Reporters Without Orders

 In this episode, host Snigdha Sharma is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar and BBC’s Neeraj Priyadarshi.The conversation begins with the Bihar election results, and Basant describes his experience of covering the election on the ground. Throughout the election, he says, people made their discontent clear against the Nitish Kumar government.“I was wrong when I thought that this time, the election was just about real issues. But no, this year again, it was about caste,” he adds. “Despite so many issues remaining the same in Bihar for the last 15 years, people did vote on the basis of caste.”Neeraj explains how women votes helped the NDA gain a majority in Bihar. Though people were not happy with Nitish, he says, Bihar’s women voted for him because of the reforms Nitish brought in for them. “Women have Nitish’s back,” he says. He also believes that after Nitish’s tenure, Bihar has good youth leaders, ready to step in.All this and a lot more as they talk about what made news this week, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have. Tune in! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, host Snigdha Sharma is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar and Prateek GoyalThe conversation hits off with the arrest of Arnab Goswami by Mumbai police. For the first time in the country, some of the most important ministers of the union cabinet came together and called for press freedom to condemn the event. Considering the numerous incidents of journalists being harassed for doing their job that did not see public denouncement from anyone from the government, Snigdha asks if press freedom in India is selectively applied. In the same context, Snigdha brings up a recent case involving two reports by Newslaundry’s Prateek Goyal about one of Maharashtra’s leading media houses Sakal Media Group and how it had sacked its employees in violation of a government directive to not terminate workers during the pandemic. After the publishing of two reports, Newslaundry was slapped with a sixty five crore rupees defamation notice along with an FIR against Prateek. Prateek goes on to divulge the details of the case and how the Pune police have been harassing him, visiting his home unannounced and attempting to seize his laptop. Snigdha asks Prateek about press freedom in India, and he says, “No matter which political party it is, they react if someone opposes them or raises their voice against their wrongdoings.” Snigdha then moves on to discuss Basant’s coverage of the Bihar elections, focusing on the second phase of the polls. Basant talks about his report on the sugar mill of Motihari, where farmers and workers have been waiting years for their pending dues. Highlighting the problems that farmers face, Basant says, “All the farmers in Bihar are worried. If the going of grains is Rs 1800 per quintal, here farmers can’t even sell it for Rs 1100-1200 because there’s no MSP system in Bihar.” He also talks about how agriculture, one of the most important concerns for voters in Bihar, has barely featured as a key issue during these elections.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 Snigdha Sharma is joined by Newslaundry’s Akanksha Kumar and Ayush Tiwari.From a warmongering senior politician from Uttar Pradesh to a recently-formed “nationalist” digital media association, the conversation hits off with some bizarre news stories.The discussion moves on to Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri--a place that has recently gained notoriety for crimes against women, especially minors from socially disadvantaged communities. In the month of August, within a span of twenty days, at least three incidents of rape and murder of minors belonging to the Dalit community were reported from the region. Newslaundry reporters Akanksha Kumar and Nidhi Suresh visited Lakhimpur Kheri to report on the issue. Referring to her report on the first case involving a 13-year-old girl, the most heart wrenching part, Akanksha says, was when the victim’s mother said, “I was sleeping, otherwise I would’ve gone with her.”Akanksha goes on to talk about her report on the second case involving a 17 year-old victim. She draws parallels and points to the differences between Hathras and Lakhimpur Kheri cases in terms of caste divide. Joining the conversation, Ayush observes, “Covering such stories like Hathras and Lakhimpur Kheri, it seems that the field (agricultural), khet jisko kehte hai, in rural India is such an unsafe space for women.”Snigdha then moves on to discuss Ayush and Sukriti’s NL Sena report on Delhi police’s probe into the murder of Ashfaq Hussain, Mehtab Khan, and Zakir Ahmed. Snigdha asks Ayush what he, as a reporter, draws from the experience of consistently following one story as in this case. He says, “So when we look at these riot stories, they are all different in their own ways. But they all say something about the kind of world we live in. Talking further, Ayush points towards the lack of substantial evidence against Mohammad Arif, the accused in the case. He adds, “It was pretty clear through these eye witnesses that this man is being framed in this case. But what everyone would tell you about Arif in Brijpuri is that he is a BC. I didn't know what this BC was so I asked them. BC refers to ‘Bad Character’ or history-sheeter, in other words. 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 Snigdha Sharma is joined by Newslaundry’s Nidhi Suresh and Basant Kumar.The conversation begins with Basant’s coverage of the Bihar assembly election. Despite the incumbent government’s claims of making bihar free of open defecation, Basant points out how, barely 500 meters from the deputy chief minister’s house, the residents of a Dalit colony are forced to defecate in the open. Basant goes on to explain how big a role caste plays during elections in Bihar. He also points towards the neglected health infrastructure in the state with an example of a government hospital in CM Nitish Kumar’s home district, Nalanda.The discussion then moves to Nidhi's report from Delhi's Model Town, where a Dalit girl was found dead in her employer’s home. Just like in the Hathras case, her body was cremated forcefully by the Delhi police at night, against the family’s wishes. Nidhi sheds light on the police’s abominable behaviour and why the victim’s relatives have been alleging rape and murder.All this and a lot more as they talk about what made news this week, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have. Tune in! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, host Snigdha Sharma is joined by Gaurav Sarkar, Senior Reporter at Mid-Day, along with Newslaundry’s Akanksha Kumar.The conversation hits off with the bizarre news stories, from Jeff Bezos’ New Shephard to the Tanishq ad controversy.The discussion then moves on to the TRP scam. Gaurav says a certain section of the media, however small, including Newslaundry, should pat themselves on the back for calling out big brands for finding hate-ridden news. He says, pointing to the broader picture, that the TRP scam is an offshoot of the events that preceded the entire fiasco: the SSR case. He talks about how some news channels turned SSR’s death into a joke, politicised it and then came their “Trump card, “miss loose cannon Kangana.”Then comes the latest in the Hathras case and how the family of the victim is being hounded by the media. Akanksha tells Snigdha about the ugly exchange that happened between the victims' relatives and the media. Referring to her report, she says, “One must also remember that there are certain media houses who have been looking for some or the other conspiracy theory in the case and also trying to rule out the caste angle. Whereas when you go to the ground, the build up to the crime can be explained only through the prism of caste.”Snigdha moves on to discuss Gaurav’s report on Tarun, a 17-year-old autistic child from Colaba who got lost in a crowd and never returned. Gaurav highlights the gross negligence by the police and the Railway Police Force in the case. After a year, as the case gets colder, the family still has not given up hope. “It’s a story that, I think, social media can eventually solve. My faith in this particular case lies in the power of social media because we’ve seen what it can do from the Baba Ka Dhaba case” 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 Snigdha Sharma is joined by Damini Kain, a student activist and academic researcher on issues related to caste and gender, along with Newslaundry’s Ayush Tiwari and Nidhi Suresh.The conversation begins with UP government’s denial of rape in the Hathras case. Nidhi begins the discussion by highlighting, on the basis of medical records and other evidence, how the no-rape claim does not hold. “Something that's become very evident through the research is that firstly this was not an inevitable death. This was simply not prevented, it was just not taken care of, nobody was there for her, nobody attended to her on time,” says Nidhi.While the incident has shockwaves throughout the nation, Damini who hails from western Uttar Pradesh herself, tells Snigdha about how government’s and the police’s response when it comes to crimes against  the Dalit community are evasive to the extent of being oppressive . She says that the nexus of  upper caste dominance even in the Hathras case is a reflection of how Dalit women are treated, even by law-makers. Ayush draws out the ridiculousness of Uttar Pradesh Police’s “international plot to defame UP government” claim. He adds more context to the discussion on crimes against women in Uttar Pradesh. In a recent report, he pointed how the Adityanath government has trying to protect bureaucrats who in turn were accused of protecting Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the former BJP MLA from Unnao sentenced to life in prison for raping a minor. Coming back to the dynamics of caste in rural and urban areas, Damini says that we shouldn’t reduce the discussion just to atrocities against Dalits but also how caste functions on a day-to day basis. She shares a recent report that shows how caste dominates Indian cities. “We need to come to a meeting ground that can be established when enough representation is given to people from all marginalized communities,” she adds.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 Snigdha Sharma is joined by Newslaundry’s Nidhi Suresh and Akanksha Kumar. This time, the trio skip the bizarre news section to discuss the most horrific story of the week:  the Hathras case. A 19-year-old Dalit woman succumbed to injuries at a hospital in New Delhi after she was gangraped by four Thakur men in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district. Nidhi brings up that the victim’s body was cremated by the Uttar Pradesh police without a single family member being present. “Her family was deprived of even one intimate moment with her body,” she says. In the context of medical shortcomings and administrative blunders, she adds: “The family has to ask the doctors again and again, to take a look at her.” Nidhi also explains how the family, afraid they might lose the woman, tried at the time to get the media’s attention. On how the story was covered by the media, Akanksha talks about how “empathy was missing in the reporters” while they were speaking to the victim’s family. “Initially, no media house reported this story, but after they did, I wished that they didn’t,” she says. “Every inch of the house was occupied by journalists and relatives.” Nidhi and Akanksha explain the caste divide in the village, and how they asked Thakur residents if they participated in Valmiki weddings. The Thakurs said no, Nidhi says, but said the Valmikis would come for their weddings “for cleaning”. The Valmiki families are also treated differently in shops, and nobody wants to touch anything that they have touched. All this and a lot more as they talk about what made news this week, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have. Tune in! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, host Snigdha Sharma is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar and former Newslaundry reporter Rohin Verma.The discussion begins with Rohin’s report on Laungi Manjhi from Bihar’s Gaya. The man worked alone for thirty long years and dug out a three-kilometre-long canal to bring water to his village in southern Bihar, a region prone to severe drought. While most media houses pegged his story as one of inspiration, Rohin, through his report, highlighted the extreme poverty and government apathy that led Manjhi to take the task upon himself.  “Even if reporters would have pitched these stories, I know the editors wouldn’t have found it worthy enough to be covered,” says Rohin talking about how no one noticed what Manjhi had been doing for three decades. “But now when all is done, everyone wants to do a story on it.” The discussion then moves on to Basant’s report on the right wing’s obsession with the idea of ‘Love Jihad,’ especially in Uttar Pradesh. Panchajanya, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s mouthpiece, recently published a story on Love Jihad called ‘Pyaar ka Islamic katal’. All it took was a little digging for Basant to discover the glaring loopholes in the story. He also talks about how a committee has been formed in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur to look into cases of Love Jihad. “UP has so many cases of rape and many other issues, and all they can care about is Love Jihad,” says Basant.All this and a lot more as they talk about what made news this week, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have. Tune in! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, host Snigdha Sharma is joined by Newslaundry’s Supriti David and Ayush Tiwari.The conversation hits off with the most bizarre news story: Sudarshan TV’s show on  ‘UPSC Jihad.’ Last month, the Delhi High Court had put a stay order on the hate-mongering channel after the notorious #UPSC_Jihad promo caused an outrage on social media.  In his show, the channel’s editor-in-chief, Suresh Chavanke tried to convince  his audience that Indian Muslims have launched a ‘jihad’ on the coveted civil services examinations. Ayush talks about his report on the matter and contrasts the Supreme Court’s reaction to the show with that from the I&B Ministry.The discussion then moves on to Supriti’s report on the Baghjan oil well blowout in Assam. Supriti relates her experience of visiting the site, and how just a few minutes of exposure to “the roaring noise of the flame” and the smell of gas left her feeling nauseous. Imagine what the people who live there are going through, she says. She talks about the long-term ecological repercussions of the disaster and the response from Oil India Limited. She goes on to elaborate on the plight of villagers displaced by the fire who currently reside in relief camps. “Four months in a relief camp is a long time.” The people there want closure, acknowledgement of their suffering, and a concrete plan to ensure their rehabilitation,” says Supriti. Snigdha moves on to discuss Ayush’s report on Umar Khalid’s arrest and his interview of the arrested human rights activist, not long before he was arrested. “He was mentally prepared that he will be arrested,” says Ayush. He also points out the glaring loopholes in the Delhi Riots investigations. All this and a lot more as they talk about what made news this week, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have. Tune in! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this edition, host Snigdha Sharma is joined by Newslaundry’s Nidhi Suresh and Basant Kumar.The trio begins with the most bizarre headlines they came across this week. Basant and Nidhi think the tussle between Shiv Sena and BJP via Kangana Ranaut is quite strange while Snigdha can’t get over ‘Faux-Bama.’The discussion moves to Nidhi’s report on #JusticeforSSR groups online. “People on these groups want the worst for Rhea Chakraborty, they want her to be arrested, dead and hanged,” says Nidhi. But what drives them and why have they taken the actor’s death so personally? “The answers I got were surprising, yet very human,” says Nidhi. The panel also discuss the role of the TV news media and the brutal race for TRPs. The conversation then switches to an issue that has been conspicuously absent from TV news for a while: the novel coronavirus. Basant relates the details of his report on the dismal healthcare infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh. “Every day we watch new channels and newspapers reporting how the UP government is handling the coronavirus really well, but the reality on the ground is very different,” he says. From false test results to the lack of hospital beds and doctors refusing to treat non-Covid patients, Basant’s story paints a worrying picture of the pandemic in the fifth-worst affected state in India. All this and a lot more as they talk about what made news this week, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have. Tune in! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.