NL Hafta

Timecodes00:00 - Introduction and headlines08:50 - Biden’s win in the US presidential election42:04 - Arnab’s Goswami’s arrest and bail, and freedom of speech01:10:08 - Subscriber letters01:41:42 - RecommendationsThis week on NL Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Jayashree Arunachalam, and Anand Vardhan are joined by Joanna Slater, the India bureau chief of the Washington Post.Starting off with the US presidential election and Trump’s pushback against Biden winning, Joanna says there is “no sign whatsoever of any irregularities large enough to change this result”. Anand thinks the “split in political America is quite evident, and it will have a bearing on the next four years”. On the Bihar election results, Abhinandan talks about the possibility of caste being a “primary voting decision-making metric”, and Anand explains that the “consolidations in this election have been between two rival social coalitions”. Jayashree says, “It was interesting that an overwhelming number of women voted for the NDA.” She also thinks the media needs to “change its approach to election coverage”. Abhinandan then brings up press freedom and asks Joanna if we need to relook at freedom of speech. Joanna talks about the First Amendment in the US. On Arnab Goswami getting bail, she adds that was “surprised” when she saw the visuals of him being released from jail. Jayashree says it was a very “political” visual, and emphasises that in this particular incident, “he wasn’t targeted for his reporting or press freedom”. She adds that the law shows a “double standard” and that bail should be the norm. Abhinandan says, “The crowd that came for Arnab cannot be done without the backing of a large political party.” Anand says Goswami has branded himself as “part journalist, part showman, and part performer”. The discussion also spans political and religious conditioning, defining terrorism, what “abetment to suicide” means from a legal point of view, and a lot more.Tune in!Recommendations JoannaCrash Landing On YouJayashreeSoorarai PottruCollisionThe Last OneAnandBihar: A referendum on Nitish KumarHow Nitish Kumar returned to powerAbhinandanHacking the Perfect Auction Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Timestamps03:16 - Headlines05:31 - Bihar election40:48 - Arnab Goswami arrested by Mumbai police01:03:56 - France and Vienna attacks01:04:48 - Subscriber mails 01:06:16 - France And Vienna attacks01:10:17 - Recommendations01:11:13 - Subscriber mails 01:12:46 - France and Vienna attacks01:35:43 - Subscriber mails01:57:39 - US presidential election02:00:48 - RecommendationsThis week on NL Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, and Mehraj Lone are joined by Arfa Khanum, senior editor at the Wire.Starting off with the Bihar Assembly election, Arfa talks about Tejashwi Yadav’s “baggage”, being the son of Lalu Prasad Yadav. Manisha says Bihar was no “paradise” under Lalu, and Mehraj agrees. The panel discusses the coverage and optics of leaders from both marginalised and dominant communities.On the arrest of Republic’s Arnab Goswami, Abhinandan says the “overpowering support” Goswami received from politicians is a first. Mehraj says the case has been made into a freedom of the press issue, instead of a criminal case. The police has been a “tool of politics”, Manisha says, but it’s not a question of press freedom. “Arnab is a politician, not a journalist,” Arfa says.On the attacks in France and Vienna after a French schoolteacher was beheaded for showing his students cartoons of Prophet Mohammad, Arfa calls it a “complex issue”. Discussing notions of xenophobia, Mehraj says France’s laws are “vague”. Abhinandan says, “The real-life consequences of lives being lost in the name of religion need to be considered.”Manisha points out the historical distaste for religion that’s part of France’s culture. Discussing the politics of terrorism, Abhinandan brings out the nuances of situational violence, and says the focus should be on “assimilation”, since religion becomes a “comfort zone”.The discussion also spans the US presidential election, Glenn Greenwald leaving the Intercept, the Sushant Singh Rajput case, and a lot more. Tune in!Recommendations ArfaA Suitable BoyMehrajNew Land Laws Put All of Kashmir up for Sale — by Muzamil JaleelThe Erasure of Mesut ÖzilManishaScam 1992 – The Harshad Mehta StoryHow the Pawar’s Sakal Media and Pune police have been harassing Newslaundry reporterWas Harshad Mehta the mastermind or fall guy of securities scam? A bit of bothAbhinandanHow the Pawar’s Sakal Media and Pune police have been harassing Newslaundry reporterIn defence of liberty: It is time to stand up for individual freedoms, against all challengers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction and headlines10:09 - The shooting at Munger and Bihar's election dynamics33:02 - Subscriber letters41:54 - The pope's statement on same-sex civil unions45:55 - College student’s murder in Faridabad, media coverage58:47 - Subscriber letters01:01:49 - The 2+2 meet, Indian-Americans’ influence on the US election01:06:57 - Controversial ABVP leader appointed to AIIMS Madurai board 01:13:11 - Subscriber letters01:29:17 - France's culture of mockery and its relationship with the Islamic world01:46:25 - Subscriber letters01:48:16 - RecommendationsThis week on NL Hafta, it’s an all-Newslaundry panel of Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal, Jayashree Arunachalam and Anand Vardhan.The discussion kicks off with how Covid hasn’t affected voter turnout in the Bihar Assembly election. Anand doesn’t think the turnout of 54.26 percent is “significantly higher” than the past but it’s good enough, given the apprehension that the pandemic would discourage voting. “Far from discouraging voters, it encouraged more to come out,” he says.Talking about Tejashwi Yadav’s electoral campaign, Anand says, “He recognises that the argument of Nitish’s government being corrupt...will not cut any ice after some time. So, he’s trying to infuse political freshness by showing himself as the face of development.” (Note: Abhinandan accidentally refers to Tejashwi Yadav as Tejasvi Surya.)In the context of a student being killed outside her college in Faridabad, Abhinandan brings up the kind of news that makes headlines. He says that since this crime was caught on camera, it led to it going viral on social media. Jayashree comments on the “love jihad” angle, saying: “Whenever a Muslim is involved in a crime, it turns communal...The right-wing ecosystem seizes the opportunity...It also appeals to the Islamophobia in the country, as the villain is a Muslim.”Moving on to developments in France after a schoolteacher was beheaded, Manisha says there are many nuances to what happened. While Abhinandan points out that criticising Islam is not Islamophobia, Manisha explains the power imbalance between the Muslim population and the white population in France. “In a racially divided society like France, the (Arab) population is already alienated and will feel more alienated.” On the other hand, she adds, there’s a long history of satire in France that also needs to be taken into account. The panel also discusses the 2+2 India-US meet, Pope Francis on same-sex civil unions, and a lot more. Listen up!Help us understand what you like, or dislike, about NL Hafta before it goes behind the paywall again. Take the survey here. Recommendations RamanBasant Kumar’s Bihar reports on Newslaundry Arrest in Bhima Koregaon CaseA Suitable BoyAnandPost Mandal Politics in Bihar Social coalitions in Bihar - Part 1 and Part 2Preparing: For DeathJayashreeFat. So?1619Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta storyManishaCharlie Hebdo Is Heir to the French Tradition of Religious MockeryAbhinandanWho Gets To Vote In Florida?I Agree with Mohammad Ahmed SB Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Help us understand what you like, or dislike, about NL Hafta before it goes behind the paywall again. Take the survey here. This week on NL Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal and Mehraj D Lone are joined by independent journalist Rohini Mohan.The panelists discuss Zee News refusing to reveal its sources to the Delhi High Court with regard to its reporting on the Delhi riots. Abhinandan asks if it’s time to revisit long-established traditions like freedom of speech. Manisha believes that “revealing sources by one TV channel in court can set a precedent, which can be used against other journalists going forward”.On the changing nature of federalism in India, which is one of the reasons for the BJP’s failure in some southern states, Rohini says: “Whether it’s a BJP-ruled state or not, there’s a growing sense of the Centre overstepping its functions — GST being the great betrayal.” Raman agrees, saying that through bodies like the CBI and the ED, the Centre’s intervention into state affairs has become more blatant. In the context of states rebelling against the Centre, such as Punjab passing ordinances challenging the former’s agriculture laws, Mehraj talks about the situation in Kashmir. Explaining the recent crackdown on Omar Abdullah in a money laundering case, he says, “They [the Centre] will not allow even a little voice against them.” Opposition parties have now been pushed to the fringe, he says, their power slowly being shifted towards newly installed local leaders. This and a lot more, so listen up!Timecodes09:49 - Headlines16:40 - Bombay High Court pulls up Republic for media trial in SSR case18:18 - Delhi High Court asks Zee to reveal its sources37:46 - Subscriber mails54:40 - Punjab moves resolution against farm laws, Maharashtra withdraws consent to CBI01:07:52 - Subscriber mails01:11:39 - J&K parties' alliance For Article 370 01:17:09 - Subscriber mails01:30:39 - Shooting of protesters in Nigeria01:34:34 - Subscriber mails01:42:38 - RecommendationsRecommendations RohiniThe most powerful currency todayRamanMy days in prison by Iftikhar GilaniBahut Hua SammaanMehrajStalking the StoryManishaWhen brands collide against hateThe Trial of the Chicago 7Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Nigeria Is Murdering Its CitizensThailand anti-govt protests: the issues, and what’s different this timeAbhinandanCaste Arrives In Silicon Valley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Help us understand what you like, or dislike, about NL Hafta before it goes behind the paywall again. Take the survey here. This week on NL Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal, and Jayashree Arunachalam are joined by journalist Sudipto Mondal.The conversation kicks off with the panelists discussing the Hyderabad floods. Jayashree talks about how flooding is often an annual problem in some states but it’s never solved because this isn’t a “sexy” issue.Moving on to the TRP scam, Abhinandan says he’s “never seen media reporting about the media so much ever.” On how journalists have come together to condemn Republic, Sudipto questions the credibility of these journalists, asking: “Where did straightforward journalism go?”The discussion shifts to advertisers choosing not to support “toxic” news channels and the backlash to the Tanishq ad. Manisha talks about how, in some cases, it’s the media that “creates” this outrage, and explains her issues with the phrase “social media outrage”. Jayashree and Manisha also think that Tanishq withdrawing the ad denies the reality of mixed families. “What kind of message is this for young interfaith couples?” Manisha asks.On Bollywood producers acting against some news channels for irresponsible reporting, Abhinandan thinks the “pushback is needed”. The panel also talks about the Shiv Sena contesting the Assembly election in Bihar, the Maharashtra governor’s letter to Uddhav Thackeray, and a lot more.Listen up!Timecodes02:59 - Headlines08:19 - Hyderabad floods16:56 - Subscriber mails29:33 - TRP scam48:13 - Bollywood producers vs news channels, Tanishq ad 01:05:23 - Maharashtra governor's letter to Uddhav Thackeray01:07:38 - Subscriber mails01:16:49 - Farooq Abdullah on restoration of Article 37001:26:57 - Subscriber mails01:30:40 - Shiv Sena contesting the election in Bihar01:36:23 - Recommendations Recommendations SudiptoBad Boy BillionairesRamanMixed race not only lives but thrives. Withdrawing Tanishq ad means denying our realitySerious MenStalking LauraJayashreeHow an IPS officer is changing the fortunes of students from marginalised communities in TelanganaAt home, at schoolManishaAn Arrest in Canada Casts a Shadow on a New York Times Star, and The TimesCaliphate, the 1619 Project, the Times, and the culturePodcast: Rukmini Callimachi on covering ISISMixed race not only lives but thrives. Withdrawing Tanishq ad means denying our realityAbhinandanStephen Sackur Hardtalk - Reverend Rob Schenck - Evangelical Minister Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on NL Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Anand Vardhan, and Jayashree Arunachalam are joined by Kiruba Munusamy, Supreme Court advocate and activist. The conversation kicks off with Kiruba explaining the project she’s working on now, researching caste. She points out how a series of Supreme Court judgements, including as recent as 2018, dealt with cases of violence against Dalits by deciding against the Dalit community and the victims.Abhinandan asks whether the high occurrence of caste-based violence in Tamil Nadu is a reflection of the failure of Periyar’s movement. Kiruba says: “I wouldn’t say it’s a failure of the Periyar movement or the failure of a Dalit movement. I think we should say it is a failure of humanity in India. It is a failure of upper caste humankind...and that’s why these incidents happened. And Periyar didn’t have a magic wand with which he could turn the entire society without caste..."Jayashree talks about the media’s coverage of issues of violence against Dalits. She and Kiruba also discuss the 2021 Assembly election in Tamil Nadu, and the BJP’s chances. Moving on to the upcoming Bihar Assembly election, Anand analyses Bihar’s political history in the context of caste. As Manisha explains developments in the Hathras case and reportage around it, the panel discusses caste blindness in the media. They also talk about the recent Supreme Court judgement on Shaheen Bagh, and a lot more.Listen up!Timecodes 00:00 - Introduction and headlines04:50 - Caste dynamics in India29:55 - Caste and the media in the Hathras case43:26 - Subscriber letters55:25 - Hathras case, party dynamics in the Bihar state election01:05:22 - Tamil Nadu politics01:18:21 - Subscriber letters01:29:37 - Supreme Court on Shaheen Bagh 01:50:52 - Subscriber letters01:57:27 - RecommendationsRecommendations KirubaCastes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis and DevelopmentDemarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex by Kimberlé CrenshawWhen They See UsAnandBattle for Bihar by Arun SinhaThe Republic Of Bihar by Arvind N DasJayashreeStation Eleven by Emily St John Mandel Inside the airline industry's meltdownManishaHathras girl wasn’t raped, UP police say. Wasn’t she?The Seen And The Unseen Ep 166: Nanak Was HereHow to Protect Your Happiness This Election SeasonAbhinandanRethinking Black WealthSpecial report: A silent crackdown sweeps through Delhi in the guise of probing riots conspiracy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on NL Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Mehraj D Lone, and Raman Kirpal are joined by Nisha Susan, journalist, author and founder of The Ladies Finger.The conversation begins with the Hathras rape. Manisha details the suffering of the victim’s family at the hands of the authorities, especially the police’s forced cremation of the body. The panel agrees that this would not have happened so unceremoniously had the victim belonged to an upper caste. Abhinandan and Nisha compare this with the story of Bhagat Singh, where the authorities had been scared to return his body to his family for fear of backlash.Raman points out that the victim had been shifted in and out of three hospitals while in critical condition, which might have caused her health to deteriorate. The panel analyses alarming statistics on how four or five Dalit women are raped every day.On the Supreme Court’s acquittal of all the accused in the Babri Masjid demolition, Raman says he’s unsurprised. “Any case that has dragged on for 28 years is anyway dead,” he says. He adds that he had been present at the site in 1992, and that the demolition was a “conspiracy”. Mehraj emphasises the lack of political accountability in India since 1947, noting that evidence collected by the Liberhan Commission was not taken into consideration in the verdict. Moving on to the US presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, and the former’s critical comments on India, Abhinandan points out that Trump is not India’s ally. He’s also shocked over Trump’s refusal to condemn white supremacists. Mehraj says the American public does not vote according to leaders’ stances on key social issues and debates, as evidenced from the last election.All this and more, only on NL Hafta.Timecodes 1:19:03  - Headlines and introduction7:45:13 - Hathras rape case32:41:16 - Babri Masjid demolition verdict38:27:21 - Subscriber letters48:42:02 - Nisha’s recommendations50:22:12 - Babri Masjid demolition verdict1:08:31:24 - Subscriber letters1:43:01:20 - US presidential elections debate1:46:07:10 - RecommendationsRecommendations NishaThe Gypsy GoddessMorality TV and The Loving JehadThe Women Who Forgot to Invent Facebook and Other StoriesRaman‘Our fault is that she was Dalit’: In Hathras, a forced cremation, a media circus, and a life of humiliation‘Help us get justice, please’: Dalit girl assaulted in UP’s Hathras succumbsMy crippled testimonyMehrajThe Disruption Con The Discreet Charms of the Savarnas‘Help us get justice, please’: Dalit girl assaulted in UP’s Hathras succumbsManishaबाबरी विध्वंस के 25 सालMeticulously planned, Uma Bharti took onus: Justice Liberhan on Babri Masjid demolitionA Dalit Goes to Court Abhinandan‘Our fault is that she was Dalit’: In Hathras, a forced cremation, a media circus, and a life of humiliation‘Help us get justice, please’: Dalit girl assaulted in UP’s Hathras succumbs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on NL Hafta, the usual team of Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal and Anand Vardhan are joined by Newslaundry’s Jayashree Arunachalam and author Chetan Bhagat.The discussion starts off with the economic slowdown in India. Chetan says, “India attempted one of the strictest lockdowns. It’s expected that we will also have the biggest contraction.” He points out that fiscal measures are needed to distribute wealth while also liberalising the economy for businesses with moves that are more than just media headlines. It needs to be globally noticeable, he adds.The panel moves on to discussing the current state of the media in India, given the ongoing “SSR frenzy”. The Indian audience’s obsession with entertainment, even while watching the news, is what Chetan believes is driving the media to focus on sensationalism. On the media in Tamil Nadu, Jayashree believes it’s an “outlier” compared to Delhi media, and Anand makes the same point with regional media outlets, print or otherwise. In both Tamil Nadu and Bihar, the media has been focusing on local issues and news. The Sushant Singh Rajput case is just a headline, not a subject of obsession.The conversation shifts to the farm bills, which are a bone of contention for the governing BJP and the Opposition. Manisha says the bills were passed without much debate, based only on a voice vote. In this context, Abhinandan describes how a contract farming policy was enacted in Mexico: “What ended up happening in Mexico was that it was not the produce for the sake of food that determined the contracts, but how the market responded. This destroyed the Mexico farming communities.”Chetan, for the most part, agrees with the intention of the bills of giving more options to farmers, but cites his “three core issues” regarding the bills’ execution, the power imbalance, and conflict of interest.This and more, only on this week’s Hafta. Tune in!Timecodes 07:28 - How media is covering issues in India25:30 - Covid and India's economic recovery28:58 - Fight between TV journalists34:20 - Subscriber letters and the panel's views on India's education system49:55 - The passing of the farm bills and how they will affects farmers01:10:23 - Bollywood and drugs01:31:44 - Subscriber letters01:53:11 - RecommendationsRecommendationsChetan The Social Dilemma - NetflixDolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare - NetflixJayashree Patriot - Prime Video The Hidden Costs of Streaming MusicAnand Gandhi's Hinduism: The Struggle Against Jinnah's IslamRaman Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare - Netflix Reham Khan by Reham Khan Vikings - NetflixManisha My Friend Umar Khalid: Remembering Love When Bombarded With HateWhy Farmers Are Protesting Against Laws Which Will ‘Supposedly’ Help ThemAbhinandan After The Plague: Planet Moneyएनएल इंटरव्यू: 'मैं अक्सर देखता हूं हिंदुस्तान के न्यूज़ चैनलों को, और फिर सोचता हूं...' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on NL Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri and Raman Kirpal are joined by Abantika Ghosh, journalist with ThePrint and Revati Laul, an independent journalist and author of The Anatomy of Hate.The discussion begins with the current situation of Covid-19 in India—from the sero surveys to the possibility of a vaccine in a few months and if it will even be reliable. Abantika pointing towards the failure of the lockdown says,“The claim that lockdown saved lives is not accurate.” The panel talks about people’s growing negligence towards the pandemic. Revati talks about the Covid situation in her neighbourhood stressing on the low number of tests. The panel then moves on to Sudarshan TV’s problematic show, ‘UPSC Jihad.’ They discuss the Supreme Court’s intervention in the matter and the reasons why hate-ridden shows are not censored by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and National Broadcasters Association. The panel, highlighting how an atmosphere of hate has been created over the last few years, also explains how this is just not a media-related issue. Revati weighs in saying, “We have to agree that hate is the most contagious thing and it is much easier for the media to sell hate.”The conversation finally switches to the arrest of Umar Khalid and the 17,000-page chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police in the Delhi riots case. Raman believes the police have already “built a narrative” and it is on the basis of this very conspiracy theory that they are investigating the Delhi riots.  All this and more, only on this week’s NL Hafta. Tune in!Timecodes 00:00 - Introduction and headlines09:06 - Mishandling of Covid data and vaccine skepticism26:01 - Subscriber letters30:28 - Suresh Chavhanke's bigoted show, media regulation, and politics of hate59:49 - Subscriber Letters01:03:54 - Umar Khalid's arrest and the 17,000 page Delhi riots chargesheet01:12:54 - Subscriber letters01:22:46 - RecommendationsRecommendationsAbantika GhoshFactfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You ThinkRevati LaulIndia in the Persianate AgeRaman KirpalThe Social Dilemma Abhinandan SekhriWaste LandNearly seven months after Delhi violence, a continuing attempt to target dissenting voices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on NL Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Anand Vardhan, Manisha Pande, and Raman Kirpal are joined by M. K. Venu, founding editor of The Wire to discuss the recession, the state of the media, and everything that happened this week.The panel discusses and debates the possible paths of India’s economic recovery, whether the government’s approach to the lockdown made things worse, and why India has experienced greater negative impacts due to the coronavirus than other global economic powerhouses. Venu gives insight into the predicaments of the Indian worker, and says, “In India, we claim to be socialist, but we are the harshest capitalist state that can ever be.”Venu also weighs in on the “sensationalist end of broadcast media,” The Wire’s approach to journalism, and how the distribution of corporate spending on advertising is changing rapidly. They also discuss the paradigm shift in which news organisations influence, and which ones are influenced. On the prevailing respectability of the print media, Anand observes, “You don’t see people saying, ‘Ye maine iss channel pe dekha tha’ with the confidence with which they cite the printed word.”The panel also discusses a possible future constitutional crisis arising from the Central and Maharashtra governments’ uses of state machinery for personal gain, lawfully or unlawfully, in the Sushant Singh Rajput-Rhea Chakraborty-Kangana Ranaut case.Also on this edition of NL Hafta: the significance of the bad-faith allegations against Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, the imprudent Republic reporters, and highlights from the run-up to the upcoming elections in Bihar.All this and more, only on this week’s NL Hafta. Tune in!Timecodes00:00 - Introduction & Headlines05:41 - Economy of India & Negative GDP Growth35:39 - Print Vs TV News Media55:09 - Subscribers Mails1:05:36 - Subscribers Mails1:10:49 - Kangana Ranaut’s office demolition and destroying institutions1:28:39 -  Role of Media in India1:39:57 -  Subscriber Mails1:46:55 - Bihar Elections1:49:35 -  RecommendationsRecommendationsM. K. VenuLaunching vicious campaign against judges in the event of an adverse verdict threatens judiciary’s independence Raman Kirpal‘It’s not a newsroom, it’s a durbar’: Inside the Republic of Arnab GoswamiInside the online cult of #JusticeforSSRThe Modi regime couldn’t capture PTI, so it launched PBNS. How is the enterprise going?India’s 49 million Covid tests hide more than they revealManisha Pande‘It’s not a newsroom, it’s a durbar’: Inside the Republic of Arnab GoswamiWhat the moral lessons for journalists quitting Republic TV miss outInside the online cult of #JusticeforSSRJournalists Aren’t the Enemy of the People. But We’re Not Your Friends.Anand VardhanThe India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain WorldAbhinandan SekhriPlanet Money podcast episode: The Murderer, The Boy King, And The Invention Of Modern Finance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.