On Saturday, 17 October, ABP, a national Hindi news channel, published a short clip that falsely linked a hostel connected to folk singer Neha Singh Rathore to a police raid and a sex racket. Within hours, ABP News issued a “clarification and apology”, saying the item was factually incorrect and expressing regret.
The story did not end there.
Neha Singh Rathore rejected the apology the same day. She said she wanted justice, not an apology, and that she would take the matter to court. Senior journalists and digital-policy voices asked a simple question: how did this get past verification in the first place?
For anyone who manages a company’s or a leader’s reputation, this episode is worth studying closely. Not because of who was involved, but because it shows what happens when a newsroom gets something wrong, and why a fast correction is not always a complete one.
Why a quick apology did not close the story
The channel moved fast, and that matters. But the statement only said what was wrong. It did not say how it happened or what would change.
That gap became the next story. Critics were not arguing about the facts anymore. They were asking about process and accountability. Speed without substance often turns a correction into a second headline.
The same rule applies to companies. If you issue a clarification after a product failure, a data issue or a leadership controversy, people expect three things: what went wrong, why, and what you are doing about it.
When the media gets you wrong: a five-step playbook
Most Indian companies will, at some point, face a report that is inaccurate, incomplete or unfair. Here is what we advise clients to have ready before that day comes.
- Document everything, immediately. Take screenshots, note timestamps, save URLs and record broadcasts. Digital items can be edited or deleted quietly. Your record is your leverage, for a correction and, if needed, for legal options.
- Separate the error from the opinion. A factual mistake (a wrong number, a false allegation) can be corrected. A critical opinion usually cannot. Asking a newsroom to “correct” an opinion damages your credibility for the next real request.
- Go to the right person, in the right order. Start with the reporter, then the editor. Know each outlet’s self-regulatory route for broadcasters and digital publishers. Escalate calmly and in writing.
- Ask for a specific remedy. Be clear about what you want: a correction, an update to the online version, your response included, or a follow-up story. Vague complaints get vague responses.
- Prepare your own statement in parallel. Do not wait for the newsroom. Put the correct facts on your website and social channels, brief your employees, and be ready for follow-up calls from other media.
Relationships beat rebuttals
In our experience, the corrections that happen fastest are not won with angry emails. They come when the editor already knows and trusts the person calling.
That trust is built on ordinary days: sharing accurate information, being available when reporters need a quote, and never misleading them. When something goes wrong, that history is what gets your call answered. (For sector-specific advice, see our guide to crisis communication for BFSI and fintech.)
How Finese PR can help
Finese PR has worked with Indian newsrooms for over 25 years. We help organizations prepare for difficult coverage before it arrives, and respond calmly when it does.
Our case studies include building a crisis-preparedness plan and media training for a QSR chain across India, the Middle East and the UK; serving as crisis communication agency of record for a NYSE-listed company; and managing communications for a BSE/NSE-listed technology company through a sensitive period. Our corporate and public relations services cover media relations, crisis preparedness and spokesperson training.
Worried about how your organisation would handle a false or damaging report? Talk to Finese PR about a crisis-readiness review before the next news cycle.
About the author: Dr. Abha Azad is a Partner and Head of Account Management at Finese PR. A reputation and corporate communications specialist with about three and a half decades of experience in brand-building, strategic PR and crisis management, she leads the firm’s Corporate & Public Relations practice. Meet the team.