“These incidents (alleged temple attacks & media reports) have clearly indicated that mainstream media is falling into the trap of social media and inadvertently spreading false news leading to communal tension in the State,” said The Andhra Pradesh government’s national media and inter-state affairs advisor, Devulapalli Amar. Amar is a veteran Telugu journalist.
He said, in recent months, a series of suspicious temple vandalism cases have been registered in the southern part of AP.
Also, he said, “In this context, exercising restraint is extremely important in the current scenario. When the atmosphere is charged and vitiated, rumour mongers will work overtime and rumours will fly thick and fast.”
Finally, he pleaded with the media houses not to publish fake news without verifying the facts.