified Facebook page — posted a series of videos with thumbnails carrying text pertaining to the recent rise in petrol prices.
The video (archive) posted on 16 September contains the following text:
“پڑول کی قیمت میں اضافہ کا لعدم قرار؟ کمی کا اعلان متوقع ؟ نئی قیمت؟
[Increase in petrol prices cancelled? Announcement of reduction expected? New price?]”
The other three videos — available here, here, and here — went up on 17 September. Their archives can be viewed here, here, and here. The clips include the following text:
- “صبح سویرے خوشخبری آگئی۔ نگران حکومت کا پٹرول مہنگا ہونے پر بڑا ریلیف [Good news early morning. Caretaker government provides big relief as petrol becomes expensive]”
- “چھٹی کے روز بڑی خوشخبری۔۔! پٹرول میں اضافہ واپس۔۔ عدالت کا فیصلہ؟ [Great news on a holiday! Petrol price hike rescinded. Court order?]”
- “پٹرول کی قیمت واپس؟ ڈالر کی قیمت میں بھی بڑی کمی۔ نگران حکومت کا بڑا سرپرائز ۔۔ فیصلہ ہو گیا؟ [Petrol price down? Big drop in the price of dollar. Caretaker government’s big surprise. Decision made?]”
The videos were also shared on YouTube here, here, here, here, here, and here.
— Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan (@Financegovpk) September 15, 2023
Fuel prices in Pakistan have consistently been on the rise, with the latest hike (archive) bringing petrol and diesel to PKR 331.38 (USD 1.14) and PKR 329.18 (USD 1.13) a litre, respectively.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check watched all the Facebook and YouTube videos but found nothing to match the claims made in the thumbnails of the news bulletins.
The first Facebook video includes a news package on petrol prices but states that people have demanded that the hike be rescinded. Another package mentions that the move to increase petrol prices has been challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC), with a petition to reverse the decision and a request to set a hearing quickly.
It is, therefore, a false claim that a petrol price increase has been cancelled or that an announcement of a reduction or new prices is expected.
Also read: 24 News creates panic with claim of 150 dead in a ‘blast’
The second Facebook video has a news package on an announcement by Punjab’s caretaker chief minister, Mohsin Naqvi, to approve free Metro Bus and Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) rides for the “disabled, elderly, and students”. The decision was actually taken by Punjab’s caretaker transport minister, Ibrahim Hasan Murad, not the federal government.
CM Naqvi also stated that the prices of Metro Bus tickets have not been increased despite costlier fuel and that his government was working with the private sector to expand public transport.
The third and fourth Facebook videos mention nothing about petrol, court decisions, the US dollar or any “surprise” as is claimed.
Read more: Fake 24 News bulletin claims alcohol found in TLP’s Saad Rizivi’s car
Moving on to the six YouTube videos, the first three contain the same content as above.
The fourth YouTube video focuses on Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa’s oath-taking ceremony.
The fifth and sixth YouTube videos have nothing about petrol, the US dollar or any “surprise” as is claimed.
All videos except one, therefore, carry false claims in their thumbnails. The one claiming the “caretaker government provides big relief as petrol becomes expensive” is mostly true but misleading in that the decision was taken by the Punjab government and applies to that province only.
Related: Imran Khan’s statement after meeting with Bosnian President taken out of context
This is not the first time 24 News has been caught employing clickbait tactics to peddle baseless and misleading reports. Soch Fact Check has previously investigated the channel’s posts in the past here and here.
Virality
Soch Fact Check has listed the number of views the videos gained as of writing time.
- First Facebook video: over 97,000
- Second Facebook video over 69,000
- Third Facebook video over 657,000
- Fourth Facebook video over 211,000
- First YouTube video over 116,000
- Second YouTube video over 30,000
- Third YouTube video over 307,000
- Fourth YouTube video over 3,000
- Fifth YouTube video over 62,000
- Sixth YouTube video over 10,000
Conclusion: All 24 News videos, except one, carry false claims in their thumbnails. Only one clip — which claims that Pakistan’s caretaker government has provided relief after a petrol price hike — has mostly true content but that, too, is misleading as that decision was taken by the Punjab government and applies to Punjab only, not across the country.
(USD 1 = PKR 290.14)
To submit an appeal on our fact-check, please send an email to appeals@sochfactcheck.com
[…] clickbait thumbnails, similar to those that we have investigated before, two of which are available here and […]