Indian Media: What They Got Wrong in 2024

January 04, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

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From Ram temple inauguration to Manipur conflict to Lok Sabha elections, 2024 was a year of major headlines in India. But amidst the news influx, a troubling trend emerged: mainstream media frequently missed the mark on accuracy. Read on!

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The Biggest Stories Indian News Outlets
Misreported in 2024

Busy news/’fake news’ year: 2024 was a whirlwind year for the Indian media, filled with significant events ranging from the Ayodhya Ram temple inauguration, the farmers' march to Delhi, and high stakes Lok Sabha and state elections. 

All of this while also reporting on the ongoing conflict in Manipur and harrowing crime stories like the RG Kar case in Kolkata and the Pune Porsche incident. 

+ International events like the drumming out of Sheikh Hasina's government in Bangladesh and the welcoming of Donald Trump as the President of the United States.

However, amidst this busy news cycle, a concerning trend emerged: significant misreporting by mainstream media outlets.

Misinformation knows no boundaries: From running AI voice clones as real voices of politicians and falling prey to misinformation about international events (like the false claim of Canada banning an Australian-Indian news site) to inaccurate reporting on neighboring countries, the Indian media landscape saw numerous instances where the facts were compromised.

In 2024 alone, BOOM published 1280 fact-checks across English, Hindi, and Bengali. Of these, 51 specifically addressed misreporting by mainstream news channels, websites, and wire agencies.

Five news outlets featured at the top of the media misreporting list – Republic TV, ABP, Hindustan Times, News 18 and Times Now.

Note: This isn't an isolated occurrence. BOOM’s Nivedita Niranjankumar & Archis Chowdhury have been tracking media misreporting since 2020. The data reveals a fluctuating trend:

  • 2020: About 40 instances of media misreporting.

  • 2021: A decrease to 27 instances.

  • 2022: A sharp increase to 76 instances.

  • 2023: A similar number at 77 instances.

  • 2024: 51 instances.

DECODE

Akash Sagar’s Viral Church Video Adds to His History of Provocative Content

It’s viral: A video showing social media influencer Akash Sagar and two companions chanting religious slogans inside a church in Meghalaya has gone viral, prompting an FIR against him. Sagar has 1.5 million followers on Instagram and nearly 4.4 million subscribers on YouTube.

A history of controversy: Sagar's social media content is generally not overtly religious or political, with a few exceptions. For example, during the Ram Mandir inauguration in January 2024, he posted a reel filmed outside the Taj Mahal. In the video, he tucks his arms inside his hoodie, leaving the empty sleeves hanging. The caption reads, “Imagine if I were a construction worker at the Ram Mandir, I would have flowers showered upon me.”

Misogyny for views: Sagar's current content on social media largely leans towards misogynistic themes, frequently portraying women in stereotypical ways. Many of his videos depict women as "gold diggers", attention-seekers, and bad drivers, often using sexual innuendos—some explicit, others more subtle. 

Read Hera Rizwan’s report as she digs into his history of provocative content.

THE LIE COUNT

2024 Rewind: Misinfo During LS Polls, Bangladesh Turmoil, and AI Hoaxes

2024 rewind: The year 2024 was eventful, marked by significant developments, including the Lok Sabha elections in India, the Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections, the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in Bangladesh, and the US presidential election which saw the return of Donald Trump to power. 

BOOM debunked several pieces of misinformation surrounding these events, including 309 fact-checks related to the Indian general election, 99 tackling AI-driven misinformation, and 69 focused around the Bangladesh crisis. 

Anmol Alphonso recaps the top 10 events that had a significant impact and were surrounded by widespread misinformation. 

'FAKE NEWS’ YOU ALMOST FELL FOR

🔍 The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) shared two deepfake videos from the web series Panchayat and its promotion to taking a shot at each other ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections. Read 🔗 Swasti Chatterjee’s ↗️ fact-check.

🔍 Several BJP members including the party’s Delhi unit and its IT Cell Head Amit Malviya shared an image purporting to show the current state of Delhi roads filled with potholes. But, is it real? Find out in 🔗 Archis Chowdhury’s ↗️ fact-check.

🔍 A video posted by BJP Delhi Instagram handle claiming to show former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP head Arvind Kejriwal saying in an interview that he understands a little bit of politics and that cleaning the Yamuna river will not win him votes, is cropped and misleading. 🔗 Srijit Das ↗️ debunked the claim.

🅱️ RECOMMENDS

This week's recommendation is: The Future of Trustworthy Information: Learning from Online Content Creators

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