A brand new podcast where Newslaundry reporters discuss stories that got eclipsed in the day-to-day reporting business, while others that got overplayed. In episode 1 of Reporters Without Orders, hosted by Abhinandan Sekhri, reporter Amit Bhardwaj gives a behind-the-scenes account of #YuvaHunkarRally. The panel including Sahla Nechiyil, Rohin Kumar and Cherry Agarwal discusses modification of Supreme Court’s #NationalAnthem order, the state of Central Universities, revised bank charges on cash transactions, Rs 100 crore civil defamation against The Wire and more. Listen up!

Newslaundry Podcasts

Ep 01: #YuvaHunkarRally, Central Universities, #NationalAnthem and more

In the second podcast of Reporters Without Orders, the panel discusses the limited debate surrounding the agricultural distress, law and order situation in New Delhi, Dhanyashree suicide in Karnataka as well as encounters in Yogi Adityanath's Uttar Pradesh. The panel also weighs in on the sexual harassment allegations against American actor-comedian Aziz Ansari -- can the allegation be clubbed with the #MeToomovement or is there a need to draw a distinction? Also on the podcast are stories that our reporters would like to cover -- from Panchayat elections in Kashmir to an investigation into Islamic groups such as Popular Front of India and Social Democratic Party of India. This, and more. Listen up!

Ep 02: Agricultural distress, Aziz Ansari & more

In this episode of Reporters Without Orders, the panel discusses the implications of Foreign Ministry issuing colour-coded passports and CCTV surveillance in schools. The panel also discusses the limited coverage given to the rape and murder of a minor girl in Jammu's Kathua city as well as the arrest of two journalists in Kerela's Ernakulam. The journalists, who were covering a protest led by Dalits, were arrested by the state police for allegedly "obstructing their duty".  But that's not all. Amit shares his reporting experience from Kurukshetra, where he had gone to cover the #JindRapeCase. Listen up!
#JindRapeCase #CCTV #Delhi #Passports #Jammu

Ep 03: #JindRapeCase, CCTV in Delhi schools, colour-coded passports & more

In this episode of #ReportersWithoutOrders, Newslaundry’s illustrator Anish Daolagupu joins the regular gang to discuss the protests in Assam's Dima Hasao district. Also, hear Abhinandan share his experience of a particular shoot while weighing in on the media blind spot when it comes to the Northeast. The panel also discusses a Madras High Court order allowing conjugal visits for a man serving a life sentence and the national media’s limited coverage of Odisha’s political hot potato— the death of a class 9 girl who was gang-raped.
All this, in addition to Nidhi’s learnings during her travel with Karwan-e-Mohabbat, Sahla’s jibe at the selection of panelists called on news debates and more. Listen up!
#ReportersWithoutOrders #MadrasHighCourt #EconomicSurvey2018 #Odisha #Assam #DimaHasao

Ep 04: Protests in Assam, Karwan-e-Mohabbat, #EconomicSurvey2018 and more

In this episode of #ReportersWithoutOrders, the panel discusses sections of mainstream media’s narrative about Kashmir—how it has been reduced to terror and terrorists. The gang also discusses limited coverage given to the startling allegations made by Congress’ Kapil Sibal, political developments in Jharkhand and life of undertrials such as the youth arrested in the Bangalore blast case.
The panel also weighs in on the #PadmanChallenge, what ails legacy media houses, problems with over-consumption of news and more. Listen up!
#Kashmir #Congress #Politics #Jharkhand #Bangalore #PadmanChallenge

Ep 05: Media’s Kashmir narrative, Jharkhand, #PadmanChallenge & more

On this podcast of Reporters Without Orders, the panel discusses the limited debate surrounding the Kashmir Administrative Exams, Rajasthan Budget which has provisions for distribution of free sanitary napkins as well as the flawed coverage of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's statement on the FIR filed against Major Aditya Kumar. The panel also discusses a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch and The Caravan's follow-up story on judge Loya's death.
The #ReportersWithoutOrders gang also discusses how the news about Priya Prakash Varrier was overplayed. This, and more. Listen up!

Newslaundry Podcast

Ep 06: Nirmala Sitharaman, KAS, #RajasthanBudget and more

Abhinandan is back as host for episode 7 of #ReportersWithoutOrders. The panel discusses the limited debate surrounding incidences of the caste-based discrimination against Dalit students in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, NIA's new definition of "real journalism", the self-immolation of a Dalit farmer in Patan, Gujarat and double murder in Nagpur.
 
They also talk about news packages including one on an Andhra Pradesh farmer using Sunny Leone's poster as nazar battu, communalisation of news narrative in a tribal girl's rape case in Kathua, Jammu and the missing nuance from debates on #PNBScam. This, and more. Listen up!
#Kamran Yusuf #Dalit #Himachal Pradesh #Sunny Leone

Ep 07: Dalit farmer's self-immolation, Kamran Yusuf & more

On this podcast of Reporters Without Orders, the panel discusses the limited debate surrounding elections in Nagaland and Meghalaya, BJP leader's SUV running over 9 students and injuring 20 others, a 26-page affidavit submitted by Hadiya in the Supreme Court and an 18-year-old Dalit girl being burnt alive in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district. The panel also talks about the detention of Islamic preacher MM Akbar at the Hyderabad airport on Sunday, a story about Amit Shah's fever in the web edition of The Hindu as well as Jansatta. This, and more. Listen up!

Ep 08: Elections in Meghalaya and Nagaland, Amit Shah, MM Akbar and more

On this podcast of Reporters Without Orders, we have a surprise guest joining the panel. A reporter from The Quint, Meghnad Bose, joins the panel to discuss the Kathua rape case, fire at a Rohingya refugee camp, Rahul Gandhi’s midnight march and more.
Meghnad tells us about the story that he broke on CBSE class 12 exams wherein the marks were being unfairly moderated. “A data scientist had observed a very odd marking pattern that an unbelievably high number of students in CBSE were getting the number 95." The numbers like 91, 92, 93 and 94 were obtained by 60-70k people and 195k people got the number 95. We realised that CBSE adopts a moronic system, Meghnad tells the panel.
Cherry talks about an article published by The Sunday Guardian, authored by Sushil Pandit. She says that the article should not have been published. “The editor is still defending the piece stating that it is the reporter’s right to write fiction and once you have given a disclaimer [that the story is a concotion] it's okay." But what the piece is doing, in reality, is using actual facts, actual events of an eight-year-old Kathua girl’s rape and murder to delegitimise an entire sequence of events, Cherry says.
Abhinandan adds, “Some people are saying it's a satire. I don't see the satirical bit in it.”
Cherry also spoke about that the fire at the Rohingya refugee camp where 50 shanties were burnt down. She says while it was reported upon, it did not get wall-to-wall coverage.
Rohin, who covered this incident says, “People couldn't decide whether somebody started the fire or it happened on its own. As per the police, it could have been due to a short circuit but people are saying they don't have such wires that could lead to a short-circuit. Their Burmese IDs and refugee cards from the UN were burnt down, technically they are illegal now.”
Talking about propaganda related to the Kathua case, Rohin says that it is very insensitive of people to raise questions like -- how come the girl was wearing the same clothes in pictures released before and after the death? Did she have only one set of clothes?
Meghnad feels that despite Kathua and Unnao cases receiving wall-to-wall coverage, the questions related to political leadership have not been asked.
He tells the panel more about a documentary that he made on rape culture in Haryana. He wanted to investigate why so many rapes happen. “Societal attitudes are so intensely patriarchal that it creates conditions where sexual assault against women is normalised, legitimised and justified.”
He feels that the electoral bonds that were told to be anonymous by the government did not get enough coverage. “You have gone to the extent of putting numbers there but people can't see on the face of it. I am surprised that no one picked it up.”
The panel discusses the midnight march by Congress President Rahul Gandhi. Amit calls it a “spontaneous” decision because around 9 pm, Rahul Gandhi tweeted that he will take out a march at the India Gate. Amit spoke to some members of the Congress party, who told him that they were informed about the march in the afternoon. He goes on to say that various TV channels and news portals covered it, but there was no reportage in the newspapers.
Cherry says that the crime should be talked about and not just the protest. “I don't think it is right to use a protest which is now turning into a brand to peddle your own agenda even if subtle. It is absolutely necessary to talk about that heinous crime that was perpetrated when we talk about rape."
To which Abhinandan adds, “There are certain tipping points and that tipping point is usually an incident or a specific event. "It's like the biggest problem that we had with the British was imposing a tax on salt but you can use that as a hinge to set off a bigger protest.”
To read more visit: bit.ly/2qIvoao

Ep 15: #KathuaCase, Rahul Gandhi's march, Sunday Guardian & more

On this podcast of Reporters Without Orders, The Caravan's Nikita Saxena joins the panel to discuss her recent articles on special CBI judge Loya's death. The panel also discusses Member of Parliament Rajeev Chandrasekhar-owned Asianet News and the change in its 'posturing' over time.
Amit Bhardwaj, who is currently in Karnataka covering the upcoming state elections, joins the panel over the phone to talk about RSS' Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, who is a key player in BJP's Karnataka election campaign. You can read Amit's detailed story on Bhat here.
Amit also makes an observation about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) role in Karnataka. He says, RSS is furiously campaigning for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), something unlike before. He adds that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign rally in Karnataka can severely impact Congress’ vote share despite the governing party's edge in the state.
Rohin asks Amit if the remarks, circulating on social media, made by Prakash Raj, a popular, South Indian film actor, will have an effect on the voters’ choice. According to Amit, Prakash Raj has been able to galvanise only anti-BJP vote bank. He says, “Prakash Raj’s comments may reinforce the beliefs of an anti-BJP voter but will not affect neutral and BJP voter”.
Cherry asks our guest panellist Nikita about the challenges she faced while following-up on judge Loya's death. Nikita explains how she investigated the case and gives a detailed breakdown of the events that lead to revelations indicating a foul play in the case. She says, "Here a judge has died. And he was staying at the guest house at that time, as we are told. And none of them find out, that’s very strange, none of them seemed to know what had happened with his belongings for example…” She adds, “Why the reception was not called?!...Why it was thought that it was a better idea to wait for two judges to come to the guest house and then take him to the hospital which I assume is going to lead to a lot of loss in time is something that was not clear at all.”
To that, Rohin adds that a recent viral image which showed an auto rickshaw with “who killed Loya?” written on it, is a positive sign in the view of public perception. It suggests that the important, controversial issue had seeped into the otherwise obscure segment of the audience, especially the ‘hindi belt’, he says.
Rohin talks about the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) controversy where installation of a photograph of Muhammad Ali Jinnah has sparked a row. Apparently, the photograph has been hanging there since 1938. Rohin also points out that several facts have been left out by the media while reporting on the issue. He adds that the matter of the ‘security breach’ of former Vice President Hamid Ali Ansari, who was present on the campus when the protesters created a ruckus, found less space in the media.
Rohin also talks about the VK Dikshit committee report on the Banaras Hindu University controversy that happened in September 2017. “The BHU chief proctor said to the media that the protesters were sponsored in exchange for pizza and pepsi," says Rohin.
Nikita examines the editorial stance of Asianet News. She speaks about the changes in the channel since Rajeev Chandrasekhar took over. Asked if the channel has been able to change its 'anti-RSS- stance, she says, "The opinion seemed a little divided but it seemed to me that it had been fractured enough for people to start having some misgivings.”
Citing a previous Newslaundry report, Cherry adds, "Their new website that’s coming up will be positioned as a Centre-right news property and it will counter the left narrative."
#Loya #AMU-Jinnah controversy #Karnataka Elections

Ep 18: #KarnatakaElections, Judge Loya, AMU-Jinnah controversy & more

On this episode of Reporters Without Orders, the discussion kicks off with the issue of sale of swords and blades online, as reported by The Indian Express. Rohin says, “If we study the Arms Act (1959) and Arms Rules (2016), all non-fire arms that are over 9 inches in length and more than 2 inches in width require a license for both sale and purchase.” Rohin has also done a story on the same. 
For his story, Rohin also talked to a seller based in Jalandhar and tried to place an order for 1500 swords. He asked the seller if the delivery could be stopped on the way? To his surprise, the seller told him that a written note from a politician could be a good antidote. “You just get a written note from a politician. When the politician has given permission, who are the police to stop?” the seller told Rohin.
He also speaks about the representation of the farmers' protests in TV media. 
“They are showing pictures that show farmers throwing vegetables and milk. They are trying to show that the viewer isn’t participating in the protests, but the farmers who are, are actually misbehaving, destroying the food supply.”
Nidhi talks about the story of a woman who died of starvation as she did not have a ration card. This story was underplayed in the mainstream media, Nidhi says, adding, “In January this year, another woman died due to under nutritional exhaustion and the fact-finding team then said that she was denied the ration since October last year. This was because the Aadhaar-enabled machine in the local ration shop failed to authenticate her biometric.”
The panel also discusses Nidhi's report on Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) vehicle mowing down a young man during clashes after the Friday prayers in Srinagar. Cherry asks her, “Was there a sense of rage or fear among the locals when things started going out of hand?” Nidhi replies, “It was frenzy!” She says, “To just watch a man getting crushed under a vehicle like that is not fun.”
Amit speaks about the tension brewing in Shillong, Meghalaya. Referring to an article by Scroll.in, Amit says, “These details were very important and somehow the national media ‘failed to report it’...until a delegation was sent by Captain Amarinder Singh, the Chief Minister of Punjab.” He adds, “It also shows...how alarming the situation is on the ground.”
Our Campus Politik editor Sumedha talks about Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC). She says, “June 30th is the deadline for the National Register of Citizens. This is a news has only been covered in fragments over the months ever since the first list came in December.”
She adds, “2.9 million women, who are trying to submit their documents so that they get themselves verified, are not able to do so.” She adds, “These women are also facing threat...and sexual harassment by local officials as well. There is a detailed investigation report that Al Jazeera covered. But I don’t see a lot of mention of this in the Indian media at least.”
Cherry says that the follow-up to Cobrapost sting has been very weak in reference to the legal notices the website has been receiving. She also adds that Sudarshan  TV also got a legal notice from Delhi Minorities Commission for allegedly airing a report where they referred to some locals from North Delhi's Bawana area as 'Rohingyas' and 'Bangladeshis'.
Cherry says, “I went online to check the report...It was slightly disturbing to find both the anchor and the reporter agreeing and implying that the high crime rates in the area was because of the area being dominated by Rohingya Muslims and Bangladeshis.”  All this was without actual evidence being cited. “You’re not giving any evidence! Have you done a population census!?” she asks.
#Shillong violence #Kashmir #Violence in Bihar #Cobrapost

Ep 22: Media and farmers, Violation of Arms Act, Shillong violence and more

The latest episode of Reporters Without Orders features our host Cherry Agarwal, along with Rohin Verma, Amit Bhardwaj and our special guest Abhishek Dey from Scroll.in.
Kicking off the discussion, Amit says Jio got quite some coverage. “Jio is like any other telecom network in the country, why do you have to show it [as much] or give wall-to-wall coverage to whatever is happening during the launch? I think a small package or a couple of online stories would do, unless Jio is paying a lot of money.”
Cherry adds, “In that case, they should have been putting a disclaimer, if it was about money in return for coverage.”
Speaking about an event that was under-reported, Amit says, “Around 14,000 political activists and bandh supporters were on the streets and were detained by Jharkhand police. Majorly, none of the news channels gave it coverage during the day.”
Abhishek speaks about the media's coverage of mob lynchings fuelled by WhatsApp rumours about child-lifters in Assam. “There are two things which are operating [contributing], primarily, one is the fear of the outsider, and the other would be technology. The victims in all these cases are outsiders.”
Abhishek also speaks about how the idea of a child-lifter that was traditionally used to control the behaviour of children is now manifesting into a mob culture. "When we look into these kinds of things, we should always correlate them with development indices," he adds. “The solution should be designed in the context of the people which it is aimed for," comments Cherry.
Rohin feels that lynching doesn’t seem to be an issue for the general public. “Jo humare regional akhbaar hai, unme iss tarah ki khabrein aa nahi rahi hain, aur bohot kam aa rahi hain, toh logon ke liye lynching koi bohot badi samasya nahi hai.”
He adds, “WhatsApp ka iss tareekey ka prabhav hai ki padha-likha aadmi bhi apni padhai ko galat manta hai aur WhatsApp ko sahi manta hai. [The impact of WhatsApp is such that even educated people attach more value to WhatsApp over their own learning].”
To which Cherry states, “I think it underlines the importance of making media literacy a part of school curriculum.”
Rohin then speaks about a report that no one seems to be covering -- a story about the displacement of villagers of the Mahadalit community from Chamandih village in Bihar’s Gaya. The villagers were evicted from their land by Indian Railways. The story received no local coverage, save for a small piece in Dainik Jagran.
For this and more, listen up!
#JIO #WhatsApp #mob lynching #Assam #Media

Ep 27: WhatsApp, Assam and mob lynchings, media's Jio story and more

The latest episode of Reporters Without Orders features our host Cherry Agarwal, along with Amit Bhardwaj, Rohin Verma, two-time Ramnath Goenka awardee Rahul Kotiyal, and Anoo Bhuyan from The Wire.
The podcast kicks off with a discussion on media's narrative around Akbar Khan's lynching in Alwar. “If you go through our story, we have actually demolished the police’s version of what happened that night, point by point," says Amit. He also points out the importance of the three hours that elapsed between the incident and the time taken to reach the Ramgarh CHC.
Cherry adds, “What I found missing from the larger media narrative was that the two accused were moving around with the policemen.” Amit weighs in to add that the media's narrative changed on July 22 -- the blame shifted from the gau rakshaks to gau rakshaks and the police.
Rest of the panel weighs in too. Anoo adds that she didn’t feel the issue had been obfuscated in the English print and online media, while Rahul emphasises the need for minutely questioning the police’s version of events.
Amit expresses his concerns over the disturbing parallels that exist between Akbar’s case and Pehlu Khan’s case.
Subsequently, the panel discusses media's coverage of #Section377. Anoo weighs in on the problems that exist across Indian news organisations and stresses upon the need for more inclusive newsrooms.
Rohin concurs with Anoo, and points out that sometimes a callous attitude is adopted by the media in its reportage on LGBTQ issues.
Speaking on the issue, Rahul points out the clear division that still exists between Hindi and English media's reportage of the issues related to Section 377. Nevertheless, he says, “things have gotten better”. The panel also discusses if reporters are equipped to handle sensitive conversations.
The gang also discusses the state of health journalism in India. Anoo details the challenges faced by health reporters in India, with people still having regressive attitudes and at times, treating it as an extension of 'Lifestyle and Wellness' reporting.
Rohin points out the hazards of what he calls “baba ji ki booti" reporting, which is reportage done at the cost of important issues like the death of children in Bihar from Japanese encephalitis.
The panel also discusses how Muzaffarnagar case was under-reported. For this and more, Listen up!
#Section 377 #Alwar lynching #health journalism

Ep 29: Alwar Lynching, #Section377, state of health journalism and more

The latest episode of Reporters Without Orders features our jugaad host Amit Bhardwaj along with Rohin Verma, two-time Ramnath Goenka awardee Rahul Kotiyal, and Aroon Deep from medianama.com.
The panel discusses the Data Protection draft bill where Aroon explains how the draft bill will enable the users to give and withdraw consent for informational data on them. “The only reason this bill exists right now because the Supreme Court essentially nudged the government to setup data protection framework in the first place,” says Aroon. He added that India lacked the legal framework for informational privacy. “What is going to change with this bill is that the information collection won’t happen in darkness. Every data controller will be accountable for what it collects, whether it has got consent from you for the data it has collected,” he further adds. The panel weighs in to add that due to lack of internet literacy in the country, these legislations will make the least difference on the ground.
The panel discusses Rohin’s exclusive report for Newslaundry Hindi which lists out 15 children shelter homes in Bihar where cases of alleged sexual and physical harassment were found by the audit report done by the TISS. “Accused Brajesh Thakur (in the Muzaffarpur children shelter home rape cases) was arrested by the police very late. Despite the arrest, he got admitted in the hospital for 15 days,” says Rohin. He points out the laxity displayed by the district administrations and the police in the cases pointed out by the TISS report. The administration of only three districts has acted on the findings of the TISS report that too after months. “Those running these shelter homes are not ordinary people. For instance, Nari Gunjan, in Patna, is run by Sudha Varghese. She is a Padma Shree awardee. Serious mismanagement was found in the centre run by her, and yet there is no action against it,” he added citing the reasons for a possible delay in the police action in these cases. Amit and Rahul discuss how the local media and civil society in Bihar has failed to outrage in the wake of the Muzaffarpur rapes reported at the children shelter home. Rahul points out the society in general often fail to outrage in the sexual abuse cases where the victims belong to weaker economic and social classes – as it happened with the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape victims.
The panel also discusses how the stories related to the police raid and alleged assault of residents of Ahmedabad’s Chharanagar locality, where Chharas - a Denotified Tribes (DNT) lives, went under-reported. Amit also adds that TV media largely under-reported or ignored the stories concerning Delhi Lokayukta giving a clean chit to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the case based on allegations levelled by rebel AAP lawmaker Kapil Mishra.

Ep 30: Data protection draft bill, Chharanagar police raid and more

This episode of Reporters Without Orders features our special correspondent Amit Bhardwaj and Newslaundry Hindi's Rohin Verma joining our host Cherry Agrawal, along with special guest Amandeep Singh. Amandeep is based out of Punjab and is currently with the Hindustan Times Group,
The discussion kicks off with Amandeep discussing the regional and national media's coverage of 'Referendum 2020' organised by Sikhs for Justice. He also speaks about the challenges faced by regional journalists, especially those reporting from Punjab. In addition, Amandeep talks about the relationship between the mainstream media's and regional media's news cycle.
Speaking about the protests in Nehru Vihar, Rohin speaks of the challenges faced by UPSC aspirants residing in the area. He also shares his experience of being a tenant in Delhi. Amit weighs in on the Delhi Rent Control Act and adds that there is less of regulation and more of exploitation.
The panel also discusses media's coverage of the attack on Umar Khalid, Pallavi Joshi's video on Rafale deal, ABP News and C-Voter's survey predicting BJP's loss in three states and more.
#nehru vihar #modi #WorldBiofuelDay #Referendum #2020

Ep 32: Referendum 2020, Nehru Vihar, Modi on #WorldBiofuelDay and more

The latest episode of Reporters Without Orders features our host Cherry Agarwal, along with Amit Bhardwaj, Rohin Kumar and Rahul Kotiyal.
The discussion begins with the news of a woman who was beaten up and then paraded naked by a violent mob in Bihar’s Bhojpur district. The panel goes on to discuss the devastation caused by the Kerala floods, as well as the media’s coverage of the deluge.
The topic then moves on to Uttar Pradesh’s ban on open sacrifice of animals ahead of Bakri Eid, wherein the state’s Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, said that this measure was being undertaken so as to not hurt the religious sentiments of other communities.
“When two important news events take place simultaneously, how does a newsroom decide on which one to prioritise?,” asks Cherry, posing the million-dollar question to the guests. In turn, Rahul tells her that in this age of New Media and television, it is important to deem both pieces of news as “important” and run them efficiently.
The guests also discuss how Navjot Singh Sidhu’s ‘hug’ controversy was quite overrated.
The conversation then moves to a heavily-loaded ground report on the Naxal encounter case in which 15 people were killed in Sukma, Chattisgarh. Rahul narrates the story as experienced by him on the ground, and points out that it wasn’t just Naxalites who were killed—but innocent tribal people as well. He also talks about the disadvantages of covering left extremists as it is never certain who might kill you.
The discussion culminates with the topic of different encounter cases in Uttar Pradesh anyhow these are against the Human Rights guidelines of the National Human Rights Commission.
#Sukma, #encounters #Uttar Pradesh #Yogi Adityanath #Kerala floods #newsroompriorities

Ep 33: Encounters in UP and Sukma, Kerala floods, and more

The latest episode of Reporters Without Orders features our host Cherry Agarwal, along with Amit Bharadwaj, and guests Vishnu Varma and Prateek Goel. Varma is a Kochi-based journalist and a senior correspondent at Indian Express Digital, whereas Goel is a Pune-based reporter who covers crime and defence for a leading regional daily.
The podcast begins with a discussion about the arrest of five human rights activists, including a unionist and lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj, from different cities in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence. The arrests of five other activists in connection to an alleged plot to kill the prime minister three months ago is also discussed. Sharing details from history, Prateek tells the panel about the genesis of Bhima Koregaon and what led to the subsequent violence and arrests. The panel also discusses the inconsistencies and problems with media’s coverage of the same so far.
In the course of the discussion, Prateek suggests that the letters discovered by the police were likely fabricated. He doesn’t think these activists could have been directly involved in the alleged plot to assassinate the prime minister.
The discussion then shifts to rehabilitation efforts in Kerala, in the aftermath of the floods. The panel also discusses the accountability of states in such situations. Reporting from Kerala, Vivek Varma weighs in about the current rehabilitation measures that have been put in place to ensure a swift recovery.
In relation to the Tamil Nadu and Kerala dispute, Vivek states that both the governments are equally responsible for the mismanagement of opening and closing of the dam shutters.
Amit stated that the convictions in Mirchpur violence were underreported. Twenty people were sentenced to life Imprisonment by the Delhi high court for burning two Dalits alive in 2010. Amit also talks about the arrest of Barmer journalist and other developments in his case.
This, and more. Listen up!

Ep 34: #BhimaKoregaonRaids, #PlotToKillPM, Kerala floods and more

The conversation kicks off with a discussion on the current media landscape of the Northeast. Cherry asks Paojel to provide an insight on the media culture in the Northeast with respect to access to politicians, political biases, and even media ownership. She asks whether it is similar to legacy houses that form a larger part in the mainstream and what is it that makes the Northeast media unique in nature?
Paojel explains the difference between the Northeast media system and the rest of the country and goes on to talk about the challenges faced by investigative journalists in the Northeast region.
Paojel suggested that there were many stories in the Northeast that have not been given importance; he also shares some specific examples of stories which have not been given any sort of significance by the mainstream media.
The discussion then moves towards Amit Bhardwaj who talks about the eleventh day of Hardik Patel’s hunger strike that has not been covered by the mainstream media. He says: “These are the priorities; if there is violence and incidents of rioting, then the mainstream media will cover it, but if someone goes the Gandhian way and is on 11th day of their hunger strike, then they will choose not to.” Amit goes on to explain the entire hunger strike situation and the reason as to why it should have been covered.
The panel then discusses the kind of news that deliberately doesn’t go on air and is not considered to be of grave significance owing to the prevailing power struggle in mainstream media.
Rohin sheds lights on a story related to the Mahatma Gandhi Central University in Motihari, Bihar, where, after the death of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a professor posted something on Facebook against the former Prime Minister. The next day, he was beaten up badly and still remains in a critical situation. After this incident, the CAG report on the university showed that a lot of financial irregularities had been found, but even in spite of this, the incident went unreported.
The discussion then moves towards what made news—but shouldn’t have—and everyone agreed that Rahul Gandhi eating non-veg in Nepal shouldn’t have set the headlines on fire the way it did.
Rahul goes on to brief us about Tushar Damgude’s FIR in relation to the Bhima-Koregaon incident, and more.
Tune in to find out more.
#Hardik Patel #NorthEast #Media #Rahul Gandhi

Ep 35: NE media, Hardik’s hunger strike, RaGa’s non-veg row and more

This week’s Reporters Without Orders features our host Cherry Agarwal, our guest, lawyer-turned-journalist Vakasha Sachdev from The Quint, along with Rohin Verma and Amit Bhardwaj.
The discussion starts with media’s coverage of Supreme Court’s landmark verdict -- decriminalisation of Section 377. Amit talks about the way in which reporters covered the event, while Rohan weighs in about media’s need to recreate the situation and things that should have been avoided. Vakasha says that being inside the courtroom on the day of judgement, hearing the judges and their unique responses, was an amazing and emotional experience. The panel also talks about the need to strike a balance between privacy and the need for media personnel, especially TV news, to capture the moment.
Cherry also asks Vakasha about the problems with courtroom-related reportage in the absence of legal expertise among those covering the beat. “It becomes challenging as it creates new pressure, creates new confusion over what’s going on,” Vakasha says.
Pointing out what the media missed, Cherry says stories on intersectionality of sexuality, caste, disability, mental health, gender identity and queer movement beyond 377 were given a miss.
Amit points out that Hardik Patel’s hunger strike was still being under-reported. The national media has not been doing justice to this news, he says. [Patel has now ended his hunger strike].
Amit and Vakasha also weigh in on media’s failure to cover the farmers’ march in New Delhi. Amit says, “These people have been failed by the government and nobody cares.”
The panel also discusses the violence that broke out at Delhi University’s Zakir Husain College. This, and more. Listen up!
#Section377 #Supreme Court #Media #Hardik Patel #Farmers' march #NSA

Ep 36: #Section377 and the media, #HardikPatel, farmers’ march & more.

Reporters Without Orders is back this week to discuss what made news, what didn’t, and what should have made headlines. This week’s show features host Cherry Agarwal along with our guests Sruthisagar Yamunan, a Legal Correspondent at Scroll.in, Chitranshul Sinha, a Supreme Court Advocate, along with in-house panellists Rohin Verma and Amit Bhardwaj.
The conversation starts with the discussion of dissenting voices in the Aadhaar, Sabarimala, and Bhima-Koregaon cases. The panel discusses how judges in courtrooms have a different opinion on the same topics that they come across.
“The judges will keep their personal views out of the court,” expressed Sinha. He explains that this could be due to class, caste, or even economic or social background. The panel discusses the legalities of the Aadhaar case in detail and what they mean.
“The assumption is that Aadhaar benefits the poor,” added Sinha. “It might if it is implemented properly. Fundamentally, people do not understand the opposition to Aadhaar.”
Rohin sheds light on the preliminary report on the retrenchment at the Press Trust of India and talks about the number of employees who were sacked, while Amit talks about the protest that was organised by the Federation of PTI Employees in Delhi and the demands made.
He also explains in detail about the farmer’s protest that broke out at the Delhi-UP border and elaborates on the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh and the issues raised by the farmers. “Government after government have not paid attention to the agrarian economy. We have not made enough efforts to make it profitable. It remains a burden,” he said.
Cherry goes on to ask Amit about how and why the details of the farmer’s protest remained underreported. Rohin says that the reports on the farmer’s protests are similar in nature and that the same pattern is repeated, thereby attracting a specific kind of audience. Sruthisagar agrees with Rohin but also adds that he found the recent reports on the protest better than the last one, but they still need to be better and a lot more.
Tune in to find out.

Ep 39: #Aadhaar, farmer’s protest, PTI sackings and more

This episode of Reporters Without Orders features our host Cherry Agarwal along with Prateek Goyal, Gaurav Sarkar, and our guests, Rajeev Sharma, senior journalist from Amritsar, and Ranjeet Jadhav, a reporter from Mid-Day.
The discussion kicks off with Rajeev recounting the Amritsar train accident which left 61 people dead and several others injured. Rajeev shares details about what happened, local media's coverage of the accident, among other things.
Gaurav speaks about his recent article on allegations of tax evasion and money laundering that have surfaced against former TV 18 promoter and current owner of The Quint, Raghav Bahl. Bahl allegedly made ₹114 crore out of an investment of ₹3.03 crore made in a penny stock company called PMC Fincorp. Speaking about challenges he faced while reporting on the story, Gaurav says, “Crunching the numbers would be the biggest challenge and trusting the source as well."
Prateek then speaks about his report where he has documented a disabled woman’s three-year ordeal at the hands of the Army. A deaf and mute woman was allegedly repeatedly raped and harassed by four Army jawans between 2015 and 2017 at Military Hospital, Kirkee, in Pune. “The Army says that it comes under the civil case, which needs an FIR and the police say that in order to prepare the FIR, they need the permission from the Army to do the enquiry," Prateek says speaking about the lack of action in the case.
The panel also discussed media reports about ‘man-eater’ tigress Avni. Speaking about media's reportage on wildlife and environment, Ranjeet says, “In India, there is no reporting that is done by different news organisations on such issues on a regular basis, which results in minimal awareness on the same." He adds, “Sadly when something sensational like continuous human kill comes up, they cover it.”
For other reports, discussion on media's coverage of different issues and more, listen up!
#AmritsarTrainAccident #Quint #Wildlife Journalism #Army #Media

Ep 42: #AmritsarTrainAccident, Tax raids on Quint & more

This week's Reporters Without Orders features our host Cherry Agarwal, Special Correspondents Amit Bhardwaj and Prateek Goyal, and Devesh K Pandey, Special Correspondent with The Hindu.
Prateek, who is covering the upcoming elections in Madhya Pradesh shares his insights on core election issues, state politics and the farmer-centric Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana.
Devesh tells us about the ongoing controversy within the Central Bureau of Investigation. He speaks about the genesis of the fallout, the significance of MK Sinha's petition, CJI Ranjan Gogoi's reaction to The Wire's report during a hearing on DCBI Alok Verma's petition and more.
The podcast also discusses Manohar Lal Khattar’s statement on rape cases in Haryana and death of an RTI activist in Madhya Pradesh. For all this and more, listen up!
#MadhyaPradeshElections, #CBIvsCBI #CJI Ranjan Gogoi #Alok Verma

Ep 46: #CBIvsCBI, #MadhyaPradeshElections & more

This week’s Reporters without Orders features host Cherry Agarwal in conversation with Ayush Tiwari, Scroll staff writer Shoaib Daniyal, Newslaundry special correspondent Prateek Goyal, and Indian Express Digital correspondent from Kerala, Vishnu Varma. Conversations range from Triple Talaq to Sabarimala to Bhima Koregaon.
Ayush starts off by expressing his disapproval on the lack of coverage on the recent Transgender Persons Bill and its flaws. Shoaib talks about his dissatisfaction over the lack of coverage of Bangladesh's controversial polls which took place last week. The panel discusses the "quid pro quo" relationship between Sheikh Hasina and the Modi government.
The discussion moves to the Triple Talaq bill and its peculiar clauses. Shoaib says the Catch-22 is that “although 'talaq talaq talaq’ does not annul the marriage, it can put you in jail”. The panellists then analyse the motivations behind either side of the debate in relation to Muslim women vote banks and male victimisation. They discuss the historical developments within Muslim personal law and alimony regulations during the Shah Bano case.
Prateek joins in to discuss Bhima Koregaon. He commends the way the Maharashtra Police handled the large crowds to prevent violence. They banned certain activist groups and performers and placed countless cameras in an attempt to mitigate chaos and rioting. Prateek says he's fairly satisfied with the ample coverage of Bhima Koregaon this year.
Next, Vishnu reports on the latest developments at Sabarimala temple and how two women in their 40s entered it. Cherry asks if this incident will serve as an example for other women to break discriminatory pilgrimage rules.
For all this and more, listen up!
#Bangladesh #BhimaKoregaon #TransgenderPersonsBill #TripleTalaq #Sabarimala

Ep 49: Bangladesh polls, Bhima Koregaon, Sabarimala and more

In the latest episode of Reporters Without Orders Cherry Agarwal is in conversation with Arvind Gunasekar, a CBI beat reporter, Vakasha Sachdev, The Quint's associate editor-legal, Rohin Verma, former Newslaundry journalist, and Ayush Tiwari. The panel discusses the controversy surrounding the Central Bureau of Investigation, former Supreme Court Justice HS Bedi’s report on alleged fake encounters in Gujarat between 2002 and 2006, brutal gang-rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl in Gaya, JNU sedition case and more.
The discussion kicks off with the panel sharing their thoughts on the media's recent coverage of pertinent news pieces. Speaking of Alok Verma's resignation and the larger CBI controversy, Arvind talks about the source of the conflict. The panel also talks about the role of the Central Vigilance Commission, Supreme Court-appointed supervisor retired Supreme Court judge Justice AK Patnaik, as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led selection panel.
Coming to the government's role, Vakasha speaks about how the government used on-paper transfer protocols to strip former CBI chief Alok Verma of his powers. He says, “The government is very clever here.” The panel also discusses how different decision-makers, in this case, seem to have a conflict of interest. Weighing in, Rohin adds, “Judiciary bohot zyada dari hui hai (the judiciary is very afraid)", when it comes to matters concerning the prime minister’s office.
The panel also talks about the JNU sedition row, with Vakasha pointing out the dangers of the sedition law. For all this and more, listen up!
#CBI #AlokVerma #JNUSedition

Ep 51: CBI and the Alok Verma case, #JNUSeditionCase and more

This episode of Reporters Without Orders features Cherry Agarwal, Business Standard’s Somesh Jha, Newslaundry's Head of Research Ayush Tiwari and Desk Writer Gaurav Sarkar. The panel talks about the NSSO employment-unemployment report, Harvest TV and its birthing troubles, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)’s new regulations and more.
Somesh speaks about NITI Aayog's comments on the NSSO report. He says, “The fact that he says it was a draft report, is misleading, because the NSE member who had resigned, they are on record saying that the report was finalised by them and it was approved for release in the public domain. So clearly, it was not the draft report.”
The panel discusses TRAI's new framework for Cable TV and DTH operators. Gaurav says, “Now, instead of buying entire package deals, you can opt to pay for single channels.” He adds, “In spite of this change in mechanism, there has been a lot of pushback from viewers themselves who have been calling Dish TV or DEN and saying ‘hey, I don’t know how to figure this out.’”
The discussion then moves to the story behind Harvest TV’s license. Ayush explains why the past owner of Harvest TV cannot sue the showrunners of the new Harvest TV. He says, “He is not the richest guy in the world, as opposed to Veecon media based in Delhi, as opposed to Barkha, Karan, Kabil Sibal based in Delhi. These guys are from Trivandrum, they run a Christian platform. Most of their revenue comes from the Pentecostal Church of Kerala to which they sold their prime-time slots. ”

Ep 54: Harvest TV, NSSO's report, TRAI regulations and more

This week’s Reporters Without Orders features host Cherry Agarwal, Business Standard's Arup Roychoudhury, Newslaundry’s head of research Ayush Tiwari, and Newslaundry's associate editor Meghnad. The panel talks about the Election Commission of India's Model Code of Conduct, a recent study by Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism on Indian digital media, and Rahul Gandhi’s announcement of the Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY).
The discussion starts with the Reuters report with Ayush explaining the nuances of the survey. The panel discusses its important aspects like the sample size and type of questions, and examines why some news sites are more trusted by Indians. Arup says, "Times of India right now in this country is almost as synonymous as 'Xerox' versus 'photocopy'."
Meghnad tells us about the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India with respect to social media for the conduct of political parties and candidates during elections. Ayush and Arup share their opinions on why the EC may face a lot of trouble in the absence of laws regarding political advertisements. On the EC's effort to keep a check on social media, Meghnad says, “Maybe they are just putting out reports of ‘we have taken action’, whereas there might be thousands and thousands which have just been ignored.” The panel also discusses the "ghost advertisers" on Facebook and the effectiveness of the EC’s guidelines.
Cherry discusses the recent announcements made by the Congress as poll promises, focusing on the NYAY, which is the party's minimum income guarantee scheme. “This is a poll promise, how well this gets implemented—if it gets implemented—is what we have to see.” NYAY offers ₹12,000 per month for a family (up to ₹72,000 per year) as basic income. When it comes to how the scheme will be funded, Ayush says: “Till the coming election they won’t clarify it, because keeping it vague is the best idea.” Arup also gives an in-depth analysis of the basic structure of a minimum income guarantee scheme and ways to fund it.
For all this and more, listen up!
#Nyuntam#Aay #Yojana #ModelCodeOfConduct#Congress #BJP #media #trust

Ep 60: Nyuntam Aay Yojana, Model Code of Conduct and more

This week’s Reporters Without Orders features host Cherry Agarwal with Newslaundry's head of research Ayush Tiwari and desk writer Gaurav Sarkar. The panel talks about the SSC paper leaks, Yogi Adityanath’s rally, the Congress manifesto and the newly launched NaMo TV.
Ayush talks about the press conference he attended on the SSC paper leaks conducted by Yogendra Yadav and Kanhaiya Kumar, an SSC aspirant from Bihar. He explains what happened and how the government and authorities were hand-in-glove. He says: “The Chairman of the SSC should be taken into account because this incident has happened under his nose.”
Cherry discusses the recently released Congress manifesto which made a slew of promises including some focusing on the media, like the amendment of Press Council of India Act to strengthen self-regulation of the media, and the empowering of the Press Council of India to fight the menace of fake news and misinformation. Most fake news is amplified by TV news on a daily basis, and Cherry says: “TV newsrooms have whipped up war hysteria, communal mongering ... Be it Ayodhya, Pulwama, Balakot—I mean TV newsrooms go insane.” She also discusses the Congress’s promise of making defamation a civil offence and the removal of the controversial sedition law.
Gaurav tells us about Yogi Adityanath’s rally in Bisara village near Greater Noida where the prime accused in the Akhlaq lynching case were present in the front rows, attending the rally. Gaurav quotes one of the accused as saying “we are out on bail and nothing can happen to us”. Ayush adds, “When one of the accused died, he was wrapped in a tricolour.” The panel discusses religion and the caste system in the context of the beef ban, and its impact on people.
Cherry also brings up NaMo TV—now renamed Content TV—and how most details about the channel are hidden. "The Election Commission should examine its funding, violation of the Model Code of Conduct, ownership and whether the broadcasting rules are being violated or not,” she says.
This and more, so listen up!
#NaMo #SSC #Congress #Manifesto #Yogi #Adityanath #elections

Ep 61: SSC Paper Leak, NaMo TV, Congress Manifesto and more

This week on Reporters Without Orders, Cherry Agarwal sits down with Newslaundry correspondent Ayush Tiwari, Desk Writer Gaurav Sarkar, and News Editor (Jammu & Kashmir and the Northeast) of Scroll.in Ipsita Chakravarty.

The discussion kicks off with the panel talking about a petition in the Bombay High Court that sought a ban on the phrase "Alibaug se aaya hai kya". They also talk about the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and why it is contentious. Speaking of the media's coverage, Gaurav says, “Legacy media or the mainstream media didn’t seem to give the issue that much importance but independent media like The Wire, The Quint, Scroll.in did a really good job.” Ipsita adds: “The only way one can really gaze what is going on is through reporting, by going to Assam, speaking to as many people as possible.”

The panel discusses the Right To Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019. Gaurav says, “It’s a move to clamp down on what the government wants you to know and what they particularly do not want you to know.”

For this and more, listen up!

Ep 75: National Register of Citizens, #RTIAmendmentBill and more

This week on Reporters Without Orders, Cherry Agarwal sits down with Newslaundry Hindi correspondent Basant Kumar, desk writer Gaurav Sarkar, and Khalid Shah, an associate fellow at Observer Research Foundation.

The discussion kicks off with Khalid expressing concerns over the clampdown in Kashmir and how that has affected the people living there. The panel discusses how the media covered the state after the big decision. Khalid says, "There are problems that are very unique to Kashmir and although people may have found a way to work around them, the normalisation of curfew in the media is itself problematic." Khalid adds, "The only leverage Pakistan really has is Afghanistan. They could derail the Afghan peace talks and arm-twist America to do something."

he group discusses why Ladakh is happy about being made into a union territory but Kashmir isn't. The conversation wraps up with Gaurav talking about his experience while covering the Unnao case and the panel questioning the judiciary on the verdict in the Khan case.
For this and more, listen up!

Ep 77: Curfew in Kashmir, Unnao Case and more

This episode of Reporters Without Orders has Newslaundry correspondents Gaurav Sarkar, Ayush Tiwari and Basant Kumar discussing a range of topics with the host Snigdha Sharma.

So, what was on their minds this week? The crisis in Indian journalism, that’s what. The last few months have seen several media outlets shut shop and dozens, if not hundreds, of journalists lose their jobs. That’s only half the story, though. What plagues Indian journalism runs deeper, to its fundamental work. Take for instance an article published by India Today ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday which, as Newslaundry showed, was a textbook example of How Not To Do Journalism.

Thanks in no small part to the pearls of wisdom offered by Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal, India’s dire economic situation dominated the news this week — until Modi’s birthday came along, that is. Our panel offers an overview of what exactly is wrong with the economy and how it affects the common man.

If you dig sports, this episode offers insight into the new season of the UEFA Champions League. 

Tune in!

Ep 82: Crisis in Indian journalism, India's economy and more

In this episode, host Snigdha Sharma is joined by Newslaundry’s Ayush Tiwari, Hameeda Syed and Basant Kumar. The panel, through the length of the podcast, discuss several aspects of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. While Hameeda talks about her report on how the pandemic might pan out, based on her conversation with Indian experts, Ayush and Basant describe the multitude of hardships faced by migrant workers attempting to return to their native states due to lack of planning by the government.

This and a lot more as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have. 

Tune in!

PS: Apologies for the sound quality. We are working on making it better.

Ep 109: COVID-19, migrant exodus, and more

In this episode, host Snigdha Sharma is joined by Newslaundry’s Prateek Goyal and Basant Kumar, along with independent journalist Anumeha Yadav. The panel, through the length of the podcast, discuss several aspects of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. 

Anumeha talks about her report from Bhilwara in Rajasthan, one of the first districts to go under lockdown in the country. From how the district administration dealt with the situation to the success of the Bhilwara model, she shares details of her impressions as a reporter.

Prateek tells us about his report from Indore on how a misleading WhatsApp message led to an assault of a team of medical and police personnel in Tatpatti Bhakal. The panel goes on to discuss Basant’s report on more than 40 migrant labourers from Bihar, who are stuck in Ahmedabad—helpless, hungry and unable to make ends meet. 

This and a lot more as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have. 

Tune in!

Ep 110: The lockdown in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara, Indore attack on health workers, and more

In this episode, host Snigdha Sharma is joined by Newslaundry’s Hameeda Syed, Ayush Tiwari and Basant Kumar. 
The discussion kicks off with Hameeda’s report on a petition that sought the nationalisation of private hospitals and labs, until the pandemic subsides. The panel talks about Ayush’s report on media layoffs with The Quint furloughing 45 of its staffers, and Basant’s report from Manesar, where migrant workers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were attacked by locals.

This and a lot more as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have. 

Tune in!

Ep 111: Media layoffs, attack on migrant workers in Manesar, and more

In this episode, host Snigdha Sharma is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar and Prateek Goyal. They discuss various aspects of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. 
While Basat talks about his report on the Tihar prisoners who were released and left to walk a hundred kilometers home, Prateek sheds light on the gathering of migrant workers in Bandra, Mumbai, which he covered in this report. 
They also talk about Basant’s report on the condition of migrant workers working at roadside dhabas in Murthal, Haryana, and Prateek’s experience reporting from Pune’s Sasoon General Hospital.

This and a lot more as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have. 

Tune in!

Ep 112: Inside a Covid-19 hospital in Pune, Bandra migrant gathering, and more

In this episode, host Snigdha Sharma is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar, Ayush Tiwari, and Hameeda Syed.

Ayush begins by discussing his reports on Arnab Goswami quitting the Editor’s Guild of India, the FIR’s filed against him by the Congress, and the fiasco that followed. Hameeda tells the panel about the strange events that led to the alleged arrest of an Andaman based journalist. Further, Basant enlightens the panel about his report on the migrant workers who died while walking back to their native places, amidst the lockdown. This inevitably leads to a discussion surrounding the mental health of reporters who have been covering the pandemic and its effects from close quarters.

This and a lot more as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have. 

Tune in!

Ep 113: Arnab Goswami, Andaman journalist’s arrest, and more

In this episode, host Snigdha Sharma is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar, Ayan Sharma, and Nikita Bishnoi. The panel, through the length of the podcast, discusses several aspects of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

While Nikita talks about her report on how India has tested less than one per cent of its population, Ayan tells the panel about his report on how private coaching institutes are dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. The panel, further, goes on to discuss Basant’s report on a group of auto drivers who drove close to 1400 kilometres to reach their home in Bihar’s Katihar district.
 
This and a lot more as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have. 

Tune in!

Ep 114: Covid-19 testing, private coaching centres and the pandemic, and more

In this episode, host Snigdha Sharma is joined by Makepeace Sitlhou, an independent journalist based in Guwahati, Assam, and Ri Kynti Marwein, editor of Highland Post, a newspaper published in Shillong, Meghalaya.

Ri Kynti begins with a hilarious story about the kind of comments made on the Meghalaya chief minister’s Facebook lives, leading to a conversation about the lack of official information available from the government. Makepeace shares a brief account of how Northeastern states are managing the pandemic, based on a report she wrote. She talks about how the relatively low rate of infection recorded in the region could be due to low testing. 

Ri Kynti talks about a recent report in her newspaper on how an entire village almost starved due to non-renewal of ration cards by the government. She also explains the function of a Dorbar Shnong, or the village headman, under the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, one of the 25 autonomous regions in India; and their role in assisting the government to contain the pandemic. 

On being asked about cooperation between different tribal communities during the crisis, Makepeace is of the view that while there are many such instances, everything is not as hunky-dory as a section of the mainstream media tends to make it out to be. She sheds light on how authority is perceived differently by different communities across the Northeast. 

This and a lot more as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have. 


Tune in!

Ep 115: How is Northeast India handling the Covid-19 pandemic?

In this episode, host Snigdha Sharma is joined by Newslaundry’s Ayush Tiwari and Basant Kumar.

While Basant tells the panel about his report on Opindia communalising the death of a boy in Bihar’s Gopalganj, Ayush talks about his reports on the layoffs in the Times group. The trio also discuss journalists in Himachal Pradesh facing FIRs for reporting on government failures, and the News Broadcasters Association and the Indian Newspaper Society’s response to a PIL challenging layoffs by media companies. 

This and a lot more as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have. 

Tune in!

Ep 116: Layoffs in media, OpIndia’s communalisation of a Bihar boy’s death, and more

In this episode, host Snigdha Sharma is joined by Newslaundry’s Ayan Sharma and Hameeda Syed.

Hameeda begins the podcast with a discussion on her extensive report on Narendra Modi’s redevelopment plans for Delhi’s Central Vista. She talks about various aspects of the project including its very need, cost, clearances, public consultation, and aesthetic. Ayan talks about his report on Prag News, an Assamese news channel that forced one of its pregnant employees to quit, saying they needed “agile people” at the workplace. The trio also discuss the layoffs at The Telegraph, and the glaring contrast in how the newspaper covered the COVID-19 response by the Centre and the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government. 

This and a lot more as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have. 

Tune in!

Ep 117: Central Vista, layoffs at The Telegraph, and more

In this episode, host Snigdha Sharma is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar and Ayush Tiwari.

The podcast begins with Basant talking about his report on the Covid-19 outbreak at TV9 Bharatvarsh and the channel’s apathy towards its own employees. The discussion moves to press freedom in India. The context is Ayush’s report on how News 18 edited its report on low-quality N-95 masks at Delhi’s AIIMS beyond recognition. The AIIMS doctor quoted in it was also expelled from the Resident Doctors’ Association.

The trio also discusses the Delhi Police’s chargesheet in the Delhi riots case. Basant and Ayush also share a quick recap of their detailed report on the carnage.

This and a lot more as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have.

Tune in!

Ep 118: News 18’s “edited” report on shoddy N-95 masks at AIIMS, and more

Young Reporters talk about major stories of the week and what it took to cover them.

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