Mathrubhumi takes a stand against fake news in latest campaign

Mathrubhumi has come up with a new campaign with two films about the downsides of social media culture and to celebrate the “dependability of newspapers”. The campaign carries the message: ‘Continue the good habit of  newspaper reading.’ 

The first film follows Prof. Half-truth Sathyan, a self-proclaimed expert who disseminates dubious  “discoveries” to his followers. With absolute confidence, he touts curry leaves as a miracle cure for  cancer and urges viewers to share them far and wide. He embodies the rising tribe of online pseudo experts who pass speculation off as fact. 

The second film follows Mental Manu, a young man who treats every moment of life as potential  content. When his parents argue, he instantly starts filming and uploads the footage with a clickbait  caption designed to rack up views. The video quickly crosses a million views, prompting Manu to  celebrate its reach—and even run a poll asking viewers if his parents should get divorced. The film  captures a stark reality of social media: content with no real news value can go viral simply because it  is dramatic or intrusive.  

Both films mirror the behaviours audiences see online every day—miracle cures, pseudo-experts, viral  outrage, and content created purely for attention. Rather than lecturing viewers, the campaign  highlights the absurdity of these patterns through humor and relatable situations. 

The takeaway from both films is clear: newspapers continue to be a dependable source of credible,  newsworthy information. 

Speaking about the campaign, M V Shreyams Kumar, Managing Director, Mathrubhumi Group said  “In a world where information is abundant, but credibility is not, trusted journalism matters more than  ever. Newspapers continue to stand for verification, responsibility and public relevance.”  

“Our approach was to let the situations carry the message. The humour draws viewers in, but the  contrast between viral content and verified news is what stays with them,” said R Venugopal, Ideation  Director, Maitri. 

Maitri Advertising collaborated as the creative partner for the two films.