In the world of journalism, timing often reveals more than the headlines do. Just months after The News Minute and its editor-in-chief Dhanya Rajendran were exposed for their role in amplifying the baseless Dharmasthala “mass grave” hoax, a calculated attempt to malign one of Karnataka’s most revered Hindu institutions, she has found herself nominated for a global “press freedom” award.

The award in question, the “Impact Prize of the Year 2025” by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), lauds Rajendran’s supposed “fight for press freedom” and “leadership in independent media.” Yet, for anyone who has followed the Dharmasthala scandal and The News Minute’s , the nomination reeks less of journalistic honour and more of ideological endorsement.

The Dharmasthala hoax: Anatomy of a manufactured scan

See Full Page