- In a series of reports, Singapore’s CNA, while trying to project the developments in Jammu and Kashmir regarding terrorism in Pahalgam, refrained from using the word “terrorist”.
- It is alleged that Singaporean media agencies are working hand in glove with other liberal media agencies in the world and have a definite understanding with media houses from China, through which coordinated attacks against India are carried out.
- The I&B ministry of the Indian government must also look into the other side of Singapore, where a series of media warfare activities are taking place.
- Such misreporting by such major media houses is not merely a question of misinformation, as it raises a far deeper concern about the intentions of these media outlets.
Amid the recent terrorist attack that happened in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, there have been a series of reports by media agencies inside and outside India. Looking at the magnitude of the crime, a greater amount of misinformation is being spread across the media. Not just misinformation, but this has also taken the form of bias and cherry-picking in reporting, which has been done by some media across the world. This reporting tells a lot about the media narrative of these specific countries and their overall ramifications for India.
In a series of reports, Singapore’s CNA, while trying to project the developments in Jammu and Kashmir regarding terrorism in Pahalgam, refrained from using the word “terrorist”. Instead, they used the term’ Kashmir attack done by rebels ‘, they even went so far as to say that this terrorist attack is a false flag done by India and even showed a distorted map of India. This is not the first time that the Singaporean media agency CNA has been involved in such a controversy. If we study the pattern of CNA, we find that there is a specific bias that the Singaporean media has shown against India. Many analysts have called this a silent and cold form of media and digital warfare that a small country like Singapore carries out, showing bias not only regarding India’s economy but also in terms of terrorist attacks. Since the Pahalgam Terrorist attack, CNA, along with Al Jazeera, has become the digital mouthpiece of Pakistan and is showing development against India.
It is alleged that Singaporean media agencies are working hand in glove with other liberal media agencies in the world and have a definite understanding with media houses from China and Hong Kong, like the South China Morning Post, through which coordinated attacks against India are carried out. Singapore tends to appear as a small, peaceful, and prosperous country, maintaining good relations with India and being one of the largest sources of foreign direct investment (FDI) into India. However, the Indian Government and the Information and Broadcasting Department of the Government of India must also look into the other side of Singapore, where a series of media warfare activities are taking place.
However, the same biased reporting has also been seen in BBC and The Guardian, where they referred to terrorists as militants. In response, the Indian government has officially written a letter to the BBC India head, stating that all reporting by BBC will now be monitored and observed by the Ministry of External Affairs of India.
But the question is not just about biased reporting — it is about the very intention these media houses hold. Media houses are supposed to be the mirrors of the world; it is their responsibility to present reality to the people. But when the mirror becomes hazy, the real picture is no longer visible. Such misreporting by such major media houses is not merely a question of misinformation, as it raises a far deeper concern about the intentions of these media outlets. Do these houses want terrorist attacks to happen against India?
It is high time that common civilians, including governments across the world, become very cautious. These media organisations use the pretext of media freedom to sympathise with terrorist actions and to work towards the defeat of countries like India.
This is not just limited to mainstream media houses. It is also seen across many international OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) platforms, which are heavily present on Telegram and X (formerly Twitter), and some of them are operated from Russia and Iran. Moreover, media handles like Mediterranean Man and Middle East Spectator, which are known for their progressive stands, have done cherry-picking reporting about India. When it comes to terrorist attacks in Kashmir, they tend to malign the image of India and have even spread misinformation. Some moderators from these two media handles have gone so far as to claim that this is a political move by the Indian Government to create a war-like situation against Pakistan.
A country’s image and rise do not depend solely on its economy and military. Irrespective of how small a country is or how strong its economy is, what matters is the projection of the country’s image to the world and against adversary countries. Therefore, all readers and watchers need to be extremely careful regarding the information available in the digital space. People need to verify facts before believing them. More importantly, people must understand the nefarious role that some media houses like CNA play.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry of India must take this matter seriously because, at a time when the country’s projection is very important, the Indian Government cannot afford to be unaware of such developments. The Indian Government must understand the importance of countering such attacks.
References:
- https://x.com/RT_India_news/status/1915692004278776067?t=jw1UQWNlgdvjXAHXkILj0w&s=19
- https://x.com/aravind/status/1897686038505820202?t=TB_RxAf_OB7WFk05dFDqKA&s=19
- https://x.com/aravind/status/1914679014754594957?t=HPEeF0bHMGd44Xw7h6xOFg&s=09
- https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/government-writes-to-bbc-india-head-strong-sentiments-pahalgam-terror-attack-reporting-ib-ministry-watchlist-2716097-2025-04-28
Aayush Pal is a freelance writer on contemporary geopolitical developments. The views expressed in his work are entirely his own.
Balaji Subramanian 
Anuraag Khaund