Category: MEDIA

The deaths of Ashwin Aghor, Satish Nandgaonkar and Sujata Anandan, all Mumbai-based journalists, in February, has been a shocker for many of us. I knew Ashwin, a very good environmental journalist although we disagreed on Hindutva, and Sujata well, Satish only to say hello. All three left too early, and one at least, according to those who know, because of the stresses of work.

Sujata’s sudden death is particularly hard to bear, at a personal level. She was, as several have pointed out on social media yesterday, steadfastly secular, committed to a democratic India, stood against bigotry, and stuck to her guns in spite of all the abuse she faced. She was also a treasure trove of information on Maharashtra politics. And a kind and generous person. A big loss.

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/obituary/condolences-pour-in-at-sudden-demise-of-author-and-commentator-sujata-anandan

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If no news is good news, then all news is bad news. As the paragraphs above appear to prove. But sometimes, there is good news. At least when it comes to standing up for the Constitution and our secular values, and for holding the media to account.

The News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) has fined two  “news” channels and issued a warning to a third about their communal programming. “Every inter-faith relationship not love jihad” said the Authority, as it fined Times Now Navbharat Rs 100,000 and News 18 India Rs 50,000. Aaj Tak was warned.

The anchors involved are popular for their constant polarising and attempts to spread religious hatred and sectarian disharmony. Those who watch these toxic programmes will know them as Himanshu Dixit, Aman Chopra, Amish Devgan and Sudhir Chaudhary.

The NBDSA’s decision was based on a complaint filed by Indrajeet Ghorpade.

https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/every-inter-faith-relationship-not-love-jihad-nbdsa-fines-news-channels-for-communal-programs-250888

Sadly, it is unlikely that these anchors – and others like them – will change their ways despite this admonishment. The fines are not large enough to bother the media houses which own them either, because they get huge dividends from catering to religious bigotry and hatred, not just from the large viewership, but also in terms of government patronage and favours. News 18 is owned by Mukesh Ambani, Times Now by Vineet Jain and Aaj Tak is part of the India Today group owned by Aroon Purie. No action has been taken by the media houses against these anchors for their rampant Islamophobia and anti- Constitutional programming. For all we know, they have been rewarded.

That raises the question of how these fines will impact these channels. My personal cynical view is: not at all. We are going into general election mode soon. Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP are desperate to win this election and one of their key campaign strategies will be a complicit and helpful media. These TV channels are an integral part of their campaign plans.

It is highly unlikely that one decision like this is going to make much difference to a media which has already committed to this path. Across the channels anchors appear to have a free hand when it comes to demonising Muslims, ignoring injustices when the BJP is the accused and hyping similar cases when any opposition party is in power.

RIP for Sujata, Satish and Ashwin.

As for the media, well…

Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal.

Two things have happened in India recently. Well, many things may or may not have happened but for the Indian media and the smaller world of social media, we are limited to two.

One, India’s richest industrialist’s third child had a series of “pre-wedding” celebrations in Gujarat.

Two, a tourist couple biking across India were attacked in Jharkhand and the woman was brutally gangraped by seven men.

Because this is India, obviously the Ambani pre-wedding was the news of the week. Forgive me if I keep repeating the term “pre-wedding”; my excuse is that I’d never heard of it before this and did not know of such things (my experience is stuck in old-fashioned stuff like “engagements”, but I hear that happened two years ago).

Anyway, the Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s “pre-wedding” celebrations at Jamnagar, factory site of the Ambani’s petrochemical plant, was an international affair. World leaders, international tycoons, film and sports stars and general celebrities all flew down for a three-day jamboree.

The Indian media was in a state of constant high excitement, not least the non-Ambani-owned media. The prize for the most high-frisson coverage goes to Rahul Kanwal of India Today (he has a big designation), as he hopped in excitement behind Anant Ambani as he toured his zoo and eagerly anticipated drinking watermelon juice and eating ragi laddoos being prepared for the Ambani zoo’s pet elephants. This takes a high level of dedication to your job, which must be appreciated.

In context, when Kanwal hopped about like a bunny rabbit behind the then new UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath aka Ajay Mohan Bisht, he did not ask to taste the treats which Adityanath carried around for his pet cows.

This trajectory is a fine example for young people on how to hone your journalism skills.

For publicity-seekers in general, this is how you do it. Do not bother to hire publicity agents. Just get India’s top “news” networks to do the needful. They may come for free, or in hope of future advertising or just for a glass of watermelon juice and a ragi laddoo.

I know I’m being unfair to the gigantic public relations world, but this is how rich people stay rich: by saving money here so that they can buy emeralds there.

And so to Jharkhand and a terrible gangrape and assault of a Spanish woman, while her Brazilian husband was held down and made to watch. And to another sort of social media circus, with the media playing a supporting role. Several journalists in their private capacity felt that this gangrape was bad for India’s tourism potential and image. The head of the National Commission for Women, Rekha Sharma, was appalled that people were “defaming” India’s image. How people perceive India is more important than what actually happens by this logic.

To journalist David Josef Volodzko, who posted on X about the harassment of women which he had witnessed in India, Sharma replied with this:

“Did you ever report the incident to the Police? If not then you are a totally irresponsible person. Writing only on social media and defaming whole country is not a good choice.”

The idea is clear: image is everything.

As for the couple, the same lot of people of which Sharma is a part, were more concerned with the reporting of crimes against women – because of India’s image – than with the condition of women themselves.

https://thewire.in/women/spanish-tourist-jharkhand-gang-rape-ncw-rekha-sharma

The horrific gangrape in Jharkhand was followed with another instance of a young girl hired at a hostess at a wedding being raped in the Hathras district, known as the venue of another horrifying rape and murder of an underage Dalit girl by upper caste men:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/17-year-old-girl-gang-raped-in-hathras/articleshow/108195707.cms

That politicians and their supporters will try and justify the publicizing of sexual crimes against women because it makes India “look bad” is reprehensible but not unusual. But for people in the media to parrot that line of thinking is shameful.

So what’s new, I hear you saying. And quite rightly, since sexual harassment in newsrooms continues without end. And on this coming Friday, we will go through the ritualistic meaningless celebration of Women’s Day all over again.

Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal.