Right-wing websites in India take wrong turn: Twist news, turn fiction into fact, give ideological spin to issues

Just like many news sources, papers and publications are pro-Left or Centrist, there are newspapers and magazines that are pro-Right too.

But, there has been a new phenomenon in Indian media--of hardcore right-wing websites that are not just aimed at furthering the political ideology but can go to any length in misrepresenting facts, even if it entails demonising the 'opponents'.

Just see how 'The Voice of Nation' claimed that Amitabh Bachchan was Jawaharlal Nehru's son. Such propaganda, disguised as journalism, is affecting image of Right-wing media.

These websites give sharp twist to stories, just in order to take forward the Saffron narrative. In process, facts are often ignored or manipulated and one-sided stories are carried.

They provide news differently, so different that they can cloud your vision and even confuse you about any issue. This is extremist right-wing journalism, if we really can it journalism. Media shouldn't manipulate facts and take sides to such extent.

This is doing damage to a healthy right-wing narrative because of the negativity and the zealous nature of these pro-Hindutva media projects that refuses to look at any other side of the picture. It seems that they are aimed just at running defamation campaigns against individuals and groups who are not in sync with their ideology.

Sorry, you may try as hard as you can but you just can't brainwash people. Shouldn't there be a decent and honourable right-wing narrative? Unfortunately, these websites are pursuing Hindutva agenda with such bias that they are affecting the image of the proper right-wing media.

FACTS or FICTIONS

1. Indiafacts is a website that gives the impression that it talks about 'facts'. But it often presents wrong, distorted facts and the commentary is biased. For the gullible reader, it is 'India facts', but the truth is that it is 'India fictions', not 'facts'.

2. 'The Voice of Nation', it seems, can go to any extent in misrepresenting facts. It spreads blatant lies and publishes unconfirmed facts. It is not journalism, at all. Ethics be damned, this seems to be the motto of this website. It even claims that Amitabh Bachchan was Jawaharlal Nehru's son.

3. OpIndia.com is not as reckless as Voice of Nation but pushes right-wing agenda strongly and intelligently. It goes for 'hit-job'. For example, it targets not just opposing politicians but also intellectuals and journalists who are critical of BJP-RSS. By raising petty issues and amplifying them, it provides 'ammunition' to Hindutva cyber brigade that would then target the 'opponents' on Twitter, Facebook and other platforms, citing these links and stories.

4. Swarajya magazine would appear better when compared to the above-mentioned sites. But the online magazine is also clear in its approach. For it too, journalism is fair only when it suits the Right-wing. Facts are presented selectively to support BJP and attack others. 

Selling Editorial Space: News Up for Sale in Indian Media

Someone had to write it someday and the weekly Outlook has finally brought up the subject, with a cover story on the unethical side of the news business.

The dirty practice of paid and sponsored content in Indian media has reached a point where the ethos of journalism are under threat.

Even advertorials have become a thing of past, as news content is bought and sold openly. First Times of India began selling editorial space and published paid reports as news. Now almost all the major newspaper groups are bargaining for packages during election campaigns.

In Hindi and vernacular newspapers, the malaise has spread fast. All political parties, leaders and candidates are approahed. If they pay up, the campaigns are given coverage and news stories are planted, suggesting that they are winning or the voter is wholeheartedly with the candidate. Else, the contestant is blacked out.

Ironically, bigwigs in media and the toothless Press Council remain mute specatators to this dirty practice, which is now a multi-million industry in every major state capital in North India, either it is civic and assembly poll or the parliament elections.

Will the Outlook story shame the media barons! Read the article by Anuradha Raman, 'News you can abuse' online in the issue titled 'FOR SALE JOURNALISM', that also has articles by Vinod Mehta and Neelabh Mishra.

Media's role during Mumbai terrorist attack: Looking for TRP in a Tragedy

Indian media failed to rise to the occasion once again. It was a tragedy that unfolded in Mumbai for 48 hrs but channels didn't appear sombre and regulated.

Instead, they were over-excited and showing everything as if it was a 'live war reporting' though wars aren't reported in this manner either.

There were alerts, flashes, scrawls and breaking new for 50 hrs. The aim was to grab eyeballs. Ads were not shown as the viewer could switch to other channel in the meantime.

The news channels wanted highest TRP in this troubled times, so that they can later demand higher rates for advertisements and stay up on chart.

Much will be discussed in the coming days whether it was prudent to show the positions of police, commandos and officials in the initial stage of encounter in Taj Hotel that left officers, ATS chief Hemant Karkare and others dead.

Celebrity reporters' questionable conduct

Worst was the conduct of the so-called celebrity reporters who wanted their cameramen to zoom on everything as they lay on the ground. A star reporter-cum-anchor spoke lying on the ground to create the impact that he was reporting from warzone.

Others were not sure how to be on the ground and either grotesquely prostrated themselves or laid down on their back or side. The same anchor was drunk when he first appeared in the first hour of the tragedy.

The slur was visible and he was cut short. He later re-appeared on Thursday morning. In the end, all these channels together made a tamasha of the tragedy and served it to audience as if it was any other tamasha.

Where on earth the reporters are allowed to mob such a site? The government also woke up very late and by the time the TV channels stopping showing 'live' [7 pm on Friday], it was already too late. But our electronic media made a mockery of itself.

Journalists prompted Varanasi suicides and Rajkot woman's naked march

There are no words to describe the level to which mediamen have sunk.

The report that journalists had asked physically challenged persons to attempt suicide by consuming poison, in order to get attention, has come as a shock to entire journalist fraternity.

The disabled persons were protesting the decision of local administration, which had removed their kiosks.

Apparently the camera persons, photographers and journalists urged them to consume poisonous substance so that it could become a national news and in turn force the administration to reverse its decision.

The media persons were, in fact, getting a news for themselves only. The protesters were told that the particular medicine will only make them unconscious for some duration and they will gain consciousness later.

However, five persons never woke up after they consumed the tablets. All this happened in full public view at a busy square, with nobody trying to take the persons who were tossing and turning due to the pain, to hospital.

Of course, the police ought to have acted fast and taken these persons to hospital but journalists can't escape the blame.

Journos had asked woman to strip to get attention

Earlier, in Rajkot, the woman (Pooja Chauhan) who had come on the street, naked, was also coaxed by the journalists to go about a unique form of protest.

Later, reports suggested that the media men had asked her to strip and move aroud in her lingerie. She was told that her tale of harassment by her husband and in-laws would be shown on television channels only if she went out in such a semi-naked state.

What a shame!

Couple's suicide due to intrusion of electronic channels

The suicide by a couple in Delhi due to the invasion of electronic channel's in their privacy is a shocking incident.

It was bound to happen anywhere with the channel reporters using their microphones as weapons and threatening the people to give bytes for cooking up stories.

But this incident in which a girl had alleged her uncle of rape, the media intrusion hurt the couple so much that they committed suicide.

They could not bear that the allegation of their niece made would be taken so seriously by media that it would conduct its own trial.

The person was probably sexually incapable to commit any such crime and this further hurt him.

Time now for these channels to behave and reign in on their reporters. Else, as we had predicted initially, the day is not far when reporters would be hunted and hit whereever they would go.