The Death of Trust : Indian Media's Downfall

Indian television media is slowly becoming a broken and unreliable system, one that is increasingly difficult to trust. Educated individuals—those genuinely seeking knowledge—often turn to both government and private news channels hoping to find meaningful information. But once they tune in, all they encounter are five clowns debating and a sixth clown moderating them.

A carefully manufactured environment is created, manipulating viewers through tactics of Attraction, Interest, Desire, and Acquisition—the classic marketing model—only to deceive both the audience and the panelists themselves. The so-called "debates" revolve around topics like religion, caste-based reservations, controversial remarks on faith, mob lynchings, and Hindu-Muslim tensions.

The real problem lies in the fact that these corrupt channels survive and thrive because there's a section of Indian society that is not only interested in such issues but also addicted to them. Even if someone isn't initially interested, the media creates such a sensationalized atmosphere that interest is bound to develop.

It's not just about what they do—there’s a deeper issue. If one channel doesn't cover these divisive topics, another one aligned with the opposition's ideology will definitely pick them up and sensationalize them.

On the other end of the spectrum, there's a set of journalists who present themselves as completely anti-government. Take someone like Mr. Kumar, for instance—he critiques the government in such a manner that it seems as if the ruling party has never done a single good deed. These journalists specifically target the anti-government audience and cater to that sentiment to sustain themselves.

The tragedy is that the average citizen—one who isn't well-informed—neither understands the nuances nor tries to. They blindly accept whichever ideology is served to them, believing it to be the truth.

Then came the era of YouTube. People felt hopeful—finally, there might be some neutral, unbiased journalism. But what actually happened? As soon as the government realized people were shifting to YouTube for news, their spokespersons and followers also made the move. Now, YouTube is flooded with self-proclaimed defense experts and geopolitical analysts whose qualifications are questionable at best.

We’ve reached a point where today’s younger generation—spending their entire day on Instagram reels—doesn't even realize that something called a "newspaper" once existed, a medium that used to present real, verified facts. And by the time they do realize it, they’ll find that newspapers have been reduced to mere advertising pamphlets.

It feels like we’ve gone back in time. Just like the kings of old had their personal poets to glorify them, today’s governments have their personal editors and media houses to sing their praises. And what can people do? Those who try to speak the truth often end up behind bars—take Neha Singh Rathore, for example.

Unemployment doesn’t even seem to be a relevant issue anymore. The unemployed now have access to cheap internet, which they use to stream adult content or binge-watch web series full of profanity. When they finally decide to check the news, all they find are reports of dogs fighting or some irrelevant brawls.

Personally, I’ve completely lost faith in newspapers and television news channels. I’ve come up with my own method now: I watch both kinds of news—one where the government is praised endlessly, and the other where it's relentlessly criticized. Then I analyze both sides myself to determine what’s actually true and what’s not.

Operation sindoor was one instance when India media made it clear that it is not trustworthy.

I believe this is the best way forward. We must become smart and discerning viewers. Otherwise, these channels will turn us into slaves of one ideology or another, and we’ll start believing whatever they feed us.

Think about it—just like in cricket, I enjoy Dhoni’s sixes, Kohli’s cover drives, and Rohit’s pull shots. Why should I limit myself to admiring just one player? If I become a fan of only one, I’ll start criticizing the others. But if I appreciate all of them, I can understand both their strengths and weaknesses.

So let’s be smart. Let’s stay aware. And before believing anything, let’s do our own research and analysis.