CM media advisor bemoans media reports on Poonam Pandey

NT Correspondent

Davangere: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s media advisor KV Prabhakar expressed disappointment that the news media had fallen for the false news of model and actress Poonam Pandey’s death.

Prabhakar termed the news media’s treatment of the issue an example of “speculative journalism”.

He made the comments at the talk “government and the media” organised as a part of the 38th state conference of the Karnataka Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) in Davangere on Sunday.

He was referring to Pandey’s social media team putting out a statement on Thursday claiming she had died of cervical cancer.

Some commentators expressed doubts because she was spotted at a social event in Goa a few days prior.

A day later, she posted on Instagram, saying she was alive and meant to create awareness about cervical cancer.

“The media made big news out of Poonam Pandey’s supposed death. However, she is alive. Why was the news not checked before it was published? It is not possible to maintain credibility of the media when such things happen,” Prabhakar said.