Reporters Without Orders

Host Nidhi Suresh is joined by Aishwarya Iyer of Scroll who talks about her series on the Hindutva campaign around the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. In her series, Aishwarya talks about the five Hindu women whose petitions demanding permission to pray at the mosque have propelled the campaign. She examines their links with a former Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Sohan Lal Arya who had filed a similar plea in 1995. “One common point for these women was their desire to attend prayers together in the premises,” Aishwarya says, “Their petition did not have anything regarding the Shivling but now it has motivated them to go deeper into the case.”Nidhi and Aishwarya also discuss the sociocultural fallout of the communal campaign against Gyanvapi. “Only a person born and brought up in Varanasi can understand the loss of its beautiful culture,” Aishwarya argues while explaining how the targeting of the mosque has caused unease among the city’s Muslims. This and a lot more as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have.Tune in.Contribute to our NL Sena projects Bulldozing a New Image in MP and The Yogi Who Has It All.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:00:36 - Gyanvapi mosque00:17:10 - Sociocultural fallout00:43:25 - RecommendationsRecommendationsAishwaryaLovesickTour of Duty model could add to majoritarian violence and affect army efficiencyNidhiThe Worst Person in the WorldEducatedProduced and recorded by Tehreem Roshan, edited by Satish Kumar.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Newslaundry’s Tanishka Sodhi and freelance journalist Vishnu Narayan. Tanishka talks about her recent report on the death of rural journalist Pawan Jaiswal and how he struggled to pay for his cancer treatment. Noting that his death underlines grave problems with the journalism industry, she says, “Pawan was considered a star reporter but he was earning barely enough to survive. We cannot point fingers at others when we ourselves don’t see a fellow journalist’s plight.” Vishnu discusses his report on the viral video of a young child named Sonu and his encounter with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. Sonu asks Nitish to fund his education as his father is an alcoholic, which is quite ironic given that a ban on liquor is one of Nitish’s pet policies. This, and a lot more, as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have.Tune in.Contribute to our NL Sena projects Bulldozing a New Image in MP and The Yogi Who Has It All RecommendationsTanishkaFirst responder: Meet towaway truck driver who saved many workers from Mundka fireVishnuJoan Didion: The Center Will Not HoldBasantDeadly ForceTimecodes00:00 - Introduction01:07 - Pawan Jaiswal's death 20:55 - CM encounter by Bihar Kid47:00 - RecommendationsProduced and recorded by Tehreem Roshan, edited by Samrendra K Dash. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Nidhi Suresh is joined by journalist Cris from the News Minute. Nidhi and Cris talk about Malayalam actor Dileep being accused of sexual assault, how the case has unfolded, and how it turned into a massive movement within the Malayalam film industry. Cris, who has tracked the case since 2017, says, “Dileep is not just an actor but plays a much bigger role in the industry. So, even if this was such a sensitive case, he still had backing from within the industry. The idea of power is very clear.”They also discuss rape charges against actor Vijay Babu, the work done by the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, the Justice Hema Commission report, and News Minute’s report on how there’s a “Weinstein-scale #MeToo movement in India”.This, and a lot more, as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:00:30 - Case against Dileep, state of Malayalam film industry00:36:18- RecommendationsNL Sena projects: Bulldozing a New Image in MP and The Yogi Who Has It All RecommendationsCrisEleanor Oliphant is Completely FineNidhiEducated: A MemoirWhy did Kerala HC dismiss Dileep’s plea to quash conspiracy case?Produced and recorded by Tehreem Roshan, edited by Umrav Singh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Timecodes00:00 - Introduction02:00 - Disha Salian’s media trial21:00 - Nepotism in IIMC recruitments 35:26 - RecommendationsThis week, host Akanksha Kumar is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar and Prateek Goel. Prateek begins by talking about his story on Disha Salian’s media trial, an incident that showed Indian news channels at their unethical worst, and maligned and devastated a family grappling with the loss of their daughter. Basant then talks about his report on how the professors recently recruited by the  Indian Institute of Mass Communication allegedly have links with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. This, and a lot more, as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have.Tune in.RecommendationsPrateekViolence and the Burden of Memory: Remembrance and Erasure in Sinhala Consciousness AkankshaInventing AnnaDemolition, Bulldozer, Law & Empathy BasantAadhi sadi baad bhi aadhi-adhuriTippani Ep 103 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Timecodes00:00 - Introduction01:22 - Sri Lanka crisis28:23 - Jahangirpuri violence50:37 - RecommendationsThis week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Newslaundry’s Akanksha Kumar and Dainik Bhaskar special correspondent Poonam Kaushal.Poonam was in Sri Lanka reporting on the economic crisis. “I understood the real situation there,” she said. “People didn’t even have enough food for one meal. The basic needs are not fulfilled.”Basant asks if a change in government might help. “People want change,” Poonam says. “They are saying, ‘We don’t want this government. We don’t want the Rajapaksa family. We want to get rid of them.’”Akanksha then talks about her report on the Jahangirpuri violence. She had focused on the story of 40-year-old Ansar, the main accused, whose wife had told Akanksha her husband was home when the violence began. Akanksha explains how Ansar is described in different ways by different people – as a good samaritan, a criminal, and a riot “mastermind”.This, and a lot more, as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have.Tune in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Nidhi Suresh is joined by Newslaundry’s Tanishka Sodhi and Laasya Shekhar. Laasya talks about her report on the violence in Jahangirpuri and how, when she visited the area a day later, the fear on the ground was palpable. “People were afraid and also a bit hesitant to trust me because of the language barrier,” she says on her experience. Tanishka talks about her story on the Gurugram namaz row, a follow-up to the events of October last year. She says she wanted to revisit the spot to see if anything had changed. “There are people who have stopped going out for Jumma namaz due to fear,” she says. “I have understood the privilege of a bindi or just a name after all this.”The panel also talks about their experiences in reporting on violence, and how it has helped in shaping their mindsets.This, and a lot more, as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have.Tune in.RecommendationsLaasyaThe thing around your neckTanishkaMaking headlines: A news site in J&K is putting out daily bulletins in lesser-known languagesNidhiIram Siddique articlesProduced and recorded by Tehreem Roshan, edited by Samrendra K Dash. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Akanksha Kumar is joined by Newslaundry’s Laasya Shekhar and the Wire's Saahil Murli Manghani.Saahil discusses his investigative report about the campaign against Urdu through the Haldiram’s controversy on Sudarshan News, and the products sold by the company abroad. “Even if you want to spew hate, I think Sudarshan News did not do their research properly,” he says.The panel goes on to discuss Laasya’s report on the JNU violence, where six students were injured as members of Left groups and the RSS students’ outfit ABVP clashed on the day of Ram Navami.This, and a lot more, as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have.Tune in.RecommendationsAkankshaAre caste colonies furthering the divide in Rajasthan?Truth behind Dalit man’s murder ‘over moustache’ and a village bitterly divided in RajasthanOperation FinaleSahilWatch | Sudarshan TV 'Hates' Urdu, Arabic. But Here's What the Company, Its Advertisers Are DoingLaasyaThe Last Kingdom Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Newslaundry’s Shivangi Saxena and Ashwine Kumar Singh.Shivangi discusses her first person account of the sequence of events at the Hindu Mahapanchayat, where several journalists including herself, were manhandled. “No police personnel did anything to stop or arrest the mob who were beating the journalists,” she says.The panel goes on to discuss Ashwine’s report on Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia, where journalists were allegedly arrested for publishing news about the class 12 English paper leak. They also discuss Ashwine’s other report on Delhi’s meat shop ban during the Navratri festivities.This, and a lot more, as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have.Tune in.RecommendationsShivangiNightcrawlerAshwineBadhaai DoIntertwined Lives: P.N. Haksar and Indira GandhiBasant1984Produced and recorded by Tehreem Roshan, edited by Umrav Singh.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Nidhi Suresh is joined by Newslaundry’s Laasya Shekhar and Tanishka Sodhi.Tanishka talks about her detailed report on why Umar Khalid’s bail plea was dismissed after eight months of hearings. “The attention to this case has reduced, even though it’s considered a special case under UAPA,” she says of the media’s dwindling interest. The panel then discusses Laasya’s report on non-Brahmin priests appointed to Tamil Nadu’s temples, and how they are being sidelined and harassed because of their caste. This, and a lot more, as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have.Tune in.RecommendationsLaasya OutlanderKalatheetha VyaktuluTanishka'Why? Why? Why?' Ukraine's Mariupol descends into despairNidhi‘I Don’t Have the Right to Cry’: Ukrainian Women Share Their Stories of EscapeProduced and recorded by Tehreem Roshan, edited by Satish Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Akanksha Kumar is joined by journalists Kumar Sambhav and Shreegireesh Jalihal from the Reporters’ Collective. They discuss Sambhav and Shreegireesh’s four-part series, along with journalist Nayantara Ranganathan, for Al Jazeera on how Facebook allowed “surrogate advertisers to secretly fund BJP’s election campaigns”.“The Election Commission needs to take into consideration these social media ads,” says Shreegireesh, “and not just print and mainstream.” They also explain how “ghost advertisers” hide behind pages posting content on social work and fundraising, but while actually advertising for political parties.This, and a lot more, as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have.Tune in.RecommendationsSambhavThe Art Of Conjuring Alternate RealitiesThe Age of Surveillance CapitalismShreegireeshNarutoMUBI Abbas KiarostamiKar-Wai WongAkankshaWhy I Left Being A GangsterMadam Chief MinisterProduced and recorded by Tehreem Roshan, edited by Umrav Singh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.