CNN-IBN Using Fake Tweets & Twitter IDs To Legalise Lobbying ?

Dalalmedia has come up with a post, with supporting evidence, that CNN-IBN used fake Twitter IDs and fake tweets in support of legalising lobbying. This was on the program hosted by Rajdeep Sardesai on December 16. Here's an excerpt from the site: 

CNN-IBN MEDIA MANIPULATION: CAUGHT RED HANDED 
WITH INCRIMINATING EVIDENCES
I was watching the programme ‘Should Lobbying be Legalised’ a debate chaired and moderated by Rajdeep Sardesai in CNN-IBN’s website. The Programme was aired on 16/12/2010 and was available in the CNN-IBN website. Customarily in such programmes they run Twitter comments to reflect from social media supposedly to show what the public believe and say.  I was appalled to find that these comments were manipulated, i.e. ghost created and run by IBN’s own team, all those dubious comments seem to reflect the sentiments and to show and thrust the fact that people are for ‘LOBBYING’ and they support  ‘LEGALISING LOBBYING’. Please see and read the comments yourself from screenshots of the programme. On suspicion, I crossed checked the twitter handles that were shown in the programme and none were authentic or existing....

Read the full article with picture grabs from CNN-IBN and Twitter at Dalalmedia.

In an earlier post today I had written about Rajdeep Sardesai being unfit to sermonise any one on media responsibilities. If the twitter scam reported above is correct then he is not just a poor journalist, he would also be a poor liar. Increasingly, the media shoots itself in the foot with lies, but now the new method of fake tweets is another feather in its dirty cap. CNN-IBN has some explaining to do.

Read my previous post: Rajdeep Sardesai To Sermonise On Role & Responsibilities Of Media ? 


UPDATE (17/12/2010 - 7.45PM):  Since the issue of fake tweets was taken up by many bloggers CNN-IBN has acknowledged the goof with a flimsy explanation. However, the channel has issued an apology and that should settle the matter there. (Read their apology here)