Readers of several Malayalam newspapers who picked them up on Friday were left bewildered by a bizarre front-page report titled, ‘Give up notes: It’s digital currency from now on’. The report gave the impression that currency transactions were set to end from February 1.

The misleading news item, prominently displayed as the lead story and attributed to the Reserve Bank of India, turned out to be a marketing feature on ‘The Summit of the Future 2025’.

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Many prominent Malayalam dailies, including Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhumi, and Kerala Kaumudi, carried identical advertisements disguised as news.

The report even included fabricated quotes from fictitious individuals such as ‘Finance Minister Rajeev Singh,’ ‘RBI Governor Dr Aravind Kumar,’ and ‘Leader of Opposition Anjali Mehra.’ This created confusion among readers, with some connecting it to the overnight demonetisation of 2016.

The situation escalated when Reporter TV consulting editor Arun Kumar discussed the item during a morning show where newspaper reports are reviewed. For several minutes, Kumar treated the advertisement as legitimate news before clarifying that it was not real.

The misleading headlines, which strongly suggested an imminent transition to fully digital transactions, triggered widespread backlash on social media. Netizens harshly criticized the newspapers for allegedly prioritizing monetary gains over journalistic ethics.

“Sacrificing media ethics for money is a great disservice to readers,” a former journalist wrote on Facebook. Many others opined that the newspapers had gone too far with their advertising strategies.

Some social media users praised publications like Deshabhimani and several English dailies for refusing to publish the promotional piece masquerading as news.

“Boycott newspapers for misleading the public,” one user wrote on social media. Another commented, “Those responsible for spreading fake news should face legal consequences.”

The controversy has left Malayalam dailies that published the advertisement facing significant embarrassment and scrutiny over their editorial and ethical standards.