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Hafta 294: Covid-19, Sudarshan TV, and the Delhi riots investigation
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 headlines
09:06 - Mishandling of Covid data and vaccine skepticism
26:01 - Subscriber letters
30:28 - Suresh Chavhanke's bigoted show, media regulation, and politics of hate
59:49 - Subscriber Letters
01:03:54 - Umar Khalid's arrest and the 17,000 page Delhi riots chargesheet
01:12:54 - Subscriber letters
01:22:46 - Recommendations
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Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think
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Nearly seven months after Delhi violence, a continuing attempt to target dissenting voices
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