In an era where a forwarded message can shape public opinion faster than verified information, Forwarded as Received by public policy expert and journalist Saadia Azim takes a close look at how misinformation has become embedded in everyday life.
The book argues that misinformation no longer spreads only through sensational fake news. Instead, it often travels quietly through familiar WhatsApp forwards, social media posts, and repeated claims that gradually gain the appearance of truth. By examining how repetition, familiarity, and digital behaviour influence public perception, the book explores the growing challenge of distinguishing fact from falsehood.
Drawing on extensive research and grounded in the realities of the Global South, Forwarded as Received traces how routine acts of sharing information contribute to larger ecosystems of distortion. It examines the consequences of manipulated narratives, half-truths, and algorithm-driven amplification, highlighting their impact on public discourse, social trust, democratic institutions, and inequality.
Rather than focusing solely on technology, the book places human behaviour at the centre of the discussion, asking readers to reconsider the everyday choices they make while consuming and sharing information online.
Saadia Azim brings more than 25 years of experience in governance, journalism, public communication, and research to the subject. She currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the Government of West Bengal’s flagship digital public service delivery programme, overseeing a network of more than 5,000 digital kiosks across the state.
Her work on digital misinformation, governance, and algorithmic bias has been published in the Internet Society Blog, ISOC Pulse, the Global Media Journal, and several scholarly publications on media and democracy. Based in Kolkata, Azim combines academic research with field-level experience to examine how misinformation travels through everyday social and digital networks.
Forwarded as Received offers a timely exploration of one of the defining challenges of the digital age, encouraging readers to question not only the information they receive but also the role they play in its spread.
