I vividly recall receiving a call many years ago from a musician friend who, after seeing a WhatsApp message, wanted to confirm whether the legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar had passed away. The news, coming early in the morning from someone in the field of music, came as a shock. After all, reports at the time had only mentioned that Lata ji had been admitted to hospital for a minor ailment. Yet, within less than an hour, social media platforms – including Facebook, WhatsApp groups, and Twitter – were flooded with tributes, photos, and condolence messages. I immediately contacted legendary singer Suresh Wadkar ji, who quickly reassured me that Lata ji was doing well. Indeed, she continued to grace the world with her presence for many more years before peacefully passing away at the age of 92 on 6 February 2022.
A similar (viral) episode unfolded recently, on 10 and 11 November 2025. Social media platforms and even certain news outlets prematurely announced the death of Bollywood’s “He-Man,” Dharmendra, who was undergoing treatment at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital and has been discharged as I am penning this down. Several prominent personalities also took to the social media platforms to express their grief, only to later delete their posts after his wife, Hema Malini, firmly dismissed rumours and clarified that her husband was responding to treatment and showing improvement. These instances raise a crucial question: how has news, once a pillar of trust and verification, become so vulnerable to distortion in the digital age?
It is with this concern that I reflected on Public Service Broadcasting Day, observed every year on November 12 to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s historic radio address from Broadcasting House, New Delhi, in 1947. The day reminds us of radio’s transformative potential and Gandhi’s vision of truth-based communication, a vision that stands in stark contrast to today’s epidemic of misinformation. Speaking from the All India Radio studio (now preserved as the “Bapu Studio”), Mahatma Gandhi addressed millions during a deeply distressing period following Partition. His compassionate Diwali message sought to comfort refugees and inspire unity among a divided people.
The broadcast, arranged at the request of industrialist and Gandhiji’s close associate Ghanshyam Das Birla, transformed the studio into a prayer space, reflecting Gandhi’s sincerity and spiritual approach to communication. The Hindustan Times described Gandhi’s speech the next day as an event that demonstrated the “miraculous power” of radio to unite hearts and minds. Gandhi recognized radio as a revolutionary tool that could transcend barriers of literacy, geography, and class. Yet, he consistently emphasized that such power must be exercised with restraint and moral responsibility. Journalism, he said, should “educate the public mind” and “fearlessly express the truth.”
The day of November 12 has gone by as another calendar date. Fast forward to today, and we are all aware that the media landscape has changed beyond recognition. The emergence of digital platforms has democratized access to information. But it has also given rise to an unprecedented crisis of credibility. Fake news, defined as false or misleading information disseminated under the guise of legitimate journalism, has become one of the gravest challenges of the 21st century. The World Economic Forum has repeatedly listed misinformation among the top global risks to democracy and social cohesion. In India, where over 820 million people use the internet, misinformation spreads rapidly through social media algorithms that prioritize engagement over accuracy.
False reports, morphed videos, and unverified “breaking news” can provoke panic, damage reputations, and even incite violence. It has done so in the past. While the government and independent organizations have established fact-checking portals and awareness campaigns to combat fake news, real progress depends on media literacy and a revival of the Gandhian ethics of responsibility in journalism. Gandhi’s principles – verification, context, and service to truth – offer enduring guidance amid this digital turbulence. Gandhi had warned against sensationalism and distortion, believing that the press should “restrain itself from running after momentary excitement” and instead “serve the cause of truth and justice.”
His approach to communication was patient, reflective, and profoundly ethical – qualities that need to be harnessed. Unlike Gandhi’s time, when news travelled slowly and was often scrutinized closely, today’s information ecosystem enables the instantaneous spread of falsehoods, making fact-checking and responsible journalism vitally important. In Gandhi’s time, the radio was a miraculous medium of connection – a voice that could travel across invisible waves to reach even the most remote corners of the nation. Over the decades, All India Radio (AIR), now operating under Prasar Bharati, has carried forward that spirit of public service.
Established in 1936 and renamed Akashvani in 1957, AIR emerged as India’s first large-scale medium for national integration, education, and cultural exchange, serving as the cornerstone of Public Service Broadcasting. Radio brought India together in times of joy and crisis – broadcasting independence celebrations, weather warnings, agricultural advice, and music that reflected the nation’s diversity. Gandhi’s own recorded prayer meetings from Birla House, preserved in the Prasar Bharati Archives, stand as a testament to the medium’s historic legacy. Even in the digital era, radio continues to be one of the most reliable and accessible media forms. The Prime Minister’s “Mann Ki Baat” – broadcast from the same “Bapu Studio” – illustrates how radio remains a bridge between the government and the people and the unifying power of sound.
The media landscape has evolved remarkably with the rise of FM radio stations such as Radio Mirchi (98.3 FM), Red FM (93.5), Radio City (91.1), and Big FM (92.7), which have transformed mass communication in India over the past two decades. These private channels introduced localized, youth-centric, and engaging content – music, humour, news, and talk shows in Hindi and regional languages – making radio lively and inclusive. By bridging barriers of class, age, and literacy, FM radio democratized communication and turned “listening” into a shared cultural experience.
From national broadcasts to community stations, radio continues to unite diverse audiences while remaining one of India’s most affordable and powerful media platforms. Entertainment has always been radio’s strength, but in Gandhi’s vision, even entertainment must uplift – it must elevate, not degrade. His engagement with journalism was never driven by profit but by a profound moral duty. For Gandhi, the press was not a business venture but a public trust – an instrument to advance truth (Satya), non-violence (Ahimsa), and the welfare of all (Sarvodaya).
Through journals like Indian Opinion, Young India, Navjivan, and Harijan, he transformed media into a vehicle for moral and social awakening. Seventy-eight years after his voice first echoed across India’s airwaves, Gandhi’s message remains as vital as ever. In an age marked by misinformation, polarization, and declining media trust, Mahatma Gandhi’s ethics of journalism – grounded in truth, humility, and service – offer a timeless moral compass for responsible journalism and re affirm the transformative power of media in shaping a more enlightened and compassionate society.
(The writer is Programme Executive, Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti.)