When a TV channel tried to spread lies

It sounds unbelievable but the world has just discovered that television can lie. What is even more shocking is that there can be enough TV viewers out there who are so bothered by the lie that they were able to force the channel to retract the lie. Shanghai Dragon Television's scheduled show for Wednesday highlighting the 'great work being done by Covid workers and the government's leadership' was shelved after a huge public pushback. Apparently, there were enough people in Shanghai who decried the contrast between what was announced as the show's to-be-aired content and what they have been facing in their 'zero-Covid' total-lockdowned city.

Yes, it is impossible for us here in India to fathom how TV can possibly portray something opposite to reality. But one must understand that the Shanghai channel is state-owned, and the state owning it is China. If any Indian channel had suggested that it was merely trying to 'inject positive energy' during difficult times, people here would have immediately seen through the ruse. Thankfully, not only is such outrageous spin unthinkable, but we also have private channels that tell us things 'as they are'. Let no one misuse the power of TV. As the wizard of another land advised, 'Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.' Unless, of course, this is all anti-China propaganda.