We delved into five years’ data to look for the worst offenders and find out why India’s leading broadcasting regulator can’t bring them to book.
Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections last year, News18, a Hindi news channel, hosted a “debate” titled “Is there a political alliance against Hindus?”
Aman Chopra, a senior editor at the channel, was anchoring the show. But he wasn’t moderating. It seemed he’d made up his mind.
“Ye 80 ke khilaf hai mahagathbandhan [The grand alliance is against the majority]”, he said, referring to the share of the Hindu population in the state. Anyone who disagreed, he heckled. He told a Muslim panelist, “You have a problem with Hindus”. The tickers on the show echoed his bluster: “ …
Omkar specializes in long-form narrative features and has reported from India, the UK, Germany and the Maldives. He writes across beats, from politics and crime to cinema and sports. His works have been published in Indian and international outlets including The Caravan, Mint Lounge, the BBC, Al Jazeera and The Huffington Post.
Senior Features Writer
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Delhi