On Saturday, 22 security personnel were killed in action while fighting Maoists during a
four-hour ambush in Chhattisgarh. The gunfight took place near Tekalgudam village on the Sukma-Bijapur border, and was
widely reported as one of the biggest attacks on security forces in recent times.
What is the mediaâs job during such an event? To report responsibly and accurately, for starters. Yet this is precisely where
Dainik Bhaskar went wrong.
On Monday, April 5, the Hindi daily published photographs and cited videos on its website that purportedly showed scenes from the attack. The report called them âpictures and videos from Bijapur encounterâ, stating: âIn photos, Naxals could be seen making victory signs.Women Naxals carry food material and can be seen cooking.â