Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The controversy surrounding an alleged Pakistan-linked digital platform, Human Online, covering the CJP protests with a ground reporter in New Delhi has spread like wildfire online.
The allegations first surfaced after its reporter’s coverage of the protests went viral. “Journalist working on Pakistan’s payroll,” some users claimed on X.
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The scrutiny soon shifted from the young reporter to her organisation, Human Online, raising questions about the alleged Pakistan links of a media company reporting from the streets of New Delhi.
India Today’s OSINT team traced the digital footprints of Human Online and its founders to piece together the facts behind the controversy.
The Network
The digital trail revealed three key details that could be independently verified.
For one, Facebook’s Page Transparency section still shows that Human Online’s pages are being operated from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Then there is the question of where the organisation is based. While Human Online currently lists offices in the United States and Saudi Arabia, an archived version of its 2024 website listed Nagpur, India, as its location. The details were later changed to Dubai and Saudi Arabia, with the United States subsequently added.
And finally, its LinkedIn profile offers another connection to Pakistan. Of the 16 employees listed on the platform, 14 are based in Pakistan.
The organisation’s social media profiles have also undergone several changes, with its username changed four times on X and nine times on Facebook.
Platform Disputes the Charges
India Today spoke to Human Online’s global head, Namrata Surjoorm. “Human Online is a growing global media platform with a diverse, international team handling different functions from various parts of the world,” she said. She also disputed the screenshots circulating online, saying the “images circulating online appear to be morphed and are being used to damage our reputation.”
However, the organisation did not directly address questions about its links to Pakistan, hiring practices or editorial policies.
Its YouTube channel, meanwhile, tells a different story from its website. While the videos uploaded on YouTube focus exclusively on India and Pakistan, the website carries a more balanced spread of stories, without any apparent bias.
Human Online’s founder, Mohammed Jahangir, also serves as General Manager at ePage Global, a digital marketing company credited with developing Human Online’s website. ePage Global primarily serves the Saudi market, with offices in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, and a technical office in Hyderabad.
While Human Online presents itself as a global media organisation, India Today found several instances in which it used terms such as “India-occupied Kashmir” and “Azad Kashmir” in its coverage of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Reporter
The controversy initially stemmed from the reporter who goes by the name Garima. Her earliest Instagram post dates back to September 12, 2024. She went viral for her natural, confident reporting style and fluent command of English.
Even in her initial videos, Garima appeared at ease before the camera, consistently raising questions about government policies and decisions. Her reporting covered a wide range of subjects, from animal cruelty and women’s rights to some of the biggest news stories of the day.
Her first post with Human Online appeared just five weeks ago, in September. Since then, her Instagram profile has featured a steady stream of ground reports, interviews and event coverage in collaboration with the organisation. She also extensively covered the BRICS event held in New Delhi on September 12–13, conducting interviews for Human Online. But it was her reporting from the latest CJP protests that drew widespread attention, with her videos getting lakhs of views.
Then, an unusual connection involving her organisation surfaced. Users on X began questioning Human Online’s alleged links to Pakistan, as screenshots circulated showing the organisation’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and X listing Pakistan as their base. The location details were subsequently changed, raising further questions about the organisation’s origins.
Interestingly, the company was also seen advertising volunteer opportunities for reporters and journalists from Bangladesh, the Philippines and the United States.
In one of the advertised hiring posts on its website under its “Global Contributor Program” Human Online mentioned that “applicants must have their own established readership and a strong digital presence across one or more social media platforms with an engaged audience and consistent content output” as an “important requirement” for the job.
The controversy spotlights a gap in influencer-led online reporting in India where publications with grey backgrounds could influence political reportage.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
