In India, fake news is not merely an accident — it often thrives with indirect government backing. The common and innocent citizens of the country are misled into believing propaganda as legitimate news. During Operation Sindoor, the limits of fake reporting were pushed beyond imagination by the so-called ‘Godi Media’. Many channels even falsely showcased that India had captured almost the entirety of Pakistan.
In countries with strict laws and an aware public, such media houses would have already been banned. But in India, the situation is quite the opposite — because fake news helps in glorifying the government and simultaneously fooling the public.
This very propaganda machinery has normalized violent acts like mob lynching across the country. It was only due to an FIR and the exposure of the truth in the Karri Mohammad Iqbal case that the facts came to light. Otherwise, the same news channels had already declared him a Pakistani terrorist. Even court orders seem to have no effect on these channels.
Such incidents raise serious concerns about media ethics, press freedom, and the urgent need for media accountability in a democratic nation.
