A recent New York Times investigation has revealed the role of Indian media disinformation in escalating tensions during a brief military standoff between India and Pakistan. Mainstream outlets in India aired a wave of sensational and false reports, including fabricated claims of airstrikes on a Pakistani nuclear facility, downed jets, and attacks on the Karachi port, all of which were later debunked.

According to the NYT, trusted Indian broadcasters presented stories with maps and assertive commentary, claiming Indian forces had “destroyed a Pakistani nuclear base,” “downed two Pakistani fighter jets,” and attacked “the strategic Karachi port.” As the Times emphasized, “none of it was true.”

The India-Pakistan war narrative flooded social media, blurring the line between fact and fiction. Analysts raised alarms when this misinformation was not confined to fringe sources but was echoed by mainstream channels. “Trusted Indian media outlets, once seen as independent, appeared to abandon editorial rigor in favor of nationalistic fervor,” the report noted, adding that anchors often acted as “cheerleaders for war between two nuclear-armed states.”

Fabricated stories, viral misinformation

One debunked claim involved a strike on a Pakistani nuclear site, which supposedly caused radiation leaks. Another report of a Navy bombardment of Karachi gained traction using visuals later traced to Gaza. Despite being false, these stories circulated widely, with search terms like “Karachi” and “Karachi Port” trending on the social media platform X.

Daniel Silverman, a political science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, told the Times that disinformation is “designed to incite, sometimes to conceal as well, but predominantly to escalate emotions in content that’s very engagement friendly.”

Among those who addressed their outlet's errors was India Today anchor Rajdeep Sardesai. He acknowledged airing unverified claims that Pakistani fighter jets had been shot down.

In his apology, Sardesai said the broadcast “had not been proven at the moment.” On his YouTube vlog, he expanded on this, calling the spread of disinformation “part of a deliberate campaign by the right-wing disinformation machine under the guise of national interest.”

Modi media control, erosion of free speech

The Times further highlighted how India’s media environment has changed under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Since 2014, there has been a “steady erosion of free speech,” with major outlets increasingly aligned with state narratives. The report notes that many media houses now function as promoters of government policy, while dissenting platforms face mounting pressure.

This media manipulation in India, according to observers, is part of a broader trend that undermines editorial independence and fuels disinformation during times of national crisis.

One of the few organizations countering these narratives is Alt News, a small fact-checking platform. Its founder, Pratik Sinha, warned that “the information ecosystem is broken.” His team has documented false reports in Indian news, including misleading broadcasts from major networks like Aaj Tak and News18.

But fact-checking comes at a cost. “Fact-checking,” Sinha noted, “has a cost.” The site faces defamation suits and harassment while struggling with limited resources.

With over 200 million households owning a television and 450 private news channels, the impact of Indian media disinformation is far-reaching, especially when false narratives go unchecked.