This time the government has done a 'fact check' of the media reports. The government is saying that this is not correct, this is the reality.
"Final attack on Pakistan started", "Capital of Pakistan, Islamabad occupied", "Half of Pakistan destroyed", "Indian fighter plane took off from Jammu airport", "Indian army entered Pakistan". After the Pahalgam incident, as the India-Pakistan conflict escalated, these are the headlines run by the television channel called Indian Mainstream. The tension and hostility between the two neighboring countries India and Pakistan is increasing.
But Indian televisions are sounding louder than the war. Also, Pakistani media is daring to spread the same rumours . Regular briefings by the military and the foreign ministry on both sides seem reliable and calm. But the sensational news of the so-called mainstream media is only making the common people panic .
Journalist Ravish Kumar once said, 'Stop watching television .' In 2019, he said, 'If you want to save your citizenship, stop watching the news channel.' If you want to play the role of a responsible citizen in a democracy, stop watching news channels.' Ravish, who left NDTV and started YouTube called Ravish Kumar Official, has given the same message even now. He says, 'Don't watch TV, I don't remember when I said but don't watch TV.' However, the TV is broadcasting fake news to increase the blood pressure which is not increased by the war.
The lies of the attacks have been spread one after the other in the media and social media of both countries . As a result, panic has arisen among the general public. In a conversation with the Washington Post, Michael Kugelman, an expert on South Asian affairs, says that the government-leaning Indian media has run a large number of fake news. His statement is natural because Hindi channels, which are considered to be effective and mainstream in India, carried the news from New Delhi's destruction of Karachi port to the capture of Islamabad. Not only that, some media also spread rumors that Pakistani army chief Asim Munir might be arrested. Kugelman's comment is that he has spread lies by communicating information that most people cannot believe.
Not only that, the media and social media on both sides of Pakistan and India have posted video game footage and claimed that it is a video of the current conflict. The fact of which has been checked by the editor of Alt News, Mohammad Zubair.
This time the government has fact-checked the news of the media. The government is saying that this is not correct, the reality is this. There is a flood of 'misinformation' more than 'information' from the so-called Indian television. Due to the flood of fake news, the Ministry of Defense issued an advisory to all channels, digital platforms and general public. It is mentioned in the advisory that if the news is sensitive and source-based, there may be a threat to military operations and personal lives. The ministry has also mentioned examples of challenges arising from premature or uncontrolled reporting in incidents like
Kargil war, 26/11 Mumbai attack, Kandahar kidnapping. India had faced war before. But another journalist Aunindyo Chakraborty says that rumors were not spread in this way at that time . After working for a long time in NDTV, Chakraborty now runs a YouTube channel called 'Desi Democracy'. "Even if edited and corrected, 90% of stories during the Kargil war were broadcast only after the briefing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
Media is spreading news with ultra-nationalist lines with misleading information . While the mainstream media is broadcasting misleading and dramatic news, the Indian government has ordered the blocking of more than 8,000 X (Twitter) accounts. According to The Wire, which includes some journalists, media organizations and accounts reporting on human rights.
Maulvi Qari Mohammad Iqbal, who was killed in firing from Pakistani soil, was called a terrorist by Indian television. But it had to be denied by the locals and the police. 46-year-old Iqbal was a teacher at Madrasa Zia-ul-Uloom in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. National channels like ABP and Zee News ran headlines like 'Mitti Mein Mila Most Wanted Terrorist', 'Mara Gaya Kari Mohammad Iqbal'.
But the police have called this news baseless and misleading. The police statement said, 'The deceased Maulana Mohammad Iqbal was a respected religious person in the local community and had no connection with any terrorist organization. Misreporting of such a sensitive incident creates unnecessary fear . It also disrespects the dignity of the deceased and the feelings of the bereaved family.' The statement of the police also mentions that media institutions, journalists and some individuals who spread such false news will be prosecuted according to the law. Siddharth Varadarajan, founding editor of
'The Wire', also says that Indian channels spread rumors from the destruction of the Karachi port by the Indian Navy to the capture of Islamabad . 'Wire' was blocked by the government for about 15 hours on Friday due to news publication . Varadarajan says that they are carrying out their constitutional responsibility and publishing true and factual news. Not only
journalists, leaders are also asking the general public to avoid misleading news. Tejashwi Yadav, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, who is also the leader of Rashtriya Janata Dal, says, 'I join hands with the friends of the media and humbly request them to show sensitivity, caution and responsibility while reporting on matters related to national security and comply with the guidelines and rules of the Government of India . Some channels are doing different journalism with the help of animated videos and AI for views.'
India has launched 'Operation Sindoor' since Wednesday after the death of 26 tourists including one Nepali in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April. The conflict between the two countries has also caused human losses on both sides. Official information was given that 31 deaths were reported on the Pakistan side and 16 on the Indian side till Thursday midnight, but the number after that has not been updated.
