Editorial: Perilous programmes

Sections of Indian media have been in such a sorry state of affairs that two advisories — one by the I&B Ministry and another by the Defence Ministry — had to be issued to counsel them to act responsibly. They had to be advised to refrain from broadcasting and sharing details of defence operations or the movement of troops, as it could endanger lives and undermine operational effectiveness. The media in question have not learned from the past, either from the coverage of the Kargil War in 1999 or the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008.

Unlike newspapers, television channels, and digital and social media entities are capable of 24/7 instantaneous dissemination of textual and visual information and this time too, both have been accused of crossing the line. Ironically, some of the television channels which were alleged to be pro-government have turned out to be the worst culprits. The advisories have to be seen in the context of the importance of timing, secrecy and deception in military operations, which were emphasised by military thinkers and strategists from Sun Tzu to Carl von Clausewitz. Unwittingly divulging critical information will only help the other side.

Another serious danger posed by irresponsible media programmes is creating hype and hysteria based on fake information. Usually, the enemy camp engages in malicious and dangerous misinformation as part of psychological operations or “psyops”. In the last few days, and especially on Thursday night, many television channels spewed fake information that was both embarrassing and perilous. The whipping up of war hysteria can be deeply problematic. It would raise people’s expectations disproportionately and unrealistically higher levels. As a result, sometimes it may lead to unwarranted adventurism or become an obstacle to taking appropriate decisions. For instance, about de-escalation, even when it is judicious and therefore strategically necessary.

The third problem is the dissemination of hate content that promotes enmity between different sections of society during a crisis. The shrill and divisive rhetoric often found in television and social media content sows seeds of discord and hostility among citizens in a plural and democratic society. In fact, when opposition parties and other legitimate critics rallied behind the government, some media outlets, journalists and IT cell operatives were hell-bent on ruining this unity. If they are allowed to act with impunity during peacetime, it will become difficult to rein them in during external conflict. Once the dust settles, there is a need to introspect about this anti-democratic aspect and initiate corrective steps.

With the rise of the internet, messaging apps like WhatsApp and social media platforms, citizens are not only increasingly getting their news, both genuine and fake, from these places but are also creating and recycling information through them. Studies have shown how vested interests have been misusing these platforms as vehicles of misinformation for manipulating public opinion. Again, during the crisis, this becomes a major problem. Therefore, citizens should seek information from official briefings or news reports published by credible news organisations.

Lastly, regular communication to citizens and allowing space for alternative voices and views are equally important for achieving success. The official briefings have received due appreciation from different quarters. The democratic government should also have a transparent, discerning and fair mechanism, which should include media organisations too, to collectively decide about blocking news websites or journalistic social media accounts. It should be done not only for optics but also to gain from divergent perspectives.