Do conflicts make truth-telling difficult?

• The escalation of military tensions between India and Pakistan has led to a surge in misinformation and disinformation online.

• Media outlets have published sensational stories with unverified claims and disseminated fake pictures and videos.

• Jingoism often drives the public response to these misinformations.

• Nirupama Subramanian and Pratik Sinha discuss the issue of establishing the truth during a conflict.

• Subramanian argues that Indian media houses have not framed rules for coverage of conflicts, which is a concern given India’s history of military conflicts with Pakistan and China.

• Sinha argues that the only rules for journalism are the basic rules for journalism – to inform the public with accuracy, verify information from the government and adversary, and collect information from multiple sources.

• Sinha argues that misinformation is strategized across multiple layers and depends on who needs to set the narrative.

• The shift in propaganda strategy from social media to mainstream media has led to a surge in misinformation.

War Propaganda on Social Media in Pakistan

• The war propaganda is often directed at citizens, making it difficult for journalists to present the horrors of war.

• The government uses punitive measures to demand loyalty, such as shutting down news organizations and blocking online news organizations.

• Journalists are urged to understand the realities of the conflict, as it is important to understand the people in Pakistan.

• The power differential in a military conflict can lead to journalists being compelled to suspend their questioning of the government to boost the war effort.

• Governments justify this by claiming it is about troop morale.

• The extent of what India lost during China’s incursions into Indian territory in 2020 is unknown, and the government is not providing information about losses.

• The normative role of media is to ask questions to power, but even asking questions is seen as a problem.

• The government blocks critical work like Hindutva Watch, which documents hate crimes and hate speech, to suppress criticism.

• The Indian media is in a crisis, with no access to well-rounded information and the Foreign Secretary being trolled.

• The government’s control over the narrative is limited, and it cannot control all aspects of the conflict.