The Race to Be First Is Killing Journalism: National Press Day Demands Accountability
- Prof Jasim Mohammad
False, Fast and Irresponsible : How Actor Dharmendra’s Case Exposes India’s Media Crisis
– Prof Jasim Mohammad
Veteran Actor Dharmendra’s recent health scare exposed the vulnerability of media ethics. Within minutes of his hospitalization, several media outlets—some small, some disturbingly large—pushed out premature, false, and sensational claims of his death. They did this without verification, without cross-checking with his family, and without even the basic journalistic responsibility to confirm the status of a living person. This single incident, coming just before National Press Day, forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth: a large portion of the media landscape today prefers speed over accuracy, clicks over credibility, and sensation over ethics.
The Dharmendra episode is symptomatic of a newsroom culture that has normalized shortcuts. The first instinct of too many digital outlets today is not to verify, but to publish. They know that “Dharmendra passes away” will generate millions of clicks, frantic shares, emotional reactions—and ad revenue. Whether the story is true or false becomes secondary. In this race to be first, journalism’s foundational principle—to seek truth and report it—quietly collapses.
What makes this behaviour dangerous is the casualness with which these outlets play with facts. Reporting a death is one of the most sensitive and serious pieces of information a journalist can ever publish. It has real emotional consequences for families, fans, and the broader public. In Dharmendra’s case, his own family had to step forward to deny fabricated news in the middle of their personal crisis. That burden should never fall on families. It exists because media outlets have stopped respecting boundaries, protocols, or empathy.
The ease with which misinformation spreads today is directly linked to the disappearance of editorial discipline. Earlier, a newsroom had layers of checks: reporters confirmed facts with sources, editors scrutinized claims, and publishers ensured a standard of accountability. Today, in the digital-first competition, many portals operate without experienced editors, without fact-checking desks, and without accountability structures. The result is a chaotic ecosystem where rumours become headlines, hearsay becomes reporting, and ethical practice becomes optional. This trend is profoundly unethical. Journalism was never meant to be a megaphone for unverified gossip. It is meant to be an institution of trust. When news outlets knowingly or unknowingly circulate false information about something as serious as death, they violate public trust in a way that cannot be easily repaired. Once audiences begin doubting the credibility of the press, mistrust spreads like a contagion.
The Dharmendra case also highlights the dangerous influence of algorithm-driven reporting. Many media houses now decide what to publish not based on relevance, but based on what algorithms reward. Sensational keywords, emotionally charged headlines, and shock value content are prioritized because they promise virality. The role of human judgment, ethics, and verification becomes secondary. Journalists become slaves to metrics rather than guardians of truth.
The ethical crisis worsens when these same outlets quietly delete or edit their stories after being proven wrong, without issuing a formal apology or correction. They hope the mistake will vanish because the news cycle moves quickly. But the damage remains—screenshots circulate, rumours persist, and the credibility of the entire media industry erodes. Real journalism demands transparency: if you publish wrong information, you acknowledge it. Silence is not accountability.
यह भी पढ़ें
Another disturbing trend is the mimicry culture among digital newsrooms. When one outlet publishes something—even if completely unverified—dozens of others copy it instantly without doing their own reporting. This herd behaviour turns one irresponsible headline into a nationwide misinformation storm within minutes. Journalism becomes an echo chamber rather than a truth-seeking profession.
The crisis is particularly worrying at a time when the public increasingly relies on digital platforms for news. Younger readers do not differentiate between responsible and irresponsible outlets; they believe whatever appears first on their feed. When false reports about Dharmendra spread across platforms, many believed them instantly because social media amplifies misinformation faster than truth. The duty of media becomes even heavier in such an environment—but too many outlets have abandoned that duty.
The timing, just ahead of National Press Day, makes the issue even more symbolic. National Press Day was established to celebrate free, responsible, ethical, and independent journalism. Yet, every year, the distance between the ideal and the reality widens. Press freedom without press responsibility becomes chaos. Media rights without media ethics become a weapon, not a service.
If the press continues down this path, it risks losing its moral authority. The public will stop trusting news as a source of truth and begin treating it as entertainment detached from facts. This is dangerous not only for journalism but for democracy itself. A society without credible information cannot make informed decisions; it becomes vulnerable to manipulation, propaganda, and confusion.
Journalism schools and professional organisations must urgently re-emphasize training in ethics, verification, and editorial integrity. Media owners need to prioritize quality over quantity, accuracy over speed. Journalism is not a content factory; it is a public institution built on trust. Without rebuilding these foundations, the industry will continue drifting toward sensationalism at the cost of its own credibility.
Finally, media consumers must also evolve. It is time people stop rewarding sensational clickbait with attention. Audiences must demand transparency, corrections, and accountability. Active, critical media consumers are essential for shaping a healthier media environment. Responsibility does not lie only with journalists; it also lies with the public that consumes and shares news. It is not enough for journalists to celebrate freedom of the press; they must also defend its integrity. Journalism must rediscover the principles that once made it a respected pillar of democracy: truth, verification, ethics, and courage.
(Author is Former Group Editor of Sahara News Network, India Email : profjasimmd@gmail.com )
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