In 2011, the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, The News of the World had to meet its closure because of a Phone Hacking Scandal. Even at its closure, it still had one of the highest English language circulations.
In mid-2006, reporters at the paper used private investigators to illegally gain access to hundreds of mobile phone voicemail accounts held by a variety of people of interest to the newspaper. From 2009 -2010, further revelations emerged on the extent of the phone hacking, and how it was common knowledge within the News of the World and its News International parent.
The Closure of ‘News of the World’ made a point clear. Even a biggie would have to face the results of it’s activities. The trend #ShutDownNDTV clearly reminds us of ‘News of the World’. Will NDTV become India’s News of the World?
New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV) is an Indian commercial broadcasting television network founded in 1988 by Prannoy and Radhika Roy.
Over the years, it established itself as one of the leading News Channel in India. It had organized several campaigns through its channels to support education, rural electrification, and awareness on climate change.
Though it had few controversies like Tax fraud, and Radia tape controversy, it’s recent one “Spreading False, Misleading information about Modi’s Government” made #ShutDownNDTV trending at Top.
These are allegations against NDTV by twitter users.
The news report done by Barkha Dutt tracking the arrival route adopted by the infiltrators in Punjab, along with the news story carried by online portal of NDTV, claiming that two vehicles loaded with terrorists entered the base and therefore, there could be more militants rather than the six who were reported to be locked in an encounter with security forces.
Besides, she was also trashed for her new book, This Unquiet Land: The Stories Beneath India’s Fault Lines, where she claimed that Modi and Nawaz met for nearly an hour “secretly” in Kathmandu during the SAARC summit. However, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissed this claim and called it ‘baseless’.
NSA’s Ajit Dowal’s letter to government’s Cabinet Secretary states that NDTV is leaking out Indian Navy secrets, raises sincere doubt in the public and government towards the credibility of NDTV.
But the seed cause of recent misleading information according to Modi Supporters, is that Radhika Prannoy Roy who owns 16.32% of the Company is the sister of Communist Rajya Sabha MP Brinda Karat and Abhey Oswal who owns 14.17% of the Company is the father in law of Congress MP Naveen Jindal.
BJP hardcore supporters started to shout slogans like “Barkha Dutt, Go to Pakistan” and “Ravish Kumar, (Prime Anchor of NDTV) change your name to “Maulana Ravish Kumar”. I personally condemn such slogans but that doesn’t mean that whoever is responsible for giving misleading information must not apologize.
There are two speculations. One that this issue will pass on just like other issues (Radia Controversy) and other NDTV would become India’s ‘News of the World’. Unfortunately, there seems no middle. Nevertheless, NDTV’s future is now in it’s hands.
Use #ShutDownNDTV if you think it’s right to raise your voice against what you think is going wrong. Use #iSupportNDTV if you think media can spread information even if it cannot prove itself.
————
Written by S G A Thomas, Asso. Editor.
ONE COMMENT