After the IAF air strikes were carried out on Pakistan’s Balakot on 26 February, many news channels and online media resorted to some strange tactics to grab eyeballs. From fire-exhaling dragons to anchors dressed in military uniform, Indian media’s coverage of the India-Pak stand-off, in many instances, went a little overboard, not to mention the amount of unverified information that spread like wildfire.
Twitter picked some of these bizarre coverage stories and lamented.
Dragons On the Studio Floor
Sudarshan News’s promo of a discussion on the air strikes and the aftermath featured a fire-spitting Managing Editor Suresh Chavhanke wielding a trishul at Pakistan’s map along with Major Gen (retired) GD Bakshi. The news flash read, “The Roar of General GD Bakshi and Suresh Chavhanke.”
“Jokers”, one Twitter user called them.
Ready For Combat?
TV9 Telugu, for some reason, decided that the studio anchor needed to carry a toy gun and be dressed in army uniform when talking about the air defence systems being on high alert. The studio was made to look like a ‘war room’ with graphics as well.
Twitter users shared the image and called it “pathetic” and “ridiculous”.
Why Lata Mangeshkar?
In another bizarre instance, India Today Television roped in singer Lata Mangeshkar for a telecon on the day of the Balakot air strike and asked her what she thought of the incident. We are still wondering why and was it even necessary?
Twitter users poked fun at this too.
In the World of Bad Puns
Soon after the Balakot air strikes, news channels reported that the brother-in-law of JeM Chief Masood Azhar was killed in the attack. The news wasn’t verified, but what was more disturbing was how ABP News coined the phrase – ‘Aaj saale ko maara’. The attempt at pun left us face-palming.
After Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released from their custody, Republic TV ran the news with the slug, ‘TITANIC WIN FOR INDIA’. But, didn’t the Titanic sink, asked Twitter.
The Indian media also quoted a lot of ‘anonymous’ and ‘top’ sources this week apart from general chatter and passed it off as news .
Twitter criticised those who quoted anonymous sources and called them “TRP hungry”.
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