
Sonakshi Sinha, an Indian actress, has strongly criticized Indian news channels for sensationalized reporting of the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict. On social media, she blamed the media for turning war reporting into a show, asking them to remain committed to facts and not dramatization.
Sonakshi Sinha's Scathing Criticism of News Channels
Sonakshi Sinha let fly in an Instagram post, tearing into mainstream television news channels for their melodramatic video shoot, jolting sound effects, and hyperbolic reports of military attacks. She blogged:
"Our television news channels are a joke! I'm sick of these exaggeration-at-a-million-milliseconds visuals and effects, the screams and shouting! What are you people doing? Just report truth as it comes."
She also urged people to use good news sources instead of watching sensationalized news:
"Stop sensationalizing WAR and creating panic among people who are already already scared. For God's sake, have a proper news source and stick to that… stop watching this crap as news.".
Sonakshi’s remarks came shortly after the Ministry of Defence issued an advisory to media outlets and digital platforms, warning them against airing real-time coverage of military operations, troop movements, and tactical decisions. The ministry emphasized that such reporting could compromise national security, endanger personnel, and provide intelligence to adversaries monitoring Indian media.
The report also highlighted past incidents—such as the Kargil War, the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, and the hijacking of an airplane at Kandahar—as examples of the way irresponsible journalism can create dangerous security threats.
Media hype is condemned after an intense increase in hostilities between India and Pakistan. On the 8th of May, Pakistan had made a series of missile and drone attacks on Indian states like Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Jammu & Kashmir. Nonetheless, Indian troops intercepted and repelled all the incoming attacks.
These counter-attacks were against India's Operation Sindoor, a targeted attack on May 7 on nine terror camps located in PoK and Pakistan. The operation was conducted as a result of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians and security forces.
Public Reaction towards Sonakshi Sinha's Statement
Sonakshi’s bold remarks have sparked mixed reactions online. While many praised her for calling out media sensationalism, others argued that news coverage plays a crucial role in keeping citizens informed. Some social media users supported her stance, stating that fear-mongering and exaggerated reporting only add to public anxiety during times of crisis.
Sonakshi Sinha's criticism of Indian television news channels is proof of the increasing anxiety surrounding sensationalized war reporting. As tensions between Pakistan and India increase, her cry for responsible journalism pulls at the heartstrings of the masses yearning for sincere and unbiased coverage of news. The government itself also joined calling for restraint by the media, so the matter of ethical reporting of news was one of the topics of the day in modern media.