The suspension of the disbelief required to follow the Indian media these days must qualify as an extreme sport. One imagines the spectators who need a cup of tea and a lie later, even if it is only to reorient with reality.
Consider, for example, the ‘waiver’ with breath that has been transmitted by several Indian news channels regarding the campaign of their military against Pakistan. During the broadcasts on Thursday night, one said that Islamabad had fallen, another that Peshawar had been bombarded; One that Lahore was in the sights of the Indian tanks, and another that the port of Karachi was on fire. One promised that an F-16 had been shot down, while another that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had delivered. But it was the group of ‘experts’ live Times now Transmitted, which proclaimed with enthusiasm that a land invasion of Pakistan was underway, which really captured the absurdity of everything.
The truth is the first victim of war, but, nevertheless, it is discordant to witness his murder on such an industrial scale. That the fog of the war darkens the truth is understandable, but for the writing rooms to actively add to the fog instead of trying to pierce it, less. That said, the media on this side of the border are not above guilt either. Some television channels and the so -called experts that appear in them have been acting irresponsibly. They should avoid unconfirmed or not verified reports and concentrate more on sensitive reports.
But at least the Pakistani media are publicly censored when they cannot do justice to their duty. Many will openly affirm that they do not trust that they report reliably and reliable and will be more open to what independent sources and foreign media have to say. One wonders if there is a similar level of self -awareness next door, where the main news networks seem to participate in a race to overcome in the patriotic theater, without being of any discernible restriction.
The reports that social media and goal platforms have been “legally” forced to block thousands of accounts to protect New Delhi narratives should invite global concern for the health of the so -called “largest democracy” in the world. Moreover because the “information” that is fed to the Indian people is obviously false, dangerously misleading and designed to prepare base feelings. The irresponsibility of the media can lead to the creation of unrealistic expectations in the minds of common people, and these expectations, when they are not satisfied, often become pressure on leaders so that they ‘make more’ against the perceived enemy. This is how skirmishes become battles and battles in complete wars. Repeat that in times of crisis, it is the work of journalists to inform, do not inflate. The abandonment of this duty has dangerous consequences of the real world. The media on both sides of the border would do well to pay attention to this warning.
Posted in Dawn, May 10, 2025
