Hijacked Headlines, Twisted Truths, and the Death of Journalism

On Saturday (29th March 2025), I had the privilege of attending Permute by μLearn, a vibrant celebration of ideas, innovation, and youthful energy held at the iconic Tagore Theatre. The atmosphere was electric — filled with students, creators, thinkers, and changemakers.

What made it even more special was the presence of Kerala's Chief Minister, who graced the occasion, delivered a thoughtful speech, and celebrated the spirit of the community with us. He spent about 30 to 40 minutes with us — delivering a speech, distributing awards, and sharing a few light-hearted moments. Before leaving, he turned to the coordinators and made a kind suggestion:

“If there was a bit of light towards the audience, I could’ve seen their bright faces too.”

That’s it. A small, thoughtful comment. No irritation. No drama. Just a man who had to leave for another engagement — he smiled and walked off the stage. And yet, guess what made it to the news?

“CM leaves the event in anger.”
“Chief Minister criticizes the organizers.”
“Anchor requests CM to return to seat; CM walks out.”

Every single outlet had completely twisted the incident. Some even added fictional spice, trying to make it sound like some awkward scene unfolded on stage. None of them — none — reported on the actual purpose or impact of the event.

I may be wrong. Maybe I missed something. But honestly, I haven’t seen a single piece of proper coverage about the event. If you came across any article or report that genuinely covered Permute (I've seen some English articles; but nothing from our mallu news medias) for what it was, please do share it in the comments below. (I don't want to accuse them on a false information...)
.
(BTW, I checked the Kottayam Edition of Newspapers)

This is the first time I personally witnessed such a stark difference between reality and the media’s version of it. And trust me, it felt terrible. Because I saw what happened — with my own eyes. And what they were showing was a well-scripted, misleading drama… just for views, TRP, and engagement.

They didn’t care about the hundreds of students, volunteers, organizers, and professionals who worked hard to make that event happen. They didn’t care about what the event stood for. All they wanted was content. Something “juicy.” A moment they could twist to fit their narrative.

When Truth Takes a Backseat

I’m not writing this to defend anyone. I’m writing this because I was there. I saw what happened. And what the media showed us was a far cry from reality. This isn’t about a single headline. This is about how news has become more about performance than truth. Like Babu Ramachandran once said:

“Journalism has evolved from news-reading, to news-performance, and now into a full-blown news-carnival. In today’s media landscape, there’s hardly any scope for real, investigative, journalistic journalism. Nobody wants the skilled hunter who can quietly hit the mark with precision. What they want is a puppet — someone who can dance on cue, speak what’s fed, and put on a show for the crowd.”

It really does feel like a circus sometimes.

I finally understand why some politicians, celebrities, and even regular people sometimes respond harshly to media persons (calling them മാപ്ര). Because often, they aren’t there to report; they’re there to fish for controversy, spark outrage, and frame a narrative that fits their agenda. Politicians and celebrities are trolled for reacting harshly to reporters — and now I understand why. When you're constantly being misquoted, misrepresented, and misjudged by people who are only looking to create a juicy headline, you’d lose patience, too.

This is Manipulation

This isn’t about the CM. This isn’t about μLearn. This isn’t even about the event. This is about how we consume information in today’s world. It’s scary how easy it is to believe what we read or watch just because it’s printed or broadcasted. We’re all unknowingly part of this big web of manipulated narratives.

Every single day, we read the news, watch TV, scroll through social media, and subconsciously build opinions about people, political parties, organizations, religions, celebrities, and even complete strangers. And here’s the chilling part: most of those opinions are not even our own.

They are fed to us. Crafted carefully. Distorted intentionally. And we buy into it. Without even realizing it. Because we’ve been trained — since childhood — to accept what’s printed or broadcasted as “truth.” But we rarely pause to ask:

• Whose truth is this?
• Who benefits from this version of the story?
• What facts are missing?
• Am I being shown the whole picture or just a curated frame?

And if the information itself is biased, selective, or even false — what does that say about the opinions we form based on it? And the worst part? Even truthful events — like the one I attended — don’t even get the space or airtime they deserve. They’re either omitted or twisted.

On the way back home, my friends and I passed by a couple of accident scenes. Small, yet deeply unsettling. I’m still not sure if those incidents ever made it to the news — maybe they weren’t viral enough.

Do you know what grabbed the front-page headline yesterday (30th March 2025)? A few deleted scenes from a Malayalam movie.

Yes — that was the main story.
Meanwhile, the news of over 1600 people losing their lives in a devastating earthquake in Myanmar — a country just across our border — was quietly tucked away in a small 2-column snippet… on Page 9.

Actually, I've checked today's newspaper as well (31st March 2025). The follow-up news about Empuraan is still the main title. News about Myanmar is a 2-column snippet on page 14. Even today, I haven't seen any news about the event that I attended (Please correct me if I'm wrong).

Let that sink in. An entertainment update took precedence over a massive human tragedy. Is this what we’ve come to? Are we that desensitized? Or is this just how the game works now? If that doesn’t make you pause and question the priorities of our media, I don’t know what will.

Take Back Your Mind

Think about this: You were born into a religion — most likely the one your parents followed. You grew up surrounded by political ideas, cultural views, and social opinions that were shaped by the people around you. You believed many things simply because that’s what you were taught to believe.

But now, pause and ask yourself —
How many of those beliefs are truly your own?
How many of your opinions were actually formed by you — and not just downloaded from your surroundings?

You have a brain — use it.
You have the internet — search beyond headlines.
You have access to information, but remember:

Cross-verify what you read or hear. From multiple, truly independent sources. Make sure those sources are distant and disconnected — because if they’re all part of the same circle, “diversifying” becomes pointless.

Seek facts, not someone else’s opinion. Gather information, not perspectives. Even scrolling through social media — with all its noise — can give you a bird’s eye view of how different people are thinking, what narratives are being pushed, and where the truth might actually lie.

But no matter what you see out there, don’t blindly follow the majority. And at the same time, don’t blindly follow the minority either. Just because a loud group believes something or the media says so, doesn’t make it true. History has already taught us this.

Think of the ISRO espionage case. Think of Nambi Narayanan. For years, the majority believed what they were told. The media ran wild. A brilliant scientist’s life was turned upside down. Only later did the truth come out — when the damage had already been done.

Let that be a reminder: Don’t inherit opinions. Don’t rent beliefs. Don’t outsource your thinking. You are capable of forming your own perspective if you’re willing to go beyond the surface.

സത്യാന്വേഷികളെ ഈ നാടിന് ആവശ്യമുണ്ട്...

So next time you consume news, scroll through a trending hashtag, or hear someone’s hot take — pause. Think... Cross-check... Then decide...

Truth Isn’t Black and White — It’s a Timeline

The world is not black and white. It never was. It’s a continuous, ever-evolving process — and we all just happened to join this relay race a few days ago. Every major event, every conflict, every political move or social shift is built upon layers of history, pain, decisions, mistakes, and momentum that came long before us.

What you see as “the full picture” might just be one frame from a much longer reel.

So before jumping to conclusions or forming hard opinions about an incident or a person based on a headline or a viral clip, pause. You might be witnessing the tip of a historical iceberg. That person, that decision, that action — could be part of a complex, century-long continuum.

If you really want to form an informed, accurate opinion, start reading the history of mankind. But even then, remember:

Your opinion might drastically change depending on which point in the historical timeline you begin from...

That’s the humbling part. There’s always a deeper truth. A broader angle. A higher perspective you haven’t reached yet. So keep your mind open. Stay curious. Be willing to evolve. Because the truth isn’t something you find once and hold on to forever — It’s something you keep climbing towards.

Think. Please.

You’re smart. You have access to the internet. You can cross-check facts from multiple sources before forming an opinion. We can’t afford to be passive consumers anymore. We need to ask ourselves:

• Why am I believing this?
• Is this fact or opinion?
• Who is behind this story?
• What do they gain from me believing it?

This is not just about one news story. This is about everything you’ve ever believed — about political parties, religious institutions, celebrities, organizations, even your own identity.

Just like your religion was most likely handed to you by your parents, many of your thoughts were handed to you by society — shaped by biased news, incomplete data, and other people’s opinions. It’s time to reboot.

Be Curious. Be Skeptical. Be You.

You have the power to process information, not just absorb it. Use your mind like a filter — not a sponge. Let’s stop feeding from someone else’s thoughts. Let’s start making our own. Because truth doesn’t always scream from the headlines — sometimes, it just needs someone to look for it.