Published Sep 11, 2026 | 1:33 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 11, 2026 | 1:33 PM
Jijo John Puthezhath
An abusive and politically charged social media campaign after the death of senior journalist Jijo John Puthezhath has triggered widespread outrage in journalist circles and beyond.
The campaign that targeted the late journalist and his family prompted Chief Minister VD Satheesan to warn of stringent legal action.
Jijo, 54, a Special Correspondent with Malayala Manorama’s Kochi unit, died of cardiac arrest on Wednesday, September 9.
Soon after news of his death emerged, social media posts paying tribute to the journalist were flooded with derogatory and disparaging comments targeting him personally and questioning his professional work.
The comments, which were widely criticised as crossing the basic boundaries of decency expected in the wake of a death, were attributed by critics to sections of social media users opposed to Jijo’s journalism.
His investigative and critical reports on the Left and the CPI(M) were cited as the apparent backdrop to the hostility.
Expressing strong disapproval, CM Satheesan said the online attacks against Jijo and his family following his unexpected death were deeply disturbing.
He said the organised spread of hatred and falsehoods against a journalist who had passed away was a serious blot on Keralam’s tradition of social and democratic values.
Satheesan questioned the values of those using anonymous or fake accounts to spread hatred against individuals.
He said political hostility arising from a journalist’s investigative reports could not justify targeting the journalist or his family, particularly after his death.
“Vilifying a journalist’s professional work and even his passing out of political spite is entirely unbecoming of a democratic society,” Satheesan said.
The Chief Minister said the issue would be dealt with seriously based on complaints lodged by the Ernakulam Press Club and Jijo’s friends.
He warned that those responsible for the abusive posts would face strict legal action, irrespective of their political affiliations or the identity of those targeted.
The episode has also renewed concern in Keralam over the increasingly vicious nature of political discourse on social media, with journalists and others pointing to the disturbing tendency to turn even a person’s death into an occasion for political abuse.
The backlash against the posts has prompted a broader debate on whether the anonymity of social media is eroding basic standards of public discourse and human decency.
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(With inputs from Dileep V Kumar.)
