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Indian Media Spread Fake News During Recent India-Pakistan Tensions
Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan in early May, Indian mainstream media outlets flooded the airwaves with fake news and doctored visuals, creating widespread anxiety and confusion among citizens.
On May 7, 23-year-old Ifrah Khalil Kawa, a peace and conflict studies student at Delhi’s Jamia Millia University, saw television reports claiming Pakistan had attacked her hometown of Sopore in Indian-administered Kashmir. Panicked, she immediately called her mother, only to learn the news was fabricated.
“When you are consistently being fed fake news 24/7, even a rational person starts behaving irrationally,” Kawa told Al Jazeera Journalism Review. “More than myself, I was worried about my mother back home. She kept calling, updating me with what she heard on the news, without realizing most of it was fake.”
The situation had already been tense following an April 22 militant attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan—allegations Islamabad denied. Tensions escalated further when India claimed to have attacked nine “terrorist targets” in Pakistan on the night of May 7-8, prompting Pakistan to retaliate.
As military exchanges unfolded, Indian television news channels amplified the crisis with sensationalist coverage. Many aired footage from unrelated conflicts, presenting clips from Israeli attacks on Gaza and destruction in Lebanon as evidence of Indian strikes on Pakistani cities.
Pratik Sinha, co-founder and editor of fact-checking platform Alt News, observed that both countries were directing propaganda inward toward their own citizens rather than outward. “Someone sitting in Karachi won’t believe what Indian media is reporting, but someone in Agra might,” Sinha explained. “With a complete blackout of information, while both countries were engaged in information warfare, each was also conducting disinformation warfare against its people.”
The disinformation campaign reached absurd proportions. Various channels made outlandish claims: India TV News reported Indian forces had captured Islamabad; Zee News declared Pakistan had surrendered; and Republic Bangla announced that “Pakistan will be finished today” following an alleged attack on Karachi port that never occurred.
Television studios transformed into theatrical war rooms, complete with air raid sirens, helicopter sounds, and maps of Pakistan marked with targets. The situation became so problematic that India’s Ministry of Home Affairs issued an advisory warning media outlets to stop using civil defense air raid siren sounds in their programming.
“The routine use of sirens may reduce the sensitivity of civilians towards the Air Raid Sirens, and civilians may misunderstand it as a routine matter during actual air raids,” the advisory stated.
Social media platforms further amplified the disinformation, with old videos being recirculated as evidence of current clashes. Abhilash Mallick, Associate Editor for fact-checking at The Quint, said his team identified numerous fake viral videos, including AI-generated deepfakes of Pakistani officials admitting military losses.
“A lot of people jump the gun to publish or share something they cannot verify and have to later take it back,” Mallick noted, adding that many journalists posted unverified information on their social media accounts.
The journalistic malpractice drew sharp criticism. Rajiv Sharma, Chief Spokesperson for the Pradesh Congress Committee in Chandigarh, compiled a list of blatant falsehoods broadcast by major networks, concluding that “such fake news being aired in India is making us a laughing stock in the world.”
Senior journalist and author Gowhar Geelani was more direct, calling Indian television media “India’s national embarrassment.” He told AJR that “the manner in which prime time anchors spread fake news, peddled propaganda and misinformation during the recent escalation between arch rivals would have easily put both Otto Dietrich and Joseph Goebbels—Hitler’s Nazi Propagandists—to shame.”
The erosion of journalistic standards has created difficult choices for journalism students. Mohammad Kasim, Professor at the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre at Jamia Millia Islamia, noted that “in India, news today has become a different genre of entertainment.”
“Students express a strong desire to uphold the ethics of journalism,” Kasim explained. “But in the end, they also have to make ends meet, and with very few credible media houses available, choosing ethics over journalism will be difficult.”
As tensions between India and Pakistan eased following U.S. intervention, Kawa booked a flight home to be with her family. “While the de-escalation is a relief, some channels still warn that things could turn ugly again. I want to be with my family if that happens,” she said.
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12 Comments
This episode highlights the need for greater media accountability and transparency. Fact-checking and rigorous verification should be standard practice, not exceptions.
This is a concerning trend of fake news amplification. Media outlets must verify information thoroughly before reporting, to avoid exacerbating tensions and misleading the public.
I agree, fact-checking and impartial reporting are vital. Spreading unverified claims can have serious consequences.
Disseminating misinformation during a volatile geopolitical climate is extremely reckless. Media outlets must uphold the highest ethical standards to maintain public trust.
Absolutely. Public panic and confusion can have serious consequences, so reliable reporting is essential.
Journalists have a responsibility to verify information and report accurately, especially on sensitive geopolitical issues. Disseminating false claims is a serious breach of ethics.
Worrying to see Indian media spreading disinformation and causing public panic. Responsible journalism is crucial, especially during sensitive geopolitical situations.
Fabricating news stories and spreading misinformation is a dangerous practice that should be condemned. The public deserves truthful, responsible reporting.
Responsible journalism is critical, especially on sensitive topics like India-Pakistan relations. Spreading unverified claims is irresponsible and can escalate tensions.
The impact of this disinformation campaign is deeply troubling. Citizens deserve accurate, reliable information from their media, not fabricated stories that incite panic.
It’s alarming to see Indian media engaging in such blatant disinformation. This undermines the credibility of the press and erodes public confidence.
This is a troubling development that could have far-reaching implications. Robust fact-checking and editorial oversight are needed to prevent the spread of false narratives.