Every few weeks it seems, something occurs to remind us of the ailing state of the Indian news media. The revelations about two prominent m...
Every few weeks it seems, something occurs to remind us of the ailing state of the Indian news media. The revelations about two prominent mediapersons last week was one such occasion. Former NDTV Executive Editor Nidhi Razdan admitted she had been the victim of a phishing attack that had her falsely believe she had been appointed Associate Professor at Harvard. While the injury was to her alone, Razdan’s vulnerability was seen by some people as arising from a culture of entitlement surrounding prominent journalists.
Meanwhile, another well-known mediaperson, Arnab Goswami of Republic TV was in the news with the Mumbai Police revealing messages exchanged between him and the former chief executive officer of the Broadcast Audience Research Council in an investigation into the alleged manipulation of television rating points.
The conversations suggesting a collusion between the two and between Goswami and top political figures. Also discussed in the exchanges were the Indian Air Force’s strike on Balakot, Pakistan and its potential impact on voters in the 2019 elections. This raised concerns about the use of media as a tool of political manipulation.
Taking a turn
The two cases are widely different and yet together they point to a trajectory in the Indian news media that explains many of its...
