International embarrassment: Khaleej Times calls out Indian media on basic fact-checking

In yet another humiliation for our mainstream television media, Khaleej Times, the UAE’s longest-running English daily, recently debunked claims by various channels regarding an alleged drone strike in Dubai. 

The footage – as the daily and Mohammad Zubair of Alt News earlier clarified – was actually of an Iranian drone hitting a high-rise in Bahrain. 

The Dubai Police even issued a stern warning that anyone engaging in sharing rumours or false information that contradicts their official version or causes panic is strictly prohibited under UAE law. Anyone found violating this rule would face imprisonment and a fine of no less than Dh200,000 (over Rs 50 lakh). 

But despite the warnings and the fact-check, some of our leading anchors and TV channels have yet to pull the debunked posts from their timelines or YouTube channels. 

Rahul Shivshankar, the recently minted editorial affairs director of CNN-News18, replied to his post sharing that mislabeled video, stating: “There are two sides to a war. Even in an info war, both must be heard. I am a conduit.” 

An open admission of prioritising ‘sides’ over verified facts that is a staggering dereliction of journalistic ethics. Add to that a familiar bias – centering the cries of “Allahu Akbar” heard in the clip and employing a kind of dog-whistling now common in Indian media.

Even Aaj Tak hasn’t removed the mislabelled clip from its official YouTube channel. The clip is still up on Republic Bharat’s official YouTube channel. 

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