Reporters Without Orders

This week, host Tanishka Sodhi is joined by Basant Kumar from Newslaundry, and Astha Savyasachi and Tapasya from The Reporters’ Collective.Astha and Tapasya had reported on how the Haryana government turned the state pollution control board “into a body that serves the potential polluters” by including it in the Right to Service Act. They explain how Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar weakened the agency and regulations to stay on top of the centre’s ease of doing business rankings.Basant reported on operational changes at BBC India – it’s metamorphosis into a new firm called Collective Newsroom that will be wholly owned by Indian citizens. He tells the panel why this had to happen to conform with Indian FDI rules. Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:19 - Haryana’s state pollution control board00:18:30 - Changes at BBC India00:27:27 - RecommendationsRecommendationsBasant The inevitable evisceration of Sansad TVAsthaGandhi's Assassin: The Making of Nathuram Godse and His Idea of IndiaTapasyaPrincess MononokeTanishkaMasks are still being worn by some individuals—but not for health reasonsProduced by Saif Ali Ekram, edited by Umrav Singh Gurjar, and recorded by Naresh Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s 300 episodes of Reporters Without Orders! So it’s a full house this week, with hosts Sumedha Mittal and Basant Kumar being joined by Newslaundry’s editor-in-chief Raman Kirpal and Newslaundry reporters Prateek Goyal, Shivnarayan Rajpurohit, Pratyush Deep and Avdhesh Kumar.The panel talks about the ups and downs of reporting, the challenges and the opportunities. Raman talks about how the field has changed over the decades, the ethical issues that crop up, and why it’s hard to be a good reporter today.Tune in!Produced by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar, and edited by Samarendra Kumar Dash. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Sumedha Mittal is joined by Newslaundry’s Shivnarayan Rajpurohit and Pratyush Deep.Shiv talks about the experience of reporting from Rajasthan on the assembly elections. He compares strategies used by the BJP and Congress to influence voters, from Gehlot’s welfarism plank to the BJP’s sprawling WhatsApp enterprise. Pratyush then explains his report on Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar – his controversies and his tussles with the AAP government. Pratyush says the AAP has a litany of woes against Kumar, though Kumar himself says these allegations are “false”.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:03 - Rajasthan assembly polls 00:22:22 - Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar00:36:11 - RecommendationsRecommendationsPratyushEditor Missing: The Media in Today's IndiaShivnarayanA thorn in Kejriwal’s side: The controversies of Chief Secretary Naresh KumarSumedhaFacing pressure in India, Netflix and Amazon back down on daring filmsProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, and recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Tanishka Sodhi is joined by Sukriti Vats from Land Conflict Watch and E Bhavani from The News Minute.Sukriti talks about her report on land acquisition in Jharkhand for coal mining, and how even 22 years on, many are running from pillar-to-post for land compensation. She discusses that bureaucratic incompetence and a tussle between the centre and the state have resulted in the displacement of nearly 87,000 people in Jharkhand since 1973.Bhavani delves into her report on Dalit-centred schemes introduced by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, and their poor implementation which might work against him in the assembly polls. She talks about the political undercurrent among the Dalit activists of the state.  Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:05:05 - KCR’s unfulfilled promises00:13:53 - Land acquisition in Jharkhand00:29:52 - RecommendationsRecommendationsSukritiThe Fall of the House of UsherBhavaniA movie on Razakars’ violent history in BJP's arsenal for TelanganaTanishkaWhy Mumbai’s shoeshine workers are fighting the railways in courtProduced by Saif Ali Ekram, edited by Umrav Singh Gurjar, and recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Anmol Pritam is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar and The Mooknayak’s Satya Prakash Bharti and Ankit Pachauri.Satya talks about his report on women collecting oil left over in lakhs of lamps lit in Ayodhya by the UP government on Diwali to “make a Guinness World Record”. He says at least over 30,000 litres of oil were left at the site, which many marginalised women were collecting to use for cooking and other household chores.Basant shares his experience of reporting from Chhattisgarh. He sheds light on the BJP’s purported communal experiment to make its way into the state. In Saja constituency, the party fielded a labourer who lost his son in a communal clash against a seven-time Congress MLA.Meanwhile, Ankit delves into his report on Adivasis living in remote areas of Madhya Pradesh. He says incidents of malnutrition are rising among tribals as government schemes are not working on the ground. He also highlights the lack of other basic necessities such as water, roads, and electricity in tribal villages.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:03:08 - Diyas in Ayodhya00:10:04 - Chattisgarh Politics00:13:30 - Adivasis in MP00:35:58 - RecommendationsRecommendationsBasantNo power, roads in villages of MP rural minister’s constituency despite ‘Rs 22,000 cr’ spendingDear ZindagiAnkitJeevan Mein SamvidhanAnmolHow to Become a TyrantProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, and recorded by Naresh Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Sumedha Mittal is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar, Tanishka Sodhi and Anmol Pritam.Basant and Tanishka were reporting on the assembly elections scheduled in Chhattisgarh and Mizoram, respectively. Basant explains what farmers want in the state and their issues with paddy prices. Tanishka says Mizoram is not quite like any other election state, with parties having an intriguing set of “dos and don’ts” that they follow.Anmol then talks about that old bugbear at this time of year – Delhi’s worsening air and how it impacts residents.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:00:38 - Chhattisgarh election00:10:08 - Mizoram election00:30:45 - Air pollution in Delhi00:39:36 - RecommendationsRecommendationsTanishka SodhiYellowfaceAnmol PritamBreaking BadThe Trial of the Chicago 7Sumedha MittalAir pollution raises risk of type 2 diabetes, says landmark Indian studyProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Gurmehar Kaur is joined by Newslaundry’s Shivnarayan Rajpurohit and Dainik Bhaskar’s Vaibhav Palnitkar.Vaibhav talks about his experience and challenges of reporting from ground zero on the Israel-Palestine fighting. He also sheds light on the Humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region.Shivnarayan revisits his reportage from violence-torn Manipur. He delves into the state and central government’s handling of the conflict, and how some people ran propaganda amid the violence.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:00:48 - Israel-Palestine War00:11:11 - Manipur Conflict00:46:00 - RecommendationsRecommendationsVaibhavAspirantsShivnarayanUnacademy, Chahal Academy, IQRA IAS: The 18 IAS coaching institutes under consumer watchdog’s glareGurmeharThe Girl Who Kept Falling In LoveProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, and recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Tanishka Sodhi is joined by Newslaundry’s Sumedha Mittal and Pratyush Deep.Sumedha talks about her report on the Modi government’s crackdown on NGOs by cancelling their FCRA licences. She explains how foreign funds are a lifeline for the sector, and how they’re now struggling. Pratyush reported on the cash-for-query allegations against TMC MP Mahua Moitra. He breaks down the questions Moitra asked in Parliament and how many of them were about the Adani Group. Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:23 - FCRA00:12:50 - Mahua Moitra00:31:57 - RecommendationsRecommendationsPratyushThe Running NovelistSumedhaListening to Taylor Swift in PrisonTanishkaKhufiyaProduced by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil 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 Sumedha Mittal and Shivnarayan Rajpurohit.Sumedha talks about her report on the I-T department revoking the tax exemption status of four NGOs. She explains how there’s an Adani connection to these events too.Shiv reported on the appointment of a retired army official to the Rajasthan Public Service Commission, which sparked resentment among Jats, the state’s largest community. He explains how Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has found himself in a political crossfire.   Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:00:41 - Tax exemption of NGOs00:04:48 - Kesari Singh Rathore00:32:20 - RecommendationsRecommendationsSumedhaFlying too high: Chasing CM dreams, has Sachin Pilot lost support on the ground?ShivnarayanWe Also Make Policy : An Insider's Account of How the Finance Ministry FunctionsGurmeharVoices of the Nakba: A Living History of PalestineProduced by Saif Ali Ekram, edited by Samarendra Kumar Dash and recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Shreegireesh Jalihal of The Reporters’ Collective and Avdhesh Kumar of Newslaundry.Shreegireesh talks about his latest investigation on the union coal ministry over-riding the environment ministry and its experts to allow mining activities in the country’s densest forest areas. He also delves into the operations of the mining lobby in India. Avdhesh discusses the police action on a Madhya Pradesh journalist after he reported on a viral video featuring a BJP minister. The reporter was named in 11 FIRs within four days, and was subsequently arrested.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:02:30 - Union Coal ministry opens up mining in dense forest areas00:23:40 - Madhya pradesh journalist faces 11 FIRs and his eventual arrest00:40:45 - RecommendationsRecommendationsShreegirishInfinite JestCoal Reformes UnderminedAvdheshLove Kills: Shabnam aur Saleem - Amroha Hatyakand My Daughter Joined A CultBasantThe Trap: India’s Dedliest ScamFraud, intimidation, suicide: BBC documentary exposes the murky world of Chinese loan apps Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.