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Hafta X South Central: Highs & lows of media in 2025, influencers in news, Arnab’s ‘turnaround’
For this special year-ender episode, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri and Manisha Pande and The News Minute’s Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna are joined by columnist and media critic Santosh Desai.
The conversation begins with a wrap of the Indian media ecosystem this year. Santosh says, “Institutions are struggling to retain credibility and resist pressure.” Dhanya argues that mainstream media exerts significant influence over people, but on social media, the results vary.
Discussing the state of the media more specifically in Karnataka, Pooja notes that although it's “heavily compromised”, it can still be seen as a “lesser evil” compared to the Hindi and English media.
Manisha argues that, in terms of news consumption, the internet can be very ruthless – in contrast to legacy media, which does not have to face the crash and burn. She cites the example of Beer Biceps, whose rapid rise and fall illustrate this ruthlessness.
Some influencers, Dhanya says, have also realised that “credibility comes with consistency”. On the economic front, Abhinandan explains, “It is the lethargy of legacy media that is reflected in their belief about how business is done – in large spaces and studios. Hence, sustainability and viewership become two completely different things.”
The panel also discusses advertisements that make them nostalgic. Dhanya says, “Now, we pay to remove ads. I cannot remember the last time I watched an ad.” Meanwhile, Abhinandan notes, “The death of ads is the death of jingles, which in turn traces to the death of radio.”
While discussing Arnab Goswami's recent shows that questioned the central government, Pooja remarks, “This man can damage the country by stooping so low, but all it takes for him to be viewed as a crusader is the targeting of a soft issue as a larger strategy.”
This and a lot more. Tune in!
Letters to NL Hafta and South Central: ‘Pointless’ Nikhil Kamath article, love for Dhanya and improving AQI
2025 is coming to an end, make it count: https://rzp.io/rzp/gnWUWkc
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Timecodes
00:00:00 - Introductions & announcements
00:02:16 - Headlines
00:07:30 - Brands vs individuals: Understanding news models
00:33:15 - Karnataka Hate Speech Bill
00:38:00 - How has advertising changed?
00:59:00 - Santosh’s recommendations
01:00:00 - Arnab Goswami’s turnaround
01:07:00 - Christmas violence
01:12:00 - Letters
01:35:13 - Recommendations
Song: Badumbaaa - Zumba Zumba
References
Prasar Bharati’s curliest tale: How taxpayer money was used for influencer content
Kiran Bedi Tapes: Does the law allow a ‘concerned mother’ to request a surveillance operation?
Abhinandan’s interview with Dhruv Rathee
Abhinandan’s interview with Harvinder Kaur Chowdhury
Recommendations
Santosh Desai
Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
Abhinandan
Believer's Dilemma: Vajpayee and the Hindu Right's Path to Power, 1977–2018 by Abhishek Choudhary
Vajpayee: The Ascent of the Hindu Right, 1924–1977 by Abhishek Choudhary
Pooja Prasanna
Dhanya
The Dig: Keeladi and the Politics of India's Past by Sowmiya Ashok
The Muhammad Yunus government played with fire, now Bangladesh burns again
Manisha
Shattered Lands : Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia by Sam Dalrymple
Gods Guns & Missionaries: The Making of the Modern Hindu Identity by Manu S. Pillai
Subscribe to Newslaundry and The News Minute
Check out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters.
Recorded and produced by Priyali Dhingra. Production assistance by Megha Mukundan and Ajay. Edited by Saif Ali Ekram.
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