MxMIndia

Tag: Times Now

  • Interesting times lie ahead as brothers Samir and Vineet Jain of Bennett Coleman have decided to split ways, writes Ranjona Banerji

    The Split & after

     

     

     

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Ranjona BanerjiMany feel that the split between the Jain brothers of Bennett Coleman was a long time coming.

    The departure of Samir Jain from the operations of the media conglomerate led to a shift in priorities and a change in direction for the group. Younger brother Vineet Jain tried to bring the behemoth that is Bennett Coleman into the 21st century. Or his version of it anyway. Television became the priority and depending on how you look at it, the success or the horror of Times Now is the result. Vineet also foresaw the growth of the internet but Indiatimes could not capitalise on its early mover advantage.

    Are the two brothers the same or different?

    Both are passionately interested in money and growth. Bombastic statements about the group being about money and advertising, but journalism and the media. Then some of the worst methods of monetizing journalism and demeaning journalism to make money have emerged from the large brain of Samir Jain. From schemes like Medianet to “Private Treaties”, every other media house has professed outrage and then meekly followed suit in some manner or the other.

    Vineet Jain has the same money-making impulses, without the same oomph. And without the sort of swashbuckling arrogance of Samir Jain. Let’s be clear. Samir Jain is not a swashbuckling person. He is not a public person either, as his brother has wanted to be. But he is arrogant, self-aware and confident in his decisions. That is where he has been successful in setting the media world on fire.

    And his return to the media, after his self-imposed exile, is bound to have the effect of a new predator entering a quiet jungle. Or, Samir Jain exists on Planet Samir Jain far before Elon Musk decided to become the First Martian. The details of the division are public: print, online and real estate to Samir, while Vineet gets radio, TV, the entertainment wing and Rs 3500 crore from his elder brother.

    This division is intriguing, to say the least.

    Print is seen as old-fashioned and has-been by many, but it still has heft in India. The internet is the future as far as news and information are concerned, and Samir has gained that influence as well.

    Times Now is one of the worst Indian “news” channels. If anyone assumed that the exit of Arnab Goswami and his growing toxicity would improve Times Now, they could not have been more wrong or more naïve. Goswami was replaced by a MiniMe, without even his limited charisma and experience. Between Rahul Shivshankar and Navika Kumar, Times Now has grown in stature to a top class vicious, Islamophobic propaganda machine.

    Is that what Vineet Jain stands for or does he not care about politics? It’s hard to know for sure. He is not a political animal in the traditional sense.

    Samir Jain on the other hand cares about power. He wants to have a hand in the future, he would like to be kingmaker, he will not respect journalists but he respects the power that journalism wields. He is unlikely to become someone else’s mouthpiece unless he sees a massive benefit. He is not easily frightened by government. Unlike many of our other media house owners.

    Both Jain brothers stir up a lot of angry feelings. But if you set those aside, we have interesting times ahead in the media. Tighten your seatbelts. There are gonna be changes!

     

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

  • He worked with TV9 Bharatvarsh as Senior Executive Editor for around three years

    Dinesh Gautam joins Times Now Navbharat

    By Our Staff

     

    Senior journalist Dinesh Gautam has joined Times Now Navbharat as Consulting Editor. He served TV9 Bharatvarsh as Senior Executive Editor for around three years. He has also worked with India News, ETV Bharat, Live India, Sahara News Network and Zee News in the past.

     

    Notes a communique: “Dinesh has also been inclined towards fiction. He has written and directed many plays and written a film ”Ab Dilli Dur Nahin” which soon is due for release”

     

  • That India has egg on its face thanks to despicable bigotry is not surprising. Nor sadly is the fact that the media which amplifies all of this is actively involved in this embarrassment, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Taking India for a ride!

     

     

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Ranjona BanerjiSomewhere in the offices of Bennett Coleman, there’s someone sitting and laughing.

    India is in the middle of a very embarrassing diplomatic incident and Times Now has to take responsibility for it. But. Ha ha ha.

    We went through this last week, when Times Now anchor Navika Kumar supported BJP’s National Spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who had abused Islam and the Prophet on national television. There was a backlash within India and Times Now distanced itself from Nupur Sharma and her comments.

     

    https://www.mxmindia.com/2022/05/ranjona-banerji-someone-trying-to-cover-their-nether-regions/

    What India did not know at the time is that within various Islamic nations in the Middle East and West Asia, there was massive anger building up. Indian goods were being removed from shop shelves, the Grand Mufti of Oman called for action, and then the diplomatic anger began. Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iran and Oman are some of the nations which expressed their displeasure and some called Indian ambassadors for explanations.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-61701908

     

    And then, the BJP and the Narendra Modi-led Union government behaved in a most remarkable manner. First, a statement was issued by the BJP distancing itself from statements by Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal, head of the media cell of the BJP’s Delhi unit. Then, soon after that statement, another one appeared suspending Sharma and expelling Jindal who had also made similar remarks.

    Sadly for Sharma, she had in between appeared on a BJP propaganda website claiming to her namesake that the BJP supported her all the way. She claimed assurances from people close to the Prime Minister that she was safe. Alas.

    The Times of India has covered the episode, Sharma’s sad humiliation and the anger in Islamic nations but has not mentioned its sibling, Times Now. Instead, the newspaper report said that Sharma made her unacceptable remarks in “a TV debate”.

    In its editorial, Times of India says: “That it took diplomatic censure from strategically and economically important Gulf countries for BJP to take action against two spokespersons, whose appalling comments on TV and Twitter have been known for days, says everything about how much political discourse has coarsened in this country”.

    It does not mention its colleagues in TV who actively supported and encouraged Sharma, let alone censuring or stopping her. The noxious Navika Kumar and the churlish, petulant Rahul Shivshankar are posterchildren for bigotry and Islamophobia. Both are the lynchpins of Times Now and set the tone. They have not paid any price yet for what they have set in motion. No responsibility, no action.

    The toxic “federal structure” excuse used by Bennett Coleman to justify its various platforms promoting opposing viewpoints is further amplified by a comment in The Economic Times. This pink paper feels that the Modi government is set on some great “development and wealth-creation mission” and thus “elements out of sync” – like Sharma and Jindal – must pay the price. It’s an intriguing thought process. By its own argument, the BJP must now get rid of Modi, Shah, Yogi Adityanath et cetera. It may also work if Times Now get rid of Kumar and Shivshankar who are certainly not bringing international glory to India.

    (I must thank communications and branding consultant Karthik, of the popular Twitter handle @beasoftraal for the juxtaposition of these two edits.)

    That India has egg on its face thanks to the BJP and its despicable bigotry is not surprising. Nor sadly is the fact the media which amplifies the BJP is actively involved in this national embarrassment.

    What is somewhat surprising is how quickly the BJP capitulated to pressure from these Islamic countries. Normally it hisses and spits venom at anyone who dares to question its rabid nature. Now suddenly, it rolls over and crawls away in abject apology? Could it be because India’s two biggest billionaires have massive business interests in some of these countries?

    Any media house going to take this up? Especially those laughing creatures at Bennett Coleman?

     

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

     

  • Launches Dekhega Navbharat, Jeetega Bharat

    Times Now Navbharat rolls out new marketing campaign

    By Our Staff

     

    Times Now Navbharat has launched a new marketing campaign called Dekhega Navbharat, Jeetega Bharat. It is A 100-day long nationwide consumer campaign has been unveiled with over 40,000 spots across channels.

     

    Said MK Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network: “The first two weeks unrolled viewership data indicates that we have already achieved our first phase ranking target and broken into the A-set of HNCs. The best news is that our TSV performance is on target. We have ensured that our Distribution is the best in class with highest penetration and best locations in the EPGs across platforms giving Times Now Navbharat the highest OTS in the genre. The “Dekhega Navbharat, Jeetega Bharat” campaign is one of the biggest multimedia campaigns across categories and we are confident that we will see our Reach numbers go to capacity taking us to our final target.

     

  • It demonstrates one more low in a long list of lows that Indian journalism now aspires to, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Thrilled by the pain of others!

     

     

     

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Ranjona BanerjiThis is Navika Kumar of Times Now on Twitter on April 20, 2022. She has some fancy designation which is an insult to anyone else who has ever held that designation or aspires to it.

     

    “Dramatic increase in demand for bulldozers. Are we increasing domestic capacity for manufacturing or will we have to depend on imports?? #JustAsking JJ”

     

    The context: Properties in the national capital were destroyed by the municipal authorities. This was presented as part of what is called a “demolition drive” in the Indian media where encroachments and illegal buildings are brought down. However, this “drive” which has filled this Times Now “editor” with such glee, followed a complaint made by a BJP leader which was part of a new pattern in India. Create a communal situation and then accuse only Muslims of riots (started by Hindus) and then use demolition equipment – bulldozers, earthmovers – to destroy their homes and livelihoods.

     

    The “drive” that Kumar enjoyed so much was stopped by the Supreme Court but officials of the BJP-run New Delhi Municipal Corporation continued with it as long as they could, in blatant contravention of an order from India’s apex court.

    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/supreme-court-stays-demolition-drive-in-jahangirpuri-for-two-weeks/articleshow/90973632.cms

     

    The seriousness of the situation – part of the total breakdown of communal relations, of law and order, of Constitutional democracy being carried out the by the BJP-RSS in India – was better presented, obviously, in The Hindu and The Wire than in Navika Kumar’s sister publication The Times of India.

    https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/dangerous-deceptions-the-hindu-editorial-on-jahangirpuri-demolition-drive/article65342304.ece

    https://thewire.in/government/jahangirpuri-demolitions-not-legitimate-anti-encroachment

     

    What is Navika Kumar made of? If she ever was a journalist, then the facts of the case have not made it to her tweet. Nor has the basic tenet of questioning all official actions been fulfilled. And on the basis of humanity, of compassion? To have such joy in the prospect of people losing their lives and livelihoods?

     

    Sadly, she is not the only one. Big names in the Hindi TV anchor world – Amish Devgan of News18 and Anjana Om Kashyap of AajTak – were equally thrilled at the devastation caused to the poor. Kashyap even jumped onto a bulldozer to get the experience of destruction first hand. Embedded “journalism” if you like.

     

    There is a lot of anger amongst journalists over what The Times of India or the Bennett Coleman group has become. A bit like the way India’s public intellectuals continue to rail against the Congress party while applauding the fascist control of the BJP. The truth is that TOI has long been all things to all people. Under Girilal Jain, it was definitely leaning towards the Hindu right. It is an establishment paper, and for a while it was even run by the government because of ownership litigation.

     

    However, having worked for TOI during one of India’s worst moments – the Gujarat riots of 2002 – I can emphatically state that in spite of all the pressure put on the newspaper by Narendra Modi, by Arun Jaitley and our own marketing department, the editors and owners supported our endeavours to report and comment on the terrible violence unleased on Muslims by RSS subsidiaries with the support of the state government. There are excellent, hardworking journalists within the group. But their voices are being muffled day by day.

     

    And we now reach this moment where a senior editorial person does not just support the government but is thrilled by the pain of others. There has been no action against her yet so one can only assume her bosses share her excitement at the suffering of India’s poor.

     

    The excuse made by the Jains about the “federal” nature of Bennett Coleman’s various media arms cannot hold under such circumstances. That is just shucking responsibility by pretending that you’re being tolerant and inclusive. Kumar was once made to apologise for abusing Rahul Gandhi on her TV show.

     

    Frankly, this tweet is much, much worse. It demonstrates one more low in a long list of lows that Indian journalism now aspires to.

     

    I shudder to think of the young people entering journalism inspired by Kumar’s sickening hatred of India’s people, India’s religious minorities and India’s Constitution.

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia every Tuesday and Friday. Her views here are personal

     

     

  • But the Indian media is too scared to tell you that, writes Ranjona Banerji

    India is burning!

     

     

     

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Ranjona BanerjiIndia is burning. No, not just from the intense heat waves across large parts of the country. But from relentless attacks on freedom and democracy from our ruling regime’s stable of thugs. From the fires set on homes and businesses and religious establishments that belong to Muslims. From the force of the blows on the heads of students eating in their college canteens. From the spreading wave of toxic Hindu majoritarianism that now devours our nation-state.

    From their Twitter feeds, the most prominent Prime Minister-related news on the morning of April 12, 2022 from some English TV channels:

    Times Now tells us that the Prime Minister is busy with the Deoghar rope accident in Jharkhand.

    India Today tells us that the Prime Minister is busy with the “Ukraine war”.

    News18 tells that the Prime Minister has congratulated the new prime minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif.

    The Prime Minister was not visible on NDTV’s Twitter feed, not even exercising on a rock or sitting in a cave or waving at no one.

    The biggest news was by-elections, the wedding of Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, US President Joe Biden’s meeting with PM Narendra Modi on Ukraine, summer vacation dates in Maharashtra.

    What have our newspapers tell us about what’s going on in India? How about the violence against Muslim fruit-sellers in Dharwad, one more in a list of attacks on Muslims in Karnataka?

    https://www.hindustantimes.com/videos/news/karnataka-muslim-fruit-sellers-carts-vandalised-by-right-wing-vandals-101649585323450.html

    The wording here is delicate: “members of a Hindu rightwing group Sri Ram Sene”. The criminal behaviour of Sri Ram Sene has long been known. Its founder Pramod Muthalik has been in and of the Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and the BJP. His rabid toxicity was apparently too much for all of them. But here he is, untouched and free to carry on with his violence and targeting of Muslims and women.

    What’s the bet that the word “members” would have been replaced with words like “terrorists” if a Muslim organisation had been charged with these attacks. At least, you may argue, the thugs were not called “activists”. Those usually belong to the Bajrang Dal or ABVP.

    The “incident” at Jawaharwal Nehru University over non-vegetarian food in the canteen on Ram Navami?

    https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/students-clash-at-jnu-hostel-over-non-vegetarian-food/article65309582.ece

    This story from The Hindu is very careful to just lay out all the accusations and counter-accusations so that the reader imagines that there was no bloodshed and that everyone involved – ABVP and Left unions – was equally responsible.

    So also from The Telegraph:

    https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/abvp-left-students-clash-over-non-veg-food-in-jnu-during-ram-navami/cid/1860032

    Tippy-toe, tippy-toe. Baba, we must pick our battles carefully. These students are like this, all aggressive, lefties especially and this ABVP. Let us just do a bland report and move on.

    How about the many attacks on Muslim-owned meat sellers across India over the issue of Ram Navami, the spring Navratri or nine days of some form of fasting by some Hindus, particularly in North India?

    Here are two digital platforms on the issue, The Print and Article 14. Both go further than the mainstream media.

    The Print tells us that the attacks on Muslims are “brutal”, but also decided to describe these violent criminals as “vigilantes”.

    https://theprint.in/india/nothing-can-stop-this-gurugram-muslims-say-after-brutal-attack-on-meat-transporter-lukman/473330/

    Article 14 looks at the larger picture of consistent assaults on Muslim traders and workers:

    https://article-14.com/post/muslim-vendors-scarred-by-delhi-s-so-called-meat-ban-terrified-confused-about-the-future–6250e3f04ceeb

    There are Youtube videos and individual accounts of a Ram Navami procession in Madhya Pradesh attacking a mosque. The Madhya Pradesh government reacted by blaming Muslims, arresting them and then bulldozing their homes. Here, from the Hindustan Times:

    https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/houses-of-accused-in-mp-ram-navmi-clashes-razed-probe-on-101649704338664.html

    This is standard practice, to blame the victim and then use loopholes in the law to destroy their property based on accusations. What law, life and individual liberties mean in India I have no idea. Does the bulk of the media?

    Indeed, what exactly the Indian media does in its newsrooms, even those who do not only comply with orders from the Modi government, it’s hard to understand or imagine. Those of you who can remember, look back at the 2011 India Against Corruption movement where the same media amplified tiny crowds as national unrest and what we now know are absolute lies about corruption in 2G spectrum auctions.

    India is burning. The media is too scared to tell you that.

     

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

     

  • The departure is reportedly with immediate effect

    Vikas Khanchandani quits Republic. Hersh Bhandari to take charge as Group COO. Darius Maneckji is Business Head

    By Our Staff

     

    Vikas Khanchandani
    Vikas Khanchandani

    Republic Media Network Group CEO Vikas Khanchandani has decided to move on from the organisation. The departure is with immediate effect and MxMIndia has confirmed the development. It is not known where Khanchandani will be moving to.

     

    Meanwhile, Republic has announced a restructure of its management, effective immediately. Newly-inducted Darius Maneckji will report to Hersh Bhandari, who has been elevated to Group COO – Broadcasting Division. Bhandari will be incharge of the entire broadcasting businesses of the network.

     

    Hersh-Bhandari
    Hersh Bhandari
    Darius-Maneckji
    Darius-Maneckji

    Maneckji will be Business Head-Republic TV and Senior EVP. He will now lead the national operations for Republic TV, including the channel’s offices in Bengaluru, Noida, Gurugram, Kolkata and Mumbai. He has been National Sales Head in the past for Times Now and also National Sales Head for the English Movie Cluster at Turner International India.  Before onboarding with Republic TV, his last assignment was with TV Today.

     

    Arnab Goswami

    Said Arnab Goswami, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Republic Media Network: “The induction of strong business talent is part of the expansion of the Network and creation of a strong organizational base to take the plans forward,: adding: “I am excited about the new roles for both Hersh and Darius. The broadcasting division under Hersh will see rapid growth, like never before. Our digital business is being expanded by 100 percent and together with our Strategic Business partnerships, will be hived off into separate business divisions, each with their own leadership and goals. At a consolidated level, this should place us in a fantastic position to be the number one TV+Digital News company across the board in two years.”

     

    On his elevation, Bhandari said: “At Republic Media Network, we continue to consolidate and strengthen ourselves with speed for the growth that beckons us. I’m energised by the trust reposed in me by the Board, Management, and my colleagues, to help shape and deliver the next phase of growth. We think and move as one, shoulder-to-shoulder.”

    Added Maneckji: “I’m excited to join India’s fastest growing news Network. I look forward to working with one of the best teams in the business to ensure we continue to command and establish our leadership role in the English News genre.”

     

    Priya Mukherjee
    Priya Mukherjee

    Khanchandani is the second senior person in the founding team of Republic TV. Distribution head Priya Mukherjee had moved out last year. Both Khanchandani and Mukherjee were part of Republic from before it started in 2017.

     

  • Various other promotions are also announced

    Times Network elevates Vivek Srivastava, Rahul Shivshankar. Savvy Dilip joins to head digital growth

    By Our Staff

     

    Times Network has announced key appointments and elevations in its leadership team given its upcoming launches Times Now Navbharat and ET Now Swadesh in Hindi.

     

    M K Anand
    M K Anand

    Commenting on the development, MK Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network said: “2020 was a tumultuous year for the broadcasters and while we were severely tested by the pandemic, Times Network not just managed to harness every headwind in its path but continued to march ahead successfully by setting new industry benchmarks. The superior talent of our leadership team is one of key pillars that drove the network’s significant growth during these unprecedented times and accelerated our overall digital transformation efforts. These elevations are a recognition of their contribution to the growth of the company.”

     

    Rahul Shivshankar
    Vivek Srivastava

    On the editorial front, Rahul Shivshankar has been elevated to Editorial Director while continuing to lead the editorial mandate of Times Now as its Editor-in-Chief

     

    Given its digital plans, the network has elevated Vivek Srivastava to President Strategy & Operations – Broadcast and Digital. He will lead the digital operations of the network and

    Savvy Dilip
    Savvy Dilip

    oversee product strategy, audience development and operations planning for both digital and broadcast businesses. It has also appointed Savvy Dilip as Executive Vice President and Head- Digital Growth. Savvy will lead product development, content-led audience growth, technology based digital consumer experiences, social media amplification and online marketing for all the digital platforms of the Network. Savvy Dilip, who had turned entrepreneur for a bit, is a seasoned broadcast professional having worked with Network 18 and iTV in the past. She will report to Srivastava.

     

    Other senior management promotions include Manish Wadkar, Senior Vice President & Head – Legal, Pranav Bakshi, Senior Vice President – Digital, Hina Jafri, Vice President & Head – Corporate Communications, Poonam Bavdanker, Vice President – Human Resources, Saurabh Bhowal, Vice President & Head – Content and Programming, Zoom & The Zoom Studios and Mihir Bhatt, Vice President & Executive Editor, Times Influence.

     

    Continuing to play a pivotal role in aiding the Network’s growth, the leadership team comprising Jagdish Mulchandani – Chief Operating Officer and Executive President, Jignesh Kenia, Executive Vice President & Head – Corporate Strategy & Digital Transformation, Gaurav Dhawan, Executive Vice President – Revenue and S. Srivathsan as Executive Vice President and Head – Human Resources will drive their respective portfolios for the Network.

     

  • After mainstream news media, digital entities feel intimidated, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Now, Digital Media is the New Target

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Ranjona Banerji

    Regardless of ministry changes in the Modi government, attacks on press freedom are unlikely to stop. Total control of the media and a complete crackdown on Constitutional rights is the ultimate goal here. I know, I know, it’s not new, it’s been done before. But that does not make it palatable. This argument of X did it first has become so tiresome as to make the study of history completely unnecessary and redundant. It’s like saying someone murdered someone else first 10,000 years ago every time a new murder is being investigated and prosecuted. Is that how it works? No one can be called into question today because someone else did the same thing yesterday and ages ago?

    Rant over.

     

    In today’s terms, the attacks are manifold. There are attacks on journalists themselves, physical and in cyber space, on their reputations, their safety, their wellbeing. There are attacks on media houses which do not toe the government/party line. And the latest consistent target is the digital media. As this plaintive edit in The Times of India points out, as far as press freedom goes, digital news is not different from mainstream news.

     

    In its edit (published Monday, July 11, 2021) on the new IT rules, Times of India says: “…these rules seem like an attempt to intimidate the news media itself into self-censorship, apart from vesting government with overreaching powers over news content. News publishers are right to fear arm-twisting and coercion.”

     

    I wish these words were the wakeup call for the news media they appear to be but that is a pipe dream. For all of the last seven years, the mainstream media has been an enabler and an amplifier of BJP, Modi and government propaganda. Yes, more than the media ever has been before. The Times of India itself is being disingenuous, carrying this edit on its own pages. In the columns next door to the edits, (3,4,5), any number of propaganda pieces have been carried, by government ministers and by commentators and staff who are pro-BJP and pro-government.

     

    The very existence of the TV channel Times Now – whose editor also writes a lot of faff in the middle column of the edit page – gives the lie to this edit’s long moan.

     

    As freelance journalist Shyam G Menon asks in this excellent piece in the Telegraph, why is the spread of the conservative rightwing media cheap while the liberal media is seen as expensive to produce?

    https://www.telegraphindia.com/amp/opinion/on-a-toxic-diet/cid/1822209?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=tt_daily_twit&__twitter_impression=true

     

    He writes: “During my self-funded travels, I live in cheap hotel rooms. At times, it has been the stuff of bed, claustrophobia, a ventilator for sunshine, a fan and a TV. The TV offers you free-to-air channels, some of them dressed in the attire of news. I say dressed because quite frankly I don’t consider Indian television news, with its accompanying music, suspense and drama, the stuff of news. Surfing channels for something watchable, I found that the news channels on offer were mostly right-wing. It meant that if you wanted coverage of content that is neutral or left-of-centre, the hotel owner had to subscribe to a costlier bundle. As a guest, I would have to be wealthy and capable of affording costlier rooms serviced that way. The liberal media is typically neutral to slightly left-of-centre. It felt strange that such an editorial tilt should be expensive to afford.”

     

    Menon raises here and further in his opinion piece some very pertinent questions for the media.

     

    But at the core is this one problem: by kowtowing to the government – for ads and favours – and choosing a money model exclusively over a journalism model, the Indian media has definitely shot itself firmly in the foot. The TOI edit therefore is a cry in a wilderness of its own creation. Not just Bennett Coleman but every major media house in India.

     

    As long as media owners and journalists (who have chosen money and power over journalism) continue in the current manner, nothing will change. This whining therefore is possibly only a weak attempt to test the waters and find some new negotiation point to keep oneself afloat.

     

    The current and oncoming bad weather though does not really care.

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia every Tuesday and Friday. Her views here are personal

  • The network has launched Times Now, ET Now, Times Now World and Zoom in Europe and Mirror Now globally, through OneHubTV

    Times Network spreads its tentacles with Vision247

    By A Correspondent

     

    Strengthening its digital presence in the international market, Times Network, in partnership with Vision247, a digital communications and managed broadcast service provider based in UK, has launched Times Now, ET Now, Times Now World and Zoom in Europe and Mirror Now globally, through OneHubTV.

     

    Jagdish Mulchandani

    Said Jagdish Mulchandani, COO & Executive President, Times Network said, “We are very excited to announce the global launch of Times Network’s premium channels across international markets through our strategic partnership with Vision247. Catering to the requirements of the new age tech savvy viewers, OneHubTV is a compelling destination that offers a plethora of opportunities for us to connect with our global viewers. I am confident that our robust offering will cater to the viewers preferences, providing them a holistic content viewing experience.”

     

     

  • … but what about Times Now, a regular purveyor of both hate speech and fake news, asks Ranjona Banerji

    When Times of India boss Vineet Jain damns Facebook on hate speech & fake news…

     

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Vineet Jain, managing director of Bennett, Coleman and Company, set off an interesting discussion on Twitter the other day. Bennett, Coleman is the owner of The Times of India and Times Now amongst a large array of newspapers and television channels. India’s largest media conglomerate is how the company is often described. Jain is the MD and part of the family which owns the group.

    Jain tweeted this, about ongoing discussions about Facebook, and advertisers applying pressure on Mark Zuckerberg’s social media platform to eliminate hate speech and fake news: “Social media has become the cause of violence, hate & fake news. Govts globally have been lazy & have failed to control them. Advertisers r walking away from social media forcing them to review policies on violent content. Biz men are doing Govts job in making the world better.”

     

     

    Jain went on to post a link to a Times of India article on the issue, and also tweeted this: “Unilever #Honda #coke among many other corporates have stopped advertising on social media because of poor policies & insignificant moderation regarding hate speech.”

    O the irony, the irony. Jain’s “news” channel Times Now is a regular purveyor of both hate speech and fake news, and has substantially helped to destroy the reputation of the venerable Old Lady of Bori Bunder, The Times of India, the group’s flagship publication.

    I can hear the scoffing. Because much of the destruction of the credibility of the Indian media is thanks to TOI. You could start with the hegemony of Response over editorial, the appointment of “brand managers” to oversee the hegemony, the introduction of Medianet where the company itself sold editorial space to advertisers and so on.

    But for all its many faults, there were many things – and still are – that are right with the Times of India. I myself have benefitted from a management that did not interfere and indeed supported us when we reported on the 2002 Gujarat riots from Gujarat, as I have mentioned many times before. And this is despite huge pressure from the Response section to get us to stop taking on Narendra Modi’s culpability as chief minister of Gujarat. I quit TOI just as Medianet began, so perhaps I did not see the worst of it.

    However, what Times Now does is far worse than anything that any print publication within Vineet Jain’s empire can conjure up. A non-stop barrage of anti-Muslim debates, a distinct pro-Hindu slant to what passes for news and for discussions, rabid anchors in Rahul Shivshankar and Navika Kumar, an absolute inability to question the Narendra Modi government at the Centre on anything, an endless blame game against the Opposition. It is essentially a propaganda channel for the Modi government, the BJP and the RSS.

    Here’s one small example of its behaviour. A recent poll run by the channel on how Modi had handled the ongoing China crisis had 60.2 per cent of the people saying it was handled badly and 39.8 per cent voting Modi handled it well. Times Now put up a pie chart where the 39.8 per cent was bigger than the 60.2 per cent. This ran until it was trolled on social media. I know there are many kind souls who will want to give them the benefit of the doubt but anyone who has followed the channel knows it was deliberate.

    Mr Jain might perhaps want to rephrase his observations about hate, violence and fake news being seen on social media alone. He might perhaps want to steel himself to watch his own toxic channel. The second tweet in his thread is particularly interesting because it comes to the conclusion, in the Facebook case, that it is business which does the government’s job by withholding advertising from FB and making it change its ways.

    Is this a message to Indian businesses to stop advertising with Times Now? I joke of course, but think about it. Perhaps a withholding of money is the only way that the company will consider getting Times Now to become a news channel rather than a purveyor of filth and fakery.

    It is unlikely that Jain wants government interference. The Newspapers Owners Association of India fight off any sort of government interference because it might interfere with their ownership patterns, not because they care about freedom of expression or a free press. The Association also fights against the Wage Board Commissions which work on fair-ish wages for badly paid newspaper employees.

    Or, is something strange brewing???

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She is also Consulting Editor, MxMIndia. Her views here are personal

     

     

  • Ranjona Banerji on how the media is reporting on events at the India-China border, how job cuts at newspapers could impact journalism and more

    War of words on China

     

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Events overtake the news. And some media houses work as hard as they can to ignore those events. So: Is China inside Ladakh or not and has Nepal included bits of Indian territory in their new maps of Nepal? The answers depend on how nationalistic you feel at the moment.

     

    Times Now, part of the venerable old lady of Boribunder, whose owner once began the Aman ki Asha initiative claiming that the might of Bennett Coleman gave it the power to push for peace with Pakistan regardless of Indian government policy, appears to want war or military action of some sort. However, being more nationalistic than informed or perhaps being completely diabolical, Times Now seems to want some sort of action against Pakistan for China’s entry into Ladakh. Or have I misread star anchor Navika Kumar’s declamation that the PLA or “Pakistan Liberation Army” has entered into Ladakh. In some parts of the world, the PLA is China’s People’s Liberation Army. But if you are part of an Indian nationalistic entertainment channel, then obviously Pakistan plays a role in any incursion into Indian territory, including evidently commandeering and renaming the Chinese Army.

     

    Rahul Kanwal, Big Chief of India Today TV, however took another line. He tweeted that we should not push for war and that diplomacy is the answer and why not be patriotic and boycott Chinese products and/or China. This is a line completely at odds with India Today TV’s normal behaviour where Kanwal’s counterpart goosesteps across the studio wearing a camouflage vest. I have forgotten his name. Fill in whatever you think is appropriate.

     

    Sudhir Chaudhary, Emperor of Zee, DNA, WION and such, took to Twitter to berate liberals for not being angry enough at China’s behaviour. Liberals, as is well-known, run the country and take all major decisions in government.

     

    My interpretation is that the Narendra Modi government is confused about what to do and has not sent out a clear message to its pets in the entertainment media. Each therefore has put its own spin on the silence. TimesCow has blamed Pakistan, India Today TV wants to play this softly softly and Zee’s going for the meaningless target of liberals.

     

    Obviously, none of them are going to question the Government of India. Ha ha ha. What a splendidly wonky idea that, for a bunch of TV showponies.

     

    The print media on the whole has just sidestepped the whole issue. There are many other things to “news” about. China, Nepal? These things happen. Move on.

     

    Given the huge and mounting job losses in the media – Hindustan Times being the latest to take a hacksaw through their newsrooms – the tragedy will be that the reader will get even less news than before. “Blood bath” is how most people in the know have termed the latest cuts. Apparently 27 per cent of employee strength across departments in HT and including Mint, has been cut. Many senior journalists say they retired or left of their own accord. The ‘no smoke without fire’ adage is being applied here by other journalists: how come so many decide to quit or retire voluntarily at exactly the same time as others have been sacked? Whatever the reason though, the loss is to quality journalism and quality newspapers.

     

    Network 18 has taken the other, more sensible route in bad times, of salary cuts of 10 per cent, with those higher up the gravy train taking bigger cuts. This is a far more humane way of coping with the current economic crisis than job cuts. When times are better, these newspapers will rehire and usually cheaper. So many who have lost their jobs in a bad market will remain adrift.

     

    Life and payments are bad for freelancers usually and even worse now. There were times when senior editorial staff would speak up against such a management decision. However, I fear that senior editors are now part of such management games.

    **

     

    In all this doom and gloom, because the virus has not stopped and the economy remains awful and the government is still lying about migrants and the courts are not helping, some sharp satire from The Onion about the ongoing crisis in the USA after the murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis (on that, next time). ‘Protestors criticized for looting businesses without forming equity firm first’: how do you beat that???

    Protestors Criticized For Looting Businesses Without Forming Private Equity Firm First

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She is also Consulting Editor, MxMIndia. Her views here are perso