Press meets for Telugu films have increasingly turned into content factories rather than genuine media interactions.
The so-called Q&A sessions are now designed less for journalism and more for viral controversy.
Many are beginning to question whether the outrageous, insensitive, or downright cheap questions asked by certain reporters are genuine slip-ups or staged PR tactics planned in advance to spark online buzz.
While netizens troll these journalists for crossing the line, some believe they are willing participants in a scripted publicity stunt, either initiated by PR agencies or by the journalists themselves seeking instant fame.
Recently, a woman journalist asked actor Pradeep Ranganathan how he feels about being called “not hero material.” The very next day, she questioned Siddhu Jonnalagadda on whether he is a “womanizer in real life.”
Such insensitive and sensationalist questions not only tarnish the image of film journalism but also erode public respect for the individuals asking them.
And when these incidents recur with similar patterns, it raises one big question: Is this recklessness, or a rehearsed strategy for publicity?