Reporters Without Orders

This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by the Quint’s Saptarshi Basak and freelance journalist Vikrant Dubey.Saptarshi explained the ethnic divide in Manipur between the state’s tribal groups. He delved into the ongoing conflict and its implications in the northeast, and also threw light on the central and the state governments’ failure in maintaining law and order.Vikrant spoke about his reportage on a Gandhian organisation’s struggle in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi against a demolition order. He detailed how the district magistrate’s demolition order against Varanasi Sarva Seva Sangh’s official premises last month triggered a sit-in protest at the site to save the seven decade old campus. Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:32 - Manipur Violence00:09:48 - Sarva Seva Sangh00:47:41 - RecommendationsRecommendationsSaptarshiETHNIC CONFLICT IN INDIA: A Case Study of the Kukis and the Nagas in ManipurThe Homeland and the State: The Meiteis and the Nagas in ManipurVikrantDekho Hamri KashiBasantKashi Ka AssiExclusive: NCW ignored complaint linked to Kuki women video filed 38 days agoProduced by Tehreem Roshan and Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Naresh Kumar, and edited by Umrav Singh Gurjar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Gurmehar Kaur is joined by Newslaundry’s Tanishka Sodhi and Avdhesh Kumar.Tanishka reported on all that has changed at NDTV, and all that has remained the same, six months into Gautam Adani’s takeover of the TV network. She divulged how the news outlet has transformed from being a critic of the Modi government to becoming a typical legacy media. She said the transition of its coverage can be seen in their reportage.Avdhesh reported on how Pakistani national Seema Haider’s love blossomed in India. He delved into the media scrutiny faced by the unusual couple. He also spoke about his reportage on Delhi’s flood, which resulted in many people and their cattles being stranded at their homes. In addition, he spoke about his report on the viral video of a Madhya Pradesh man urinating on a tribal worker, and chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s attempt at damage control.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:00:40 - Transformation of NDTV00:07:08 - Pravesh Shukla/MP Peegate00:17:28 - Seema Haider00:34:14 - Delhi Flood00:38:25 - RecommendationsRecommendationsTanishkaAnother Strike Against The Free Press: Why A Journalist Who Stood With Adivasis Was Arrested AvdheshMy Indian LifeGurmeharQuarterlife: The Search for Self in Early AdulthoodOkay DaysProduced by Tehreem Roshan and Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar, and edited by Samrendra K Dash. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Tanishka Sodhi is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar and Shivnarayan Rajpurohit. Basant reported that state broadcaster Doordarshan uploaded videos on the YouTube channels of DD National and DD News UP, passing off BJP members as “common Muslim citizens” batting for the Uniform Civil Code. He explained how the broadcaster had laid aside journalistic ethics to exhibit its skewed reporting on UCC. Shivnarayan reported on the politics around Saudi moderate Muhammad bin Abdul Karim bin Abdulaziz Al-Issa’s visit to India. He delved into how national security adviser Ajit Doval was lauded at a Delhi event hosting the Muslim World League secretary general. He explained the controversy around Al-Issa’s visit, with reports linking it to the government’s push for UCC. He also spoke about the significance of his visit for the Modi government.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:23 - DD News00:10:03 - Al-Issa00:30:37 - RecommendationsRecommendationsBasantYaad Ho Ki Na Yaad HoShivnarayanPhotos show WFI chief Brij Bhushan ‘making advances’, CDRs match location in testimony: Police chargesheetTanishkaCourtProduced by Tehreem Roshan and Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Naresh Kumar, and edited by Umrav Singh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Gurmehar Kaur is joined by Newslaundry’s Shivnarayan Rajpurohit and Pratyush Deep.Shivnarayan reported on Congress leader Sachin Pilot’s relationship with his party in Rajasthan, and the impediments on his way ahead of Rajasthan’s assembly polls. He explains how he traced the 45-year-old’s journey from being the youngest MP in the Indian parliament to his current tussle with chief minister Ashok Gehlot, also throwing light on his chances of a strong comeback. Pratyush reported on the RSS-linked outfits illegally occupying housing meant for members of parliament in Lutyens’ Delhi. He recounted how he found out that at least 14 of the 176 flats at Vithal Bhai Patel complex were illegally occupied, with one of the occupants being Rajyavardhan Singh Parmar, a Hindutva leader accused of sexual assault. Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:00:50 - Sachin Pilot00:07:14 - Illegal occupancy at the Vithalbhai Patel Complex00:38:46 - RecommendationsRecommendationsShivnarayan24 Akbar Road: A Short History Of The People Behind The Fall And Rise Of The CongressPratyushTargeting of Kukis the main reason behind Manipur violenceGurmeharThe IdolProduced by Tehreem Roshan and Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar, and edited by Samrendra K Dash.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Newslaundry’s Avdhesh Kumar and Sumedha Mittal.Avdhesh reported on the layoffs at ABP News this week, with nearly 47 employees losing their jobs. He explains how the company was “unprofessional” and things turned upside down after Sant Prasad Rai became senior vice president (news and production).Sumedha reported on Vinod Tomar, the suspended assistant secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India. She says he’s still seemingly at work at the WFI office, and how he’s a close aide of Brij Bhushan Singh.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:03:32 - Vinod Tomar00:10:34 - ABP layoffs00:34:13 - RecommendationsRecommendationsAvdheshTitanic submersible accidentSumedhaFrank Sinatra Has a ColdBasantThe Enforcers How the ED became a political toolProduced by Tehreem Roshan and Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar, and edited by Samrendra K Dash. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Gurmehar Kaur is joined by Newslaundry’s Anmol Pritam and Pratyush Deep. They delve into the details of two cases of “love jihad”, a Hindutva conspiracy theory, that gained traction in the media.The first was the abduction of a minor girl from Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand, and the second was in connection with the murder of BJP leader Jonali Nath in Assam.Pratyush and Anmol explain how they developed sources, discovered narratives, and the perils of reporting from the ground. They also point to the eerie similarity with which cases are given a communal spin and the media’s role here. As Pratyush says, “The victim’s family suffers the most.”Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:32 - Uttarakhand communal tension00:10:08 - Assam murder case turned into love jihad00:38:35 - RecommendationsRecommendationsAnmolHow the ‘love jihad’ fuse was lit in UttarakhandPratyushScoopGurmeharDerry GirlsProduced by Tehreem Roshan and Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar, and edited by Samrendra K Dash.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Tanishka Sodhi is joined by Newslaundry’s Shwet Pandey and independent journalist Saurav Das. Saurav this week reported on how the government “blocks” requests for information and how a case filed by satirist Tanul Thakur might change this. “If the judgement is in favour of Tanul Thakur, then it could change censorship practices in India,” he says.Shwet, who wrote on the three-year anniversary of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, explains the media frenzy surrounding the case. The assembly election was held in Rajput’s home state of Bihar soon after his death, and Shwet says, “Five percent of the political vote bank is the Rajput community. So it was a very effective ploy to politicise his death for their own agenda.”The panel discusses nepotism, mental health awareness, self-censorship among journalists, and a lot more. Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:28 - Government censorship00:09:36 - SSR’s three-year death anniversary 00:40:52 - Law Commission's sedition report00:45:10 - RecommendationsRecommendationsSauravThe Indian Conservative: A History of Indian Right-wing ThoughtShwetKai Po Che!SonchiriyaPKTanishkaSurviving a media trial: The story of Disha Salian’s familyProduced by Tehreem Roshan and Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar, and edited by Umrav Singh.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Tanishka Sodhi is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar, who went to Odisha to cover the horrific three-train accident of June 2. The official death toll is 288, but Basant says his experience on the ground suggests the toll might be much higher.“The Odisha government is handling the aftermath of this crisis rather well,” he says. “I remember the Balasore district magistrate was present all night.”Tanishka and Basant also discuss the communal misinformation that spread on social media about the accident, and why journalists must report sensitively during times of tragedy.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:00:48 - Odisha train accident00:33:58 - RecommendationsRecommendationsBasantबालासोर ट्रेन हादसा: हिंदू-मुस्लिम रंग देने की कोशिश, पड़ताल में पाया गया झूठओडिशा ट्रेन हादसा: शवों का ढेर, मेरे अंकल का नंबर 72 है, बॉडी नहीं मिल रहीओडिशा ट्रेन हादसा: 'हमारा कोच खचाखच भरा था... हम सिर्फ 6 ही बचे!’ओडिशा ट्रेन हादसा: “जिनमें सांस थी उन्हें पहले निकाला गया ताकि वो जिंदा बच सकें”बालासोर ट्रेन हादसे में मरने वाले ज्यादातर बिहार और बंगाल के, अब डीएनए के जरिए होगी अज्ञात शवों की पहचानTanishkaScoopNL Interview: Hansal Mehta, Karishma Tanna on Scoop, Indian newsrooms and the real vs reelProduced by Tehreem Roshan and Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar, and edited by Saif Ali Ekram. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Newslaundry’s Tanishka Sodhi and Shivnarayan Rajpurohit. Tanishka’s story of the week investigated the online trolling of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud from January to April this year. It involved morphed photos and accusations of being “anti-Hindu”. Tanishka explains the significant role played by digital influencers in driving this social media discourse.Shivnarayan talks about his interview with Jamngaihkim Gangte, a 20-year-old from Manipur who lost her mother and brother to the ongoing violence in the state. On mainstream media coverage of Manipur, Shiv says, “With a few notable exceptions, there haven’t been any genuine stories produced in contrast to the stories about the Delhi riots that have received sufficient coverage.”Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:18 - Manipur violence00:07:47 - Online trolling of CJI00:35:42 - RecommendationsRecommendationsTanishkaJailed, suspended, fired: How teachers in UP have paid a price for Hindutva campaigns against a songShivnarayan‘Can still feel the blows...Imphal murdered my family’: Manipur violence survivor recalls escapeBasantAnti-Hindu, woke feminist: Inside the unprecedented online trolling of CJI ChandrachudSophie Ka Sansarजहरीली शराब से हुई मौतों पर एनएचआरसी का दोहरा रवैयाProduced by Tehreem Roshan, recorded by Naresh Kumar, and edited by Saif Ali Ekram.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Tanishka Sodhi is joined by Newslaundry’s Prateek Goyal and Sumedha Mittal. The discussion begins with Prateek’s story on Sonu Mansuri, a 21-year-old law intern in Madhya Pradesh, who was accused of being a “PFI agent”  and spent 50 days in jail on cheating charges. Prateek recounts his interview with Sonu, in which she described her ordeal and opened up about the line of questioning during the interrogations. He delves into the timeline of events that led to her arrest and the impact of one-sided media coverage. “The media portrayed her as a ‘terrorist’, while all she was doing was her job as an intern and learning things,” Prateek says. He also spotlights how she was targeted because of her religious identity. The conversation then moves to Sumedha’s experience of reporting from poll-bound Karnataka and her understanding of electoral politics. She talks about the good and the bad of reporting on the high-stake elections in the southern state. “Language was the biggest hurdle,” she says, shedding light on how she overcame it. This and a lot more, Tune in! Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:30 - Sonu Mansuri’s story00:10:50 - Karnataka Elections 202300:32:26 - RecommendationsRecommendationsPrateekViduthalai: Part 1SumedhaSubhash Chandra’s collapsing house of cardsTanishkaIs Therapy-Speak Making Us Selfish?Produced by Tehreem Roshan, recorded by Anil Kumar, and edited by Umrav Singh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.