Is the Sri Lanka Army's Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) the 3rd best in the world? According to @TimesOnlineLK, @Dailymirror_SL & @SriLankaMirror (quoting Daily Mirror) they are. But is this true, or are @sjayasiri et al at Wijeya at dishing out #misinformation? #lka

Things start to go awry when, not for the 1st time, the story disappears off @Dailymirror_SL's website soon after publication. However, it's still on the e-version of the newspaper, went up in print, is archived on Google Cache & still on @TimesOnlineLK's site. #lka

Source of ranking is site called http://militaryranks.info . The site has 0 details of ownership, authors, location or method used for ranking. There's *0 credibility to site*, mirrored on FB page. Screenshot sent to me indicates FB page once had Kandy listed on it, since deleted!

The 'Military Heaven' #Facebook page, which is associated with the Military Ranks website, tellingly has 3 Sri Lankan administrators. It also has a really interesting selection of pages the admin's have liked, which don't exactly support credibility of site/content/rankings. #lka

In June, the 'Military Heaven' page which @Dailymirror_SL & @TimesOnlineLK see credible enough to print on front page, ran this - which is a ranking of guns & a woman thrown into the mix too. Will @sjayasiri also run results of this in the newspaper, one wonders? #lka

Here's the problem: @Dailymirror_SL's post on Facebook feat. bogus ranking shared by 22 other pages w/ a potential reach of 2,035,282 followers. Cumulatively, the article generated 1,846 likes, 203 comments & 600+ shares. The #'s are growing, despite deletion of article on site.

The Facebook pages sharing this story, its own story. These accounts are some of the most active in perennially partisan content seed, spread & propaganda production I track. Most linked to those now in power/government. #lka #misinformation

Why does @Dailymirror_SL publish/promote bogus rankings? Cui bono? Perhaps those sharing article on Facebook give a hint. Clear that traditional media (a key) source of #misinformation's seed & spread in #srilanka. Daily Mirror itself should only be sold in toiletries aisle. #lka