By Sardar Khan NiaziWe live in a society that increasingly values the appearance of reality over reality itself. In today’s Pakistan, impressions — carefully curated, emotionally charged and often misleading — have begun to matter more than facts, substance and lived experience. From politics to piety, from patriotism to personal success, what seems to be true now frequently outweighs what is true. This is not merely a cultural shift; it is a structural one, accelerated by social media, 24-hour news cycles and a deepening crisis of trust in institutions. Media institutions, once expected to mediate between reality and the public, often amplify the problem.

Source: The Patriot February 02, 2026 23:39 UTC