NL Hafta

On this podcast of Reporters Without Orders, The Caravan's Nikita Saxena joins the panel to discuss her recent articles on special CBI judge Loya's death. The panel also discusses Member of Parliament Rajeev Chandrasekhar-owned Asianet News and the change in its 'posturing' over time.Amit Bhardwaj, who is currently in Karnataka covering the upcoming state elections, joins the panel over the phone to talk about RSS' Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, who is a key player in BJP's Karnataka election campaign. You can read Amit's detailed story on Bhat here.Amit also makes an observation about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) role in Karnataka. He says, RSS is furiously campaigning for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), something unlike before. He adds that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign rally in Karnataka can severely impact Congress’ vote share despite the governing party's edge in the state.Rohin asks Amit if the remarks, circulating on social media, made by Prakash Raj, a popular, South Indian film actor, will have an effect on the voters’ choice. According to Amit, Prakash Raj has been able to galvanise only anti-BJP vote bank. He says, “Prakash Raj’s comments may reinforce the beliefs of an anti-BJP voter but will not affect neutral and BJP voter”.Cherry asks our guest panellist Nikita about the challenges she faced while following-up on judge Loya's death. Nikita explains how she investigated the case and gives a detailed breakdown of the events that lead to revelations indicating a foul play in the case. She says, "Here a judge has died. And he was staying at the guest house at that time, as we are told. And none of them find out, that’s very strange, none of them seemed to know what had happened with his belongings for example…” She adds, “Why the reception was not called?!...Why it was thought that it was a better idea to wait for two judges to come to the guest house and then take him to the hospital which I assume is going to lead to a lot of loss in time is something that was not clear at all.”To that, Rohin adds that a recent viral image which showed an auto rickshaw with “who killed Loya?” written on it, is a positive sign in the view of public perception. It suggests that the important, controversial issue had seeped into the otherwise obscure segment of the audience, especially the ‘hindi belt’, he says.Rohin talks about the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) controversy where installation of a photograph of Muhammad Ali Jinnah has sparked a row. Apparently, the photograph has been hanging there since 1938. Rohin also points out that several facts have been left out by the media while reporting on the issue. He adds that the matter of the ‘security breach’ of former Vice President Hamid Ali Ansari, who was present on the campus when the protesters created a ruckus, found less space in the media.Rohin also talks about the VK Dikshit committee report on the Banaras Hindu University controversy that happened in September 2017. “The BHU chief proctor said to the media that the protesters were sponsored in exchange for pizza and pepsi," says Rohin.Nikita examines the editorial stance of Asianet News. She speaks about the changes in the channel since Rajeev Chandrasekhar took over. Asked if the channel has been able to change its 'anti-RSS- stance, she says, "The opinion seemed a little divided but it seemed to me that it had been fractured enough for people to start having some misgivings.”Citing a previous Newslaundry report, Cherry adds, "Their new website that’s coming up will be positioned as a Centre-right news property and it will counter the left narrative." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Awful and Awesome this week, we bring to you from the archives Abhinandan in conversation with Sabrina Dhawan, who has written Monsoon Wedding, co-written Kaminey, Ishqiya and Rangoon and been a consultant for Haider. She also teaches screenwriting at New York University. The movie Monsoon Wedding shot her to stardom at a very young age in her career.They talk about the factors that make a film successful, what works and what does not.Films like Kaminey and Ishqiya did well at the box office while Rangoon didn't. Abhinandan questions what could be the reason behind a film's fall and success. Sabrina says: "Unlike writing a book, a film is an intensely collaborative medium. So the writing is one part of it. Even the directing is one part of it. Any one element can sink a film. Eventually, it is a good story that is well told. Because you can have a good idea but if it isn't well told, then that doesn't work. That said, even a great script is not director-proof, it's not casting-proof."Furthermore, she says it is a "miracle" if a movie does well because that means everything came together. Talking about the screenwriting course that she teaches at New York University, she discusses how screenwriting is a "craft" similar to carpentry or plumbing. She acknowledges that one needs to have stories to tell, nobody can teach you that. "What I am teaching them is how you actually craft your idea, a lot of it is also teaching them how to externalise or dramatise something because unlike a book, a script is a story told in pictures."Regarding Monsoon Wedding, she recalls the time when she pitched the idea to a bunch of executives. Her idea was appreciated but the executives felt the movie wouldn't be commercially viable. "But we made that film, super low-budget and it ended up finding audiences throughout the world. This taught me a really important lesson, that it's really important to write the story you want to write and write it as truthfully and authentically as possible,” she adds.Abhinandan asks about her challenges when she rewrote the script of Monsoon Wedding from film to theatre. Initially, she thought that since the film is a musical, it would only be a change in formatting because a film and play have different formats. "But it doesn't work like that at all. Going from screen to stage, the fact that you don't have a camera changes everything. You can't cut to location. Of course with sets and production like how many transitions and how do you transition, you can't just keep coming back to the location."Sabrina mentions her love for Zoya Akhtar’s film Luck By Chance. "I thought it was brave and incredibly compassionate. It had this great look and was very satirical and very dark. And the fact that it was made by someone who is an insider in that world and to look into the perspective of an outsider is incredible.” Other films lined up in her list of favourites are Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and Deewar.Tune into Awful and Awesome for more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s NL Hafta, a day that also happened to be World Press Freedom Day, Abhinandan Sekhri is joined by Madhu Trehan, Raman Kirpal, and Diksha Madhok, journalist and Digital Director of The Print. The panel was also joined by Newslaundry reporter Amit Bhardwaj who was on call from Mangalore to speak about the Karnataka elections.The panel gets together to discuss issues in the current Indian political system, like the upcoming polls, the state of the Indian judiciary, and more.Abhinandan begins with the subject of the young girl being disrobed on the street by eight youth in Bihar. On this, Madhu points out the dearth of detail in these reports because of lack of on-ground reporters.On the Karnataka elections, the panel discusses it’s coverage in the media, and the narrative adopted by the reports. Diksha opines that the narrative is being controlled. She says that ever since PM Narendra Modi has gone to Karnataka, “he has been trying to turn it from a (CM) Siddaramaiah versus Yeddyurappa battle to a Modi versus Rahul Gandhi battle”. She says “they are clearly trying to deflect attention from the Reddy brothers’ scam”.Amit weighs in, saying the narrative depends largely on which region of Karnataka is being spoken of - “no party whether BJP or Congress has been able to create a pan-Karnataka issue.” However, Madhu expresses doubts on Diksha’s opinion, saying “Modi has been able to avoid corruption, so why would they pick up the Reddy brothers?”As for Raman, he says “in Karnataka, there is an urban-rural divide… Reddys getting ready to fight is not going to affect BJP’s chances.”The panel also discusses exactly how independent or compromised the Supreme Court really is, with reference to Arun Shourie’s latest book Anita Gets Bail. Madhu praises the book: “Everything there is based on facts, on documents - none of it is conjecture.”Moving on to the scenario in AMU and the row over Jinnah’s picture, Abhinandan asks the panel to deliberate over whether or not it is at all an issue. “It is an international issue,” says Madhu, comparing the situation with the taking down of the Confederate statues in America and the statue of Queen Victoria which used to stand by India Gate. She calls it a “satirical art form” that could be laughed at.However, the issue cannot be classified as black or white, according to Abhinandan, and Diksha also points out that with instances like these, it becomes difficult to draw the line at what is acceptable and what isn't.On the Red Fort being “adopted” by the Dalmia Group and outsourcing maintenance of monuments to private parties, Diksha says, “India’s monuments are in a terrible shape right now… It won’t be a bad idea to try some private donors… not the first time this is happening in the world”.Madhu confirms the unfortunate condition of monuments and museums in the capital. Keeping in mind the other end of the spectrum of private firms’ goals - profit generation - Madhu says, “I don’t think national heritage places should be money-making enterprises… very few countries have what we have”.Raman talks about the DND flyover and how it became a money-minting project. Concurring with Madhu’s opinion, he asserts, “Final print is not yet clear; I am a little apprehensive”.Abhinandan acknowledges the “private sector by itself is not evil” but brings the conversation to a pondering note: “Why would someone want to do that (work towards benefit) from the goodness of their heart”? The panel then analyses the statements of Tripura CM Bilab Deb. Diksha refers to him as “a gift to the headliners”. Raman says: “We should certainly tell him he’s a foolish man and whatever he is speaking is garbage… he has to be fixed up.”Madhu confirms that Deb’s suggestions to people to rear livestock and set up paan-shops serves the government’s ulterior motive of promoting entrepreneurship. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

कर्नाटक चुनाव, प्रेस फ्रीडम में खिसकता भारत, बिहार के जहानाबाद में लड़की से छेड़छाड़ की घटना, अलीगढ़ मुस्लिम यूनिवर्सिटी में जिन्ना की तस्वीर पर विवाद, न्यूज़ 18 के एंकर सुमित अवस्थी का पैनलिस्ट पर हाथ चलाना रहे इस हफ्ते न्यूज़लॉन्ड्री चर्चा के मुख्य विषय.चर्चा के विशिष्ट थे इंडिया न्यूज़ के डिप्टी एडिटर सुशांत सिन्हा और न्यूज़लॉन्ड्री के ओपिनियन राइटर आनंद वर्धन. कर्नाटक से फोन लाइन पर जुड़े न्यूज़लॉन्ड्री के संवाददाता अमित भारद्वाज. चर्चा का संचालन किया न्यूज़लॉन्ड्री के कार्यकारी संपादक अतुल चौरसिया ने. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Just Sports, Samar Khan and Rahul Puri discuss the impending 2018 UEFA Champions League final and the IPL.The duo starts off by talking about Liverpool’s unexpected ascent to the finals. Samar disagrees with the general opinion on how Liverpool got there - “I don’t think it was a favourable draw…. they played good football. You don’t reach the finals because you’re lucky, you reach the finals because you deserve to.”Although Rahul admits Liverpool had a relatively easier group this time, he says, “There are no pushovers in the Champions League anymore.”They go on to discuss what changed about the Liverpool team this year, both asserting that with the average age of the team being 18, the younger crowd has definitely had an effect on the performance of the team as a whole.“Liverpool is building up to an elite force in Europe,” says Rahul, when discussing that Liverpool does certainly stand a chance against Real Madrid after having emerged from being the underdogs in the League.They end by both agreeing it will be a defensive final, while also lamenting the sorry state of refereeing in world football.Moving on to the IPL, Samar begins on a sceptical note - “the big bucks have always been kind of a curse to people in the IPL,” and they both agree that big money does not necessarily guarantee good results.” They go on to try and decipher why the cricketers who are being paid enormous amounts are the ones who are not performing well on the field - like Ben Stokes on the Rajasthan team “who doesn’t look like he has any confidence,” says Rahul. They also appreciate Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant for their exceptional performance.The conversation moves forward as Samar and Rahul both express their confusion over why the Indian Board has set the ultimatum of a year-and-a-half before they start playing day and night cricket - to which the Australian Board has written back saying the Indian team is afraid that the night-time conditions won’t be favourable for their players.Samar brings the discussion to a close by calling out the Indian Board on its ignorance, “Indian Board has always tried to be the bully.”As for the Champions League, Samar admits he expected a “fairytale send-off” for Wenger, and while that is true, Rahul opines “it was a fair reflection of where Arsenal are - good but not great.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this podcast of Reporters Without Orders, we have a guest joining the panel. A reporter from Catch News, Priyata Brajabasi, joins the team to discuss recent remarks made by BJP leaders, fake news conviction in Malaysia, 2018 World Press Freedom Index and more.Cherry discusses the comments made by Biplab Deb, chief minister of Tripura, who was recently summoned by Modi for making controversial remarks. She also talks about the comments made by Kavinder Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir's deputy chief minister, who called the Kathua rape a “minor” accident. The media coverage given to insensitive and unsubstantiated remarks made by political leaders shouldn't be aired as much, she says. "While it is important to call them out, the media should abstain from giving them so much attention," Cherry adds.Priyata and Abhinandan agree that the media does serve as a platform for such leaders to draw the limelight, but Abhinandan adds: "I also understand the importance of a chief minister or deputy chief minister, their utterances kind of suggest or convey how their administrations will move or treat certain issues of governance."Furthermore, Cherry adds that it's a journalist's job to give context and background of a story. She points out that the 'fake news' conviction in Malaysia should have got more coverage. On April 30, a Malaysian court convicted a Danish citizen for inaccurate criticism of the police. The 46-year-old was the first person to be prosecuted under Malaysia's recent 'fake news' law.“In India, we are talking about internet regulations, so if these regulations are going to be used to crack the whip on people who criticise the police then it's problematic," says Cherry.Talking about Biplab’s comments, Rohin points out that, according to a source, whatever Biplab is saying is being told to him. "I don't think we should be shocked because when Modi, at a science conference, said Ganesh's trunk was a result of cosmetic surgery, then we shouldn't take ‘internet in Mahabharata times’ seriously," he says.Regarding media coverage, Rohin feels that Tripura is getting coverage because of Biplab’s comments. “Otherwise there is hardly any ground reporting of Tripura in mainstream media,” he adds.Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released the 2018 World Press Freedom Index with India slipping to the 138th position. As per RSF’s observation, Rohin reads: “Ever since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, Hindu fundamentalists have been referring to journalists in extremely violent terms. Any investigative reporting that annoys the ruling party or any criticism of Hindutva elicits a torrent of online insults and calls for the death of the reporter or writer responsible, most of it coming from the prime minister’s troll army.”Referring to the murder case of Ankit Saxena, who was in love with a Muslim girl, Rohin points out a new development that should have got media coverage - his parents are collaborating with an NGO to promote inter-religion and inter-caste marriages.The panel then deliberates on the Tamil Nadu governor touching a journalist’s cheek. "I think it does talk about how women journalists are seen,” says Priyata.Abhinandan further discusses the difference that he noticed in recent debates on TV channels. “There was an absence of Hindu-Muslim India-Pakistan kind of thing. I am wondering if this has anything to do with the Karnataka elections,” he asks.Rohin tells the panel that such issues are still being talked about on Hindi TV channels. “People are saying the Kathua case is being talked about because a Muslim girl is involved but nobody talks about the Ghaziabad case because a maulvi and a Hindu girl are involved,” he says.All this and more on this week’s podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

अंतरराष्ट्रीय संस्था रिपोर्टर्स सां फ्रांतिए (रिपोर्टर्स विदाउट बॉर्डर) की ताज़ा रिपोर्ट में अंतरराष्ट्रीय प्रेस फ्रीडम इंडेक्स में पिछले साल के मुक़ाबले भारत दो पायदान नीचे खिसककर 138वें नंबर पर चला गया है. सुनिए इस विषय पर क्या सोचते हैं पत्रकार. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

आसाराम को आजीवन कारावास, सरोज खान का कास्टिंग काउच को लेकर विवादित बयान, कर्नाटक चुनाव में रेड्डी बंधुओं को भाजपा का उम्मीदवार बनाया जाना, मुख्य न्यायाधीश के खिलाफ महाभियोग के निहितार्थ और संजय दत्त के जीवन पर बन रही फिल्म का ट्रेलर इस हफ्ते न्यूज़लॉन्ड्री चर्चा के मुख्य विषय रहे.चर्चा में इस बार दो मेहमान शामिल हुए. वरिष्ठ फिल्म समीक्षक और पत्रकार अजय ब्रह्मात्मज और भारतीय जन संचार संस्थान के एसोसिएट प्रोफेसर आनंद प्रधान. इसके अलावा न्यूज़लॉन्ड्री के संवाददाता अमित भारद्वाज और कार्यकारी संपादक अतुल चौरसिया भी चर्चा का हिस्सा रहे. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this NL Hafta, Abhinandan Sekhri, Madhu Trehan, Raman Kirpal, Manisha Pande and Anand Vardhan come together to discuss Asaram’s conviction, Saroj Khan’s statement, Karnataka elections, formation of Bahujan Azad Party, Yashwant Sinha quitting BJP, and more.On the apparent absence of violence after Asaram’s conviction, Madhu said: “I don’t think everything is peaceful. I read the judge had to go into hiring police. I read there’s been a reaction from the followers”. While opining on capital punishment, Madhu also recommended a piece written in Hindustan Times by Ishita Manek on why she doesn’t support the death penalty. Her own experience of being sexually exploited in her childhood made her believe that instead of seeking revenge, she wanted an atmosphere that can help children report the crime and the criminal. Giving his views on the verdict, Anand said, “I am not a supporter of capital punishment in any condition. So this is no exception. But there is a culture of knee-jerk political response to things and this is part of it. It may actually be counter to deterrence. If the punishment for raping and killing is the same, there is an incentive to kill. There is an element of seizing the narrative.”Moreover, Manisha pointed out that since almost 90 per cent of child molesters are people the victims know, the death penalty will naturally make families reluctant to report against the victims. For Raman, “If u really want to deter such offenders, you need to have fast-track courts where nobody will be able to tamper with the evidence.”In other words, as Anand put it, “The certainty of punishment is a better deterrent than the rigor of it.”Moving on to Saroj Khan’s statement on the casting couch in the film industry, Abhinandan and Manisha disagreed on the implications of it. While for Abhinandan, two separate sentences were being joined and misconstrued, Manisha found no justification for such a remark in any circumstance. Madhu added, “I don’t think she should have defended any industry. The action is wrong no matter what.”What was worse, as Manisha said, is that no Bollywood celebrity spoke against it.Further, on the strategic importance of the Karnataka Assembly elections, Anand said, “It would be important only if a spillover effect is factored in: will it set a narrative for the general elections?” For Raman, “The election here is relevant because Karnataka is the only state except Punjab where the Congress rules. It is also a major election in a run-up to 2019.”Abhinandan asks the panel to deliberate on whether the UP-based social media adviser from VHP who turned down the Ola cab because his driver was a Muslim, deserved coverage or not. Raman and Madhu feel such news shouldn’t be covered. She said: “I don't think it deserves coverage because it legitimises it. It’s about one loony person tweeting. There are enough aunties and uncles doing crazy things.” While Manisha thinks it should have been covered, “I would report it like a fun anchor story. I wouldn't block it completely.” Anand calls it a “drawing room communal joke getting its way into social media.”Moving on, the panel discusses the 50 IITians who left their jobs to form a party called Bahujan Azad Party, that aims to uplift the Dalits.In the case of the impeachment issue, Abhinandan feels it got balanced coverage. Abhinandan asks the panel to elaborate on the rationale behind Yashwant Sinha quitting the BJP. To which, Madhu answered: “This is no country for old people. In politics, one has to at some point face reality that if you have become irrelevant or people see you as irrelevant, you don't wait till you are dropped, humiliated and pushed out. You walk away with your head held high.”All this and more on this week’s podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NL Hafta has gone behind the paywall, but we love our listeners. So, here's a little sneak peek of the complete episode where Abhinandan Sekhri, Madhu Trehan, Raman Kirpal, Manisha Pande and Anand Vardhan come together to discuss Asaram’s conviction, Saroj Khan’s statement, Karnataka elections, formation of Bahujan Azad Party, Yashwant Sinha quitting BJP, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.