New Delhi – May 10, 2025 — In an alarming display of media sensationalism, several Indian news channels are receiving significant public condemnation for what many critics are labeling an “invention of war” — broadcasting exaggerated and even made-up reports of large-scale military conflict with Pakistan which never actually happened.
Early this week, television programs broadcast dramatic footage claiming India had conducted “massive retaliatory strikes” across the Line of Control to destroy enemy installations, potentially pushing their nuclear-armed neighbors closer towards open war. Headlines like “India Responds with Fury!” and “10 Pakistani Bases Destroyed Overnight Blitz” quickly spread throughout India.
As quickly as the media made claims of military operations between India and Pakistan, official government sources quickly refuted them. India’s Ministry of Defence issued a carefully worded statement emphasizing no formal military operation had taken place while Pakistan dismissed media narratives as being “purely fictional, dangerously inflamatory, and irresponsible.”
Analysts and independent fact-checkers quickly pointed out the numerous inconsistencies in the footage broadcast, which included recycled visuals from previous training exercises, mislabeled satellite images, and even clips taken directly from video games. Still, some news anchors doubled down on fueling nationalist sentiment while predicting “looming full-scale conflict”.
Anuradha Bhasin, executive editor of a regional newspaper noted: “This is not simply poor journalism; this is manufactured hysteria.” Media houses had crossed over into entertainment mode while playing with emotions of millions while fuelling tension between two nations already fraught.
This spectacle has attracted global concern. The United Nations urged media outlets in both nations to act responsibly during times of high tension; misinformation could have devastating repercussions and could prove devastatingly inaccurate.
Critics assert that Indian television media has become increasingly polarized and profit-driven, prioritizing ratings over facts. Incentivization to break news first – no matter its accuracy – has contributed to fear-mongering and jingoism during India-Pakistan flareups.
Journalism professors and watchdog organizations have called for immediate regulatory scrutiny of media sources, and have encouraged citizens to access news from credible and diverse sources. “Once media ceases questioning for its own pleasure rather than performing for democracy”, warned media ethics professor Ravi Menon.
Even though no shots were fired across borders, public trust may have been irreparably damaged. Even if an invented war was manufactured — its consequences in an unstable geopolitical climate remain real and profound.