Senior Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor has strongly criticised the Indian Express and sections of the media for what he described as “irresponsible journalism” following the misrepresentation of his statements in a recent podcast interview. In a detailed thread on X, Tharoor accused Indian Express of distorting his remarks to generate misleading headlines, which subsequently triggered days of political controversy and media speculation.

Misrepresentation of Tharoor’s Remarks

Tharoor’s criticism stemmed from an Indian Express article that suggested he had hinted at exploring political alternatives if the Congress did not require his services. According to Tharoor, the newspaper took an innocuous remark about his literary pursuits and manipulated it to imply he was considering leaving the party. This led to a media frenzy, with various outlets and political commentators reacting to the misleading headline rather than his actual words.

“The last few days have offered an object lesson in how the news is ‘made’,” Tharoor wrote, highlighting how a simple statement was blown out of proportion. He expressed disappointment at how the misinterpretation was accepted without verification, forcing him to manage the fallout of statements he had never made.

False Claims About Congress Leadership in Kerala

Further exacerbating the issue, Indian Express published another report claiming Tharoor had criticised the lack of a strong leader within the Kerala Congress. The remark was picked up by The Hindu and other media outlets, leading to days of debates on Kerala’s television news channels.

Tharoor contested this report as completely baseless. When he challenged the claim, he was initially provided with an English “translation” of his Malayalam interview, which he found inaccurate. Upon demanding the original video recording, he was told it would only be available after the controversy had already gained momentum. When the video was finally released, it became evident that Tharoor had never made the statement attributed to him.

“I insisted on seeing the video clip, and when it emerged, it was clear that I had said no such thing,” he stated. Following this revelation, Indian Express issued a correction, acknowledging that their translation had misrepresented his words. However, Tharoor lamented that the damage had already been done, as the false narrative had circulated widely for days before the correction was made.

The Toll of Sensationalist Journalism

Tharoor expressed concern over the broader implications of such journalistic practices, questioning the accountability of media houses when public figures are subjected to misreporting.

“The Indian Express got a huge amount of attention to its podcast, and the media got days of headlines—but no one spares a thought for the days of abuse, insult, and calumny that came my way, all because of things I hadn’t said,” he wrote, adding that he was yet to receive an apology from any of the journalists involved.

Despite his frustration, Tharoor acknowledged that the episode had been enlightening in some ways, as it had sparked discussions about his role in Indian politics. He noted that while some used the controversy to speculate about his future, others realised the importance of questioning the credibility of media reports.

“Some good has come out of this. My place in Indian politics is being discussed—sometimes insightfully. But the crucial detail remains that the entire story was baseless,” he stated.

A Call for Better Journalism

Tharoor, a long-time reader of Indian Express, expressed regret that this incident had only reinforced his scepticism about the state of Indian journalism. He criticised the growing trend of prioritising clickbait headlines over accuracy and lamented the media’s “breathless obsession with the speculative and the trivial.”

“Our democracy cannot do without a free press,” Tharoor emphasised. “As a convinced democrat, I will never call for greater regulation or controls on the media. But is it completely futile to hope for better standards of journalism in our country? Not less journalism—just better journalism?”

His remarks highlight a growing concern over the credibility of Indian media, particularly in an era where misinformation spreads rapidly. While Indian Express has admitted its error, Tharoor’s pointed critique serves as a stark reminder of the responsibility journalists bear in ensuring accuracy and fairness in their reporting.