Reporters Without Orders

In this episode, host Nidhi Suresh is joined by Sidharth Singh of Newslaundry.On May 31, Ramdev claimed he had scientific evidence to prove the legitimacy of ayurveda in “curing” hypertension, cancer, arthritis, thyroid issues, liver sclerosis, hepatitis, and fatty liver. He gave a slew of interviews to TV news channels to further attack modern medicine over alleged abuses of the pharmaceutical industry. He also made unproven claims about ayurvedic solutions to longstanding medical conundrums.In Sidharth’s report, he answers the question: what expertise does Ramdev actually possess? He spoke to many ayurvedic practitioners for the report and asked if Ramdev represented them or if he represented ayurveda. “Many said he doesn’t and made a distinction that he’s a yoga guru so why should he be speaking about ayurveda and that he’s not even qualified to be talking about yoga,” he recalled.Ramdev has often claimed to possess cures for all sorts of diseases. Patanjali’s Divya Mukta Vati Extra Power, for instance, claims to cure hypertension and high blood pressure. Patanjali’s website even says the efficacy of the concoction has been proved by “successfully experimenting with millions of patients”. Nidhi asks what exactly Sidharth found problematic with such claims? Sidharth says this claim of “successfully experimenting with millions of patients” isn't correct. He found that the sample size wasn’t a million, but barely 50 patients.“The idea of ayurveda has power in India, I don’t think it's right to say that it is neglected," Sidharth argues. "Going ahead, we have to think about where exactly the general bar is now when it comes to scientific literacy. We have to know what kind of space we can give to traditional medicine?”Tune in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, host Ayush Tewari is joined by Nidhi Suresh and Basant Kumar of Newslaundry.The conversation begins with Nidhi Suresh talking about her report on the Muslim staffers of a Bengaluru municipality Covid war room who were removed from their jobs at the behest of BJP MP Tejasvi Surya. She narrates the process and the possible reasons which led to the event.Basant Kumar talks about his story on Dainik Jagran’s report that claims the new farm laws have been beneficial to farmers. Further, he explains why mustard has actually been sold at a higher price than the MSP. He also talks about his report discussing the revelation of the wastage of vaccines by the Rajasthan government and how the controversy is escalating. Tune in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, host Basant Kumar is joined by freelance journalists Mandeep Punia and Ranvijay Singh. Mandeep begins with the farmer protests, which marked six months at Delhi’s borders this week. Explaining the role of the youth and women, he says that despite all odds, “this protest has become a process for intensifying what is right”. Mandeep and Ranvijay both criticise how legacy media has highlighted the protest, and the impact of Covid.Ranvijay explains how Covid has been “mismanaged” in rural Uttar Pradesh, pointing out how local bodies are hiding the true numbers. Comparing reports submitted by regional management committees with the ground reality, he says the healthcare system has collapsed. “Without any testing, how can we expect cases to be detected?” he says.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.

In this episode, host Ayush Tiwari is joined by Prateek Goyal of Newslaundry to discuss his series on the rise of Jaggi Vasudev, known to his devotees as Sadhguru, as one of India’s most influential godmen, and is dubious business and “spiritual” dealings.  Prateek explains how Vasudev’s rise was enabled by politicians and the media, how he used this influence to build a sprawling yoga centre in an ecologically sensitive elephant corridor near Coimbatore in blatant violation of laws, and how he makes a lot of money selling products and “spiritual” services a good deal of which his foundation shows as donations to evade paying taxes. All of this wouldn’t have been possible without political backing, Prateek argues. He also touches upon Vasudev’s cultivation of the media and his shady dealing involving the Cauvery Calling project. 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.

In this episode of Reporters Without Orders, host Akanksha Kumar is joined by Newslaundry's Shivangi Saxena and Tanishka Sodhi.Shivangi talks about her experiences with Akanksha in reporting on Covid from eastern Uttar Pradesh. At Gorakhpur’s Sadar Hospital, she says, they watched people coming in from villages 200 km away. Despair was all around them, as family members were unable to procure beds and oxygen cylinders, or even get a doctor to see the patients.“They were afraid that if they speak against the administration, they might refuse their families’ treatment,” she says. She herself was denied entry to the hospital as people were worried that negative news reports would lead to a backlash from the government.Shivangi also explains how rural areas face the additional burden of poor connectivity and a crumbling healthcare infrastructure. Tanishka talks about her report on why Modi is getting such negative coverage from the international media. On the increasing number of editorials criticising India’s handling of the pandemic, she says the international press doesn’t hold back in the way the Indian media does.“Modi’s silence over the past two weeks about what’s happening is also very embarrassing,” she says. “Because even Donald Trump had conferences everyday.” On why everyone’s reporting on India, Tanishka says, “This virus doesn’t care about borders. If something’s going wrong here, it’s also going to impact how the rest of the world is dealing with the crisis.”This and a lot more as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have.Tune in.RecommendationsShivangi ‘Yogi has left us to die': Oxygen crisis devastates MeerutTanishkaMahavir Narwal - Father Of The YearWhat we got wrong: the Guardian’s worst errors of judgment over 200 yearsAkankshaUP woman dies from Covid. Her sample is ‘collected’ 2 days after and tests negativeगोरखपुर जिला अस्पताल: कोविड वार्ड में बिना ऑक्सीजन और बेड के पड़े हैं मरीज़ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, host Nidhi Suresh is joined by Newslaundry reporters Ayush Tiwari and Basant Kumar.Ayush and Basant, who are currently reporting on the Covid crisis from the western parts of Uttar Pradesh, shed light on the ground realities of the ongoing disaster. They explain the underreporting of deaths by the state, the shortage of oxygen cylinders in hospitals, people’s reluctance to get tested, and the general sense of helplessness among citizens. All this is taking place in the backdrop of chief minister Adityanath claiming that there is no shortage of oxygen in Uttar Pradesh. This and a lot more as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have.Tune in.RecommendationsAyush I Know What It Takes to Defeat Narendra ModiBasantNewslaundry’s video reports from Uttar PradeshNidhiNewslaundry’s text reports from Uttar Pradesh Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Reporters without Orders, host Ayush Tiwari is joined by Akanksha Kumar and Tanishka Sodhi of Newslaundry.Akanksha talks about her coverage of the unfolding Covid catastrophe in Delhi, narrating how hospitals in North Delhi are dealing with a shortage of oxygen supply and how, with the death toll rising, the crematoria are struggling to conduct funerals. Tanishka discusses her report on why journalists are showing grisly visuals of Covid funerals. She recalls her conversations with several reporters photojournalists, Indian and foreign, who are covering the crisis and what they have to say about criticism of their work. She also explains why it is misleading to claim that the international media didn’t cover the death and devastation from Covid in the West the same way they are in India.This and a lot more as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have.Tune in.RecommendationsAkanksha 'Just bring us oxygen': North Delhi hospitals plead for helpCovid crisis: Queuing for cremation in the capitalOn the Spot: Delhi’s cremation groundAyushBreaking the thermometerIndian high commission’s Letter to The AustralianTankshkaUnderstanding Mumbai’s downward Covid-19 trendThe erosion of personal ownership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is hosted by Basant Kumar, who is joined by Newslaundry’s Prateek Goyal and independent Journalist Sourabh Sharma.Saurabh talks about his recent reports on Uttar Pradesh’s pandemic situation. In the capital Lucknow, he says, there’s utter helplessness and the main reason is the unpreparedness of the Adityanath government. "All of them were busy with elections, nobody paid much attention to Covid, it was as if it was gone,” he laments.It’s a similar situation in Madhya Pradesh, says Prateek, where “the healthcare system has completely collapsed”. Yet, in both the Hindi heartland states, Saurabh and Prateek point out, the governments are fudging the data.The panel also discuss how, owing to the failure of state and central governments to tackle the dire situation, social media has emerged as a helpline for those seeking help for Covid patients. This and a lot more as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have.Tune in!RecommendationsSaurabh Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Nova HarariBureaucratic barriers leave COVID-19 patients begging for beds in India’s most populous stateकुम्भ के दौरान हरिद्वार में 400% तक बढ़ें कोरोना के एक्टिव मामलेशवदाह गृह भरे हुए हैं फिर भी सरकार क्यों दिखा रही हैं कोविड मौतें इतनी कमPrateekThe SerpentBasant गुड बाय, मेरे प्यारे दोस्तAjeeb Dastaans Hospitals buckle under record surge Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is hosted by Nidhi Suresh, who is joined by Newslaundry’s Parikshit Sanyal and Akanksha Kumar.Akanksha talks about her follow-up story on the Delhi riots; she had interviewed a Muslim boy who had been forced to sing the national anthem while being assaulted by the police. “His entire story is of gross neglect, not just by the police but also the hospital staff – both of whom were supposed to save him,” she says. “The sense of marginalisation, because he belongs to a certain religion, is going to stay with him.”Parikshit shares his first-time experience of reporting on the ground during the Bengal assembly election, particularly a ground report on the Cooch Behar killings. He explains how multiple witnesses said it was an unprovoked attack. He also describes the tense communal situation in Nandigram’s Boyal constituency, where people were referring to “the Hindu booth” and “the Muslim booth”. “Because of Suvendu Adhikari, the levels have gone too far,” he says.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 episode is hosted by Akanksha Kumar, who is joined by Newslaundry’s Prateek Goyal, Tanishka Sodhi, and Diksha Munjal.The conversation starts with the recent gunfight in Chhattisgarh between security forces and Maoists. Prateek had interviewed Bastar police chief P Sundarraj on the attack, and says, “The army had clear input that battalion number 1 of Naxals has movement in the South Bastar region.” He thinks the incident cannot be blamed on an intelligence failure and adds that the attack shouldn’t be compared to the 2010 Dantewada attack.Tanishka and Diksha discuss their report on daily wage workers employed on the sets of Mumbai’s film city. The workers had described their lockdown ordeal last year and how they’re worried about a second lockdown. “Since it was not work from home, the workers had to be present on the sets, be it spot boys or assistants,” Tanishka explains. Diksha says there’s a need for a “database of migrants” or “at least a recognition that we have so many people that we have to cater to in case such an emergency comes”. She adds: “A lot of them are invisible, they are not counted anywhere.”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.