Views On News: Issue: August 22, 2014

RAGING CABLE WARS
SOCIAL MEDIA HERD CULTURE

VIEWS ON NEWS
MEDIA MONITOR EXCLUSIVES
TV MINUTES MODI HOGGED 24
NEWSBREAK: CHANNEL vs CHANNEL 26
INTERVIEW
THE INIMITABLE
RAJKUMAR SANTOSHI 52
SMALL SCREEN
HOOKED TO
JODHA AKBAR 56
THE CRITICAL EYE
ENTER THE
BARON
why cross ownership threatens a free press
the india today-express-ibn-ndtv-hindu
media-go-round
rupert murdochs hall of shame
kya hua
NaMo, chup
kyun ho?
HINDI SECTION
note
E
D I
T
O R S
When my husband Pradeep Rai and I
launched the maiden edition of Views On
News (VON) more than seven years
ago, little did we realize that as the
years rolled by, the need and space for
this kind of magazine would be far greater
than we had ever imagined. What we began
was essentially what the Americans describe as a
mom-and-pop store in which convenience and
filling a vacuum takes priority over sophistication,
style, and deadlines.
Yet we were able to attract writers like veteran
journo Kuldip Nayar, politician Natwar Singh, and
even the indomitable Amitabh Bachchan. This was
because the media and its role in society was some-
thing that commanded riveting attention. You can-
not harp enough on this subject.
For several years, VON appeared in a subdued
manner but the flame that inspired the publication
never died. Because it burned within me. You are
witnessing, with this issue, the relaunch of VON in
a new avatar.
The need for a media monitor, a journalism re-
view, is today an overwhelming
social necessity. As a newsperson, I
am acutely aware of the publics dis-
enchantment with the media as a
whole. Charges of paid media
sold-out journalists, unfair re-
porting, entrapment stings, jour-
no-politicians, rigged opinion
polls fly fast and furious.
Lets face it. The Indian media is facing a credi-
bility crisis. And what better way to face this situa-
tion than to take a hard, objective look at our own
performance by monitoring television, newspapers,
magazines, and online news and local media. I say
this not only because we need to critique our own
industry before public opinion triggers off even
more government meddling with the free press, but
also because the press today needs the same kind of
oversight by freedom-loving people as politicians,
the judiciary and the bureaucracy. It is the best way
to ensure that it remains unshackled.
When we first started the magazine, the social
media was virtually unheard of. Today, it has taken
over the global space and poses a great and exciting
new challenge for publications like ours in terms
of covering its virtual reality, unmatched influence
and dimensions.
Our first issue contains many of the tried and
tested sections, such as Breaking News from our
unique 24x7 TV monitoring team, bouquets and
brickbats and media reviews, along with a rich fare
for our Hindi readers. It also offers several value ad-
ditionsa team of well-known writers with re-
search backed up by our ENC Television Network
and the most exhaustive library of TV news footage.
I would like to continue VON as a participatory
exercise in which you the reader can write or email
us directly about suggestions, articles, complaints,
praise, and critiques about the mass media and the
social media. After all, this is your platform for the
democratic right to voice your opinion.
HERES YOUR VERY OWN PLATFORM
3 VIEWS ON NEWS August 22, 2014
C O N
Editor-in-Chief
Rajshri Rai
Managing Editor
Ramesh Menon
Executive Editor
Alam Srinivas
Senior Editor
Vishwas Kumar
Contributing Editors
Naresh Minocha, Girish Nikam
Associate Editor
Meha Mathur
Deputy Editors
Prabir Biswas, Probir Pramanik
Junior Sub Editor
R Parvathy
Hindi Desk
Seema, Divya
Priya, Sheetal
Art Director
Anthony Lawrence
Senior Visualizer
Amitava Sen
Graphic Designer
Lalit Khitoliya
Photographer
Anil Shakya
News Coordinator
Kh Manglembi Devi
Production
Pawan Kumar
Director (Marketing)
Raju Sarin
GM (Sales & Marketing)
Naveen Tandon-09717121002
DGM (Sales & Marketing)
Feroz Akhtar-09650052100
Marketing Associate
Ggarima Rai
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VOLUME. VII ISSUE. 22
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Chief Editorial Advisor
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VP (HR & General Administration)
Lokesh C Sharma
LEDE
Hogging the Pie
Hall of infamy?
Even with media glare centered on
the high-profile phone-hacking
scandal involving Rupert Murdochs
News International, his appetite for
business expansion and takeovers
remains unsatiated.
18
MEDIA MONITORING
Modi grabs maximum
TV news coverage
An analysis based on the
TV monitoring intelligence report
By The Media Monitor.
24
MEDIA
Comfort zone in
conflict reporting
RAJENDRA BAJPAI says journalists have
become slavish followers of the official
line on defense and foreign affairs.
22
10
With the growing trend of
corporatization in news media
across platfo rms, the debate on
regulating cross ownership gains
credence. By ALAM SRINIVAS
Media go Round 14
4 VIEWS ON NEWS August 22 , 2014
Mukesh Ambanis acquisition of
Network18 Group a churn in Eng-
lish media. It has impacted TV
channels and print publications.
By RAJENDRA BAJPAI
T E N T S
PR
Selling over
a tea cup
RAMESH MENONS blow-by-blow
account of how Modi's well-planned
and clinically devised marketing
campaign had media on its
tenterhooks.
38
BOOKS
Good reads great
insights
Journos like Ramesh Menon, Alam
Srinivas, Sanjaya Baru, Manoj Mitta,
Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Hari
Jaisingh offer a bountiful crop.
By INDERJIT BADHWAR
42
WEB CRAWLERS
Web sensibility
on news
A look at what is trending on the news
websites. By R PARVATHY
36
HAWK EYE
Politics of cable wars
ALAM SRINIVAS looks at how
political interests are taking over
cable and digital distribution to
manipulate news.
32
SMALL SCREEN
Hats off! Ekta
Soap queen Ekta scores another
mega hit that has viewers hooked on
the larger-than-life romantic tale.
By INDERJIT BADHWAR
56
KALEIDOSCOPE
Will digital media
change our lives?
New media undergoes rapid growth
in India, blurring the lines between
various platforms.
By RAMESH MENON
34
PHOTOGRAPHY
Home without a door
Pictures come to life when SHADAB
NAZMI scripts the story of the
homeless who live on the streets
with a camera.
44
8 Pages of Hindi Views
R E G U L A R S
Edit..................................................03
Media-go-round..............................06
As the world turns...........................08
Breaking news.............................28
Design.............................................48
Talking to.........................................52
Entertainment..................................54
Quotes.............................................57
ff WXbAf ff,fbf fa WX........58
EIYSX dSXfc............................62
VffffVf dSXfMXSX.......................64
You have heard about
parliamentarians being paid to
raise embarrassing questions in the
two houses.
You have heard about judges
being paid to fix cases.
You have heard about cricketers
being paid to miss a particular ball
or throw away matches.
But have you heard about TV
journalists/anchors being paid to
ask or not to ask uncomfortable
questions?
If you have and want to share it,
then write to us at:
editor@viewsonnewsonline.com
OR Views on News, ENC Network,
A-9, Sector 68, Gautam Buddh
Nagar, Noida (UP)- 201309
Cover design and cover illustration: Anthony Lawrence
EDIA-GO-ROUND
Football fever
THE MEDIA was raked over the coals over paid news
by the Election Commission (EC). While showcausing
former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan on
allegations of suppressing information about money
spent on 25 advertisements in Marathi newspapers
during the assembly elections in 2009, EC said that
the media should act with responsibility while
publishing such news, and append them with
disclaimers. The ads-as-news coverage included
Chavans name, the name of his constituency
and his picture. EC said such indiscreet
releases obfuscates the voters mind from
making concessions while arriving at a
judgment about a candidate.
SOCCER FANS in India took to the social
media in a big way during FIFA 2014. In fact,
Indians were second after the Brazilians to
register their online presence globally. This
augurs well for the popularity of the game in
India which is ranked 154. India also
contributed around 3 percent of the hype
generated in social media for the event.
Out of FOCUS
IT SEEMS Bollywood stars and the media,
especially lensmen, have been giving a cold
shoulder to each other in recent times. While
photographers have taken umbrage at the
attitude shown by the stars, the celebrities seem
to be upset by the brash and absurd behavior of
the media. Salman Khan is a prominent name
on the list. The lensmen union boycotted
Mr Dabbang till July 25, the day his latest movie
Kick hit the theatres.
ITS TIME that Hindi media should quit
preconceived notions and stubbornness, and get
passionately involved in journalism again, eminent
Hindi journalist Mrinal Pande said at the Red Ink
Awards, instituted by the Mumbai Press Club. She
won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the event.
Other journos to be felicitated at the ceremony
included Arpit Parashar of Fountain Ink;
Jwalit Vyas and Ranjit Shinde of The
Economic Times; Virat Markandeya of The
Caravan; Narendra Bisht of Outlook, and
Zeeshan Shaikh of The Indian Express.
The powerful tool of social media is like a
genie which can be used both for good and
bad effects. Realising the damaging effects
of the medium, the Modi-government listed
out 10 must-dos for ministers who use twit-
ter and Facebook regularly.
According to a report in The Economic
Red Ink Day
For a responsible Media
Making waves
in Bonn
KHABAR LAHARIA, an eight-page
Bundelkhandi newspaper, has won the
DW Best of blogs (The Bobs) Global
Media Forum Award in Hindi by
Deutsche Welle, in Bonn, Germany. It is
now an online and newspaper project.
The online edition also offers an
English version.
Provision for
New channels
ARUN JAITLEY has announced two
new channels in his budget. A 24-hour
channel for farmers, Kisan Channel,
would provide critical information on
farming issues. Its allocation: `100
crore. Another channel, Arun Prabha,
will be started in the North East. New
boondoggle or boon for the farmers?
M
TRAI report on Media due by August
Modi shies away from media
Ramdev to organize a
Social Media Shivir
Ishant Sharma in latest
Amul Ad
India Second in
social media usage
TELECOM REGULATORY
Authority of India (TRAI) will
come up with its recommendations
on media control and ownership
by August end. TRAI had come
up with its consultation paper
Issues relating to Media
Ownershipin February
2013 which called for public
comments on the need, nature
and level of restrictions and
safeguards with respect to
cross-media ownership.
INDIAS win over England in the
second Test Match at Lords has turned
Ishant Sharma into a poster boy for
advertisers. He is the latest cricketer to
feature in the Amul advertisement.
His career best of 7-74,which sealed
Indias win, seems to have sealed
Ishants luck as well. Previously Sachin
Tendulkar and Virat Kohli featured in
the Amul ads.
INDIA HAS exhibited the most
significant growth in usage of social
media websites, recording an all time
high of 37.4 percent in 2013, according
to a study by e-Marketer, a US-based
independent market research firm.
Facebook and Twitter lead the rat race.
SME Times reported that looking at the
trend, India would probably have the
largest Facebook population in the
world by 2016.
YOGA GURU and political activist Baba
Ramdev will organize a three-day Social Media
Shivir in Haridwar starting July 26, 2014.
According to a Times of India report, followers
will be taught the art of "opinion making" on
social media to help build a host of volunteers
who would be proficient in using social media for
Ramdev. The Shivir has already garnered over
2,000 online registrations.
New CEO for
Balaji Telefilms
SAMEER NAIR was recently appointed as the
Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Balaji
Telefilms and its subsidiary companies. Nair, a
veteran in the industry was previously the
Programming Head, COO & CEO of Star Network,
and more recently, CEO of NDTV Imagine. Sameer
revamped the Star TV network by launching Kaun
Banega Crorepati alongside the Balaji daily soaps on
Star Plus in 2000.
EVER SINCE the election campaigns had
begun, we saw how Narendra Modi used
the social media to the hilt. It was also
instrumental in his win and connected him
with the people directly. But one
wonders why even after being elected
Prime Minister he continues to evade the
mainstream media. So much so that
according to a BBC report, he avoided
taking journalists with him to the BRIC
summit and chose to take reporters from
two news agencies and Doordarshan
news. Does the PM have trust issues with
the press corp?
S THE WORLD TURNS
Social media latest battleground in Middle East
THE MEDIAS FAILURE to project the correct picture of the
ongoing Israel-Gazza conflict, has enabled a Twitter hashtag
#gazaunderattack to emerge as a major source of misinformation
and propaganda. Graphic violent images of civilians under fire
have been posted in large numbers, suggesting that news organi-
zations were turning a blind eye to the attacks. The media are
not reporting anything, was the hashtags catch line. But media
analysts warned that some of the pictures of violence circulated
#gazaunderattack thread were recycled images from 2007.
Instagram photo of plus-size
women sets media buzzing
19-YEAR-OLD Samm Newman from Chillicothe waged a
war against Instagram after pictures of her posing in her
underclothes were removed along with her account.
According to The Newark Advocate, the photo-sharing social
media service shut her account for violating the rule of
keeping ones clothes on. Realizing the hypocrisy of the
service which did not remove other similar pictures featuring
smaller-sized women, Newman contacted the media
following which Instagram reinstated her account. However,
by then the news had gone viral across several countries and
now her account boasts of 6,000 followers.
Chinese media attacks
fast food giants
Malaysian jetliner did not
make distress call
THE MALAYSIA Airlines jetliner that was shot down in Ukraine
did not make any distress call, Malaysias Prime Minister Najib
Razak disclosed. He said that the flight route of the ill-fated jet had
been declared safe by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
The aviation body had also stated that the air space that the aircraft
was traversing was not subject to restrictions. This is the second
tragedy to hit Malaysia Airlines this year. Its Flight 370 disappeared
on March 8 while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. It has not
been found, but the search has been concentrated in the Indian
Ocean west of Australia.
MEDIA ALLEGATIONS against meat suppliers
selling expired meat to American fast food chains like
McDonalds and KFC in China prompted the
authorities to suspend Shanghai Husi Food Co, the
Chinese unit of US-based food supplier OSI Group.
BBC reported that foreign brands have not warmed
up to Chinese consumers and thats why food security
is not a primary concern for them. Meanwhile,
authorities are questioning the regulators competency
and silence over the issue.
Forbes Media
sells shares to Hong
Kong group
BREAKING 97 YEARS of family own-
ership, Forbes Media sold a majority
of its shares to Hong Kong-based
investment firm, Integrated
Whale Media Investments for an
undisclosed sum. According
to Microcap Observer, Steve
Forbes, chairman and
editor-in-chief will
continue to retain his post.
A
The New York Times recently carried an
edit that rang alarm bells across the media
world. It raised the specter of Indias Press
lauded over the decades as amongst the
most diverse and free in the globeas an
endangered species. NYT spoke menac-
ingly of the return to the days when In-
dira Gandhi, Indias prime minister,
declared a state of emergency on June 25,
1975, (and) immediately imposed strict
censorship of the press. With defiant ex-
ceptions, much of the press caved in
quickly to the new rules, prompting L.K.
Advani, one of the founders of the
Bharatiya Janata Party, who was jailed
during the emergency, to comment later:
You were merely asked to bend, but you
chose to crawl.
As of now NYT is crying wolf. The
Indian mediawatch TV, read this space
and magazine along with its sister
publication India Legal and its website,
scan the English language and regional
papers, and you can come to no other
conclusion other than judging Indias
press as relatively healthy and robust.
NYTs conclusion is based on the
growth of paid news, the sacking of
intrepid editors like Siddharth Vardarajan
and Hartosh Bal from the Hindu newspa-
per, and Open magazine, and Mukesh
Ambanis assuming Murdochian magni-
tude after taking over the CNN-IBN
conglomerate.
Relevant. But straws in the wind. Yet.
The positives are that even during the
Emergency, the high courts excoriated
censorship and the redeeming values of a
free press reasserted themselves. Press
censorship legislation has never suc-
ceeded in India. Also, the danger signals
to which NYT refers have been
exposed not by the foreign but by the free
Indian media.
Not to forget, India is still a vibrant
democracy, now fueled by a fiercely proud
social media movement. The danger, as
this cover story points out, lurks in
unregulated cross ownership and emerg-
ing media monopolies.
The cover story, in this re-launched
issue of Views On NewsIndias first
journalism watchdog magazineis in
itself a testament to the multiplicity of dif-
ferent voices and opinions which can still
be heard in the Indian media.
STRAWS IN THE WIND
VIEWS ON NEWS August 22, 2014 9
Inderjit Badhwar
Lede
cross-media ownership
THE PIE
HOGGING
A
With the growing trend of corporatization
in news media across platfo rms, it is
imperative to regulate without
compromising freedom.
BY ALAM SRINIVAS
Lede
cross-ownership
ship, one of them said that every media owner had
business interests. No owner was an NGO.
Critics may taunt Network18 for changing its
editorial coverage on sensitive issues. Live with
it, he added. There was nothing called balanced
reporting, he claimed.
The interaction provided insights into a fresh
debate that is raging across newsroomsin print
publications, news channels and websites. It is
about the fear of increasing corporate ownership
in news media. It is about ownership of news by
politicians, realtors and fly-by-night operators.
few weeks ago, senior media managers of Reliance
Industries Ltd (RIL), owned by Mukesh Ambani,
addressed the journalists of a sister concern, the
Network18 Group, which was taken over by RIL.
When quizzed about editorial independence,
which seemed threatened by a change in owner-
media monopolies
More importantly, it is about the lack of laws and
rules on cross-media ownership, which may lead
to vertical and horizontal monopoly or oligopoly.
The fact is that apart from a few restrictions in
radio, where news is not allowed on FM channels,
and TV distribution (direct-to-home or DTH),
there are no curbs on ownership across media
platforms (print, TV, internet) or down the
distribution chain (broadcaster, cable and DTH).
India is a unique and mature market, where a
media baron can own newspapers, magazines,
news channels, news websites and portals, cable
distribution and DTH.
Although the part-market regulator, TRAI,
recommended equity caps on vertical and
horizontal ownerships in February 2009, and
floated another consultation paper last year, the
government has not taken any decision. Worse,
the regulator and experts seem to be unaware of
the real issues that are involved in cross-media
ownership. Views On News analyzes the factors
that have to be included in discussions and de-
bates in the near future.
Telecom: new game changer
At present, the focus is largely on print, TV, radio
and internet. Even TRAIs paper talks about them.
No one looks at telecom (mobile), which is likely
to become the most-preferred platform for news
consumption among a majority of consumers,
especially the younger ones. Therefore, there is
an implicit logic to extend any future cross-media
restrictions to mobile service providers. Some
of them, like Reliance Jio, Vodafone, and Idea
can easily emerge as the next Google, which
has a near-monopoly over internet news and
information.
Take the example of Reliance Jio, which is part
of RIL Group and the only company with pan-
India licences to launch 4G services. Once 4G
kicks in, the mobile will become the instrument
to consume news on the go, i.e. while you are in
office or in your car. (One assumes here that news
will not be allowed on FM radio, although the new
information and broadcasting minister has made
the right noises to open this medium.) RIL, with
its control over the platform, and news and
entertainment content in several languages
through ownership of Network18 and Eenadu
Group, can become a monopoly that may attract
more eyeballs than news channels and dailies.
Imagine what will happen if Mukesh Ambani
joins hands with his estranged younger brother,
Anil, as is being rumored in corporate board-
rooms. Although the brothers split the original
Reliance Group in 2005, they smoked the peace
pipe a few years later. If they do join hands again,
they will emerge as Indian Murdochs; the Aus-
tralian born Rupert Murdoch manages a global
media conglomerate that stretches from Australia
to Europe and the US.
Together, the Ambanis will dominate
distributionDTH (owned by Anil), and cable
(Anil recently purchased Digicable, one of the
largest in India). They will control huge market
shares in news and entertainment content; while
RIL owns news and other media entities, Anil has
tie-ups for entertainment and interactive content
(games and social networking). In addition, they
will control platformsradio and telecom
Imagine what
will happen if
Mukesh Ambani
joins hands with
his estranged
younger brother,
Anil. Together
they will emerge
as Indian
Murdochs. They
will dominate
distribution,
content and
platforms.
(2G, 3G and 4G). While Mukesh has 4G, Anil owns
FM radio channels and has substantial market
shares in 2G and 3G services.
Ban on individuals or groups
One of the suggestions in TRAIs latest consultation
paper is that certain individuals (politicians) and
specific institutions (religious groups and political
parties) should be barred from news media. Such a
measure will get embroiled in a legal mess. These
individuals and groups will knock at Supreme
Courts door and argue that this restriction
contravenes Article 19(1) of the constitution, which
deals, among others, with the fundamental right to
freedom of speech and expression.
Going by legal precedents, the Supreme Court
may act against the curb. In Sakal Papers vs Union
of India, it stated: This Court must be ever vigilant
in guarding perhaps the most precious of all free-
doms guaranteed by our Constitution. The
freedom of speech and expression of opinion is of
paramount importance under a democratic
Constitution which envisages changes in the com-
position of legislatures and governments and must
be preserved. In Naraindas vs State of Madhya
Pradesh, it observed: It is our firm belief, nay a
conviction that there must be freedom not only
for the thought we cherish, but also for the thought
we hate.
Bogey of equity caps
In February 2009, TRAI recommended an equity
cap of 20 percent if an owner wanted to extend his
media empire either horizontally (across
platforms) or vertically (in to distribution). This
was one of the suggestions in its recent consulta-
tion paper too. However, not many realize the
problems with any form of equity caps, and the
fact that they have not worked in other sectors.
One, if a cap is proposed, what happens to the
existing owners, who have fingers in several cross-
media pies? Will they be asked to reduce their
shareholdings in other media entities? Will they
be forced to spin out different media divisions
within the same company into different firms, and
then reduce their stakes? How will the government
convince foreign investorsmedia conglomerates
and private equity playerswho have stakes in
existing media firms? Or will it be merely prospec-
tive law, which will enable media barons to retain
current domination?
Two, as we have seen in media and telecom,
there are several ways to wriggle around equity
caps. For example, as per existing regulations, a
broadcaster cannot own over 20 percent in a DTH
entity. However, the Subhash Chandra-owned Zee
Group owns TV channels, including news, cable
distribution and DTH.
Indian promoters manage to wield control over
companies despite owning minority, or less than
20 percent, stakes. Also, they float new companies
to wriggle around caps, or get their family
At present the focus is largely on
print, TV, radio and internet. No
one looks at telecom (mobile),
which is likely to become the
most preferred platform for
news consumption.
Lede
cross-ownership
media monopolies
members and friends to own different firms.
In telecom, when FDI equity cap was 74
percent, the Hong Kong-based Hutchison Group
owned over 86 percent in its Indian operations.
Later, it sold out to Vodafone. But how did
Hutchison do it? Through Hutchison Telecommu-
nications International, registered in Cayman
Islands, it owned 52 percent. Another 22 percent
was held through Mauritius-based firms. How-
ever, the combined over 12 percent stakes held by
two Indians, Ashim Ghosh (4.68 percent) and
Analjit Singh (7.58 percent), was also indirectly
controlled by the Hutchison Group.
The reason: Hutchison provided the guaran-
tees to financial institutions, which bank-rolled
Ghosh and Singh for their purchases. Therefore,
it was evident that the two Indians would not act
against Hutchisons wishes. In effect, Hutchison
controlled 86.26 percent in the Indian operations.
Three, in many cases, control over a media
firm is exercised through loans. This was initially
the case between RIL and Network18, before the
former officially took over the media group. In the
beginning, RIL formed a new entity, Independent
media Trust, which extended `1,700 crore to
privately-held firms, which were owned by
Network18s previous owner, Raghav Bahl, and
through which Bahl owned sizeable stakes in the
listed media firms.
Legally, RIL or Independent Media Trust had
no stakes in the listed media companies. However,
the huge loan enabled them to possibly influence
Bahls decisions which, in turn, probably impacted
the editorial freedom of the Groups news chan-
nels. The money was given through compulsorily
converted debentures, which implied that they
would be converted into shares at a later date, as
they did, and give direct control to the Trust,
which happened subsequently.
Four, minority shareholders with less than 20
percent stakes, especially private equity players,
wield influence over the boards of media entities.
This is possible because of the stringent clauses in
the agreements that the new investors sign with
the owners. One of the clauses relates to the af-
firmative vote rights of the director(s) appointed
by the private equity firm. This meant that unless
the director(s) gave affirmative nod, crucial de-
cisions, like expenditure over a specific sum,
mergers and acquisitions, and alterations in busi-
ness plans, could not be passed by the board. It im-
plied that the private equity firms director(s) had
veto powers.
Clearly, if TRAI or the government is serious
about curbs on cross-media ownership, they have
to think beyond their myopic logic. They have to
understand the realities of media landscape in the
country, and the mindsets of Indian promoters.
They will have to seek out the devils in the fine
print of whatever rules and laws they write.
There are several ways to escape equity caps
on cross-media ownership. A media baron
can get his family and friends to own an
entity. He can introduce veto powers in
contracts, or set up a new company.
Lede
takeovers and hirings
NDUSTRIALIST Mukesh Ambani, nor-
mally shy of exposure to media unlike his brother
Anil, has taken a big plunge and completed acqui-
sition of Raghav Bahls Network18 Group, which
brings into his fold English and vernacular news
as well entertainment channels. Almost the entire
leadership of Network18 Group, including Bahl and his wife, Ritu
Kapur, and group company CNN-IBNs Chief Editor Rajdeep
Sardesai and his wife and Deputy Editor Sagarika Ghose re-
signed. Later, Bahl refused to be the groups non-executive
editor. Network18 Group, whose suite of general news,
business and entertainment channels has a pan-India
footprint, is currently headless and rumours are rife
about media personalities who might join it.
Four people, including seasoned journalists like
BV Rao (formerly with Sahara), Rohit Bansal, and
Gautam Chickermane (formerly with Outlook Investor and Hin-
dustan Times), have joined Reliance as part of the content team.
But one is not sure whether they will drive content generation for
Reliance Jios 4G services, or whether they will also be involved
with Network18. However, Mukesh appears to be in no great
hurry to pinpoint the editorial hierarchy, and it might be a month
or two before all editorial and non-editorial positions are filled.
This may be finalized only when 4G takes off.
Barkha Dutt of NDTV is rumored to take Sardesais position,
but in a recent meeting with CNN-IBN employees, Bansal denied
the news. Barkha is in touch with Mukesh Ambani and his right-
hand man, Manoj Modi. She may become the overall head of
content, both Network18 and 4G. Her decision to move out of
MEDIA MERRY-
Corporate takeover of media outlets leads to
a churn in the sector and raises fears about
effective safeguards to protect editorial
independence.
BY RAJENDRA BAJPAI
14
MUKESH AMBANI
Has acquired Network18
Group from Raghav Bahl
VIEWS ON NEWS August 22 , 2014
media monopolies
NDTV may be driven by several factors. There is
speculation that Adani Group, which is perceived
to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
may pick up a sizeable stake in NDTV.
The future of Sardesai, Ghose, Bahl and Kapur
too is not clear. There is speculation that Sardesai
and wife might return to the IBN fold; or they
could move to the India Today Group. Ghose is
billed to be the next editor of India Today
magazine and Sardesai may join Headlines Today.
Sardesai told Views On News that it was all
speculation and that he was currently writing a
book on the just-concluded general elections and
that he might decide later what to do. He also said
that as far as he knew his wife, Sagarika, was
planning to go back to the print media.
Bahl on his part has made clear that his future
lay in the digital space because he believed jour-
nalism or news would migrate to online medium
and would largely be carried on hand-held de-
vices like mobile phone and tablets. He was happy
that he had both the capital and experience now
to chart a new course for himself, something that
he did not have when he took the plunge into the
television business.
There are more changes in this media-
go-around. After almost two decades, Shekhar
Gupta, editor-in-chief of the Indian Express
Group, who was stripped of the CEO position, left
the company to join the India Today Group as
vice chairman and editor-in-chief of all the news
properties. Tellingly, in his letter to the employees,
Aroon Purie, chairman, did not mention the
names of his three children (two daughters and a
son) and said: In his new role, Shekhar has
promised to liberate me from day-to-day opera-
GO-ROUND
tions, so that I can work to guiding the group into
a future of great promise, growth and excitement.
Does this imply that Purie, who has always
been a hands-on person, is in the retirement
mode? Does this mean the Purie family is willing
to transfer ownership to KM Birla, who has a 26
percent stake in India Todays holding company?
Was Shekhar Birlas choice?
Newslaundry.com, an online media-centric
website, said Guptas departure from Indian
Express was due to Anant Goenka, the son of pub-
lisher Vivek Goenka. Anant, a wholetime director,
who was mainly involved with online content,
wanted a greater say in Express. It caused friction
between him and Shekhar, finally leading to his
RAJDEEP SARDESAI
(Right) Is currently
writing a book.
(Below) Sagarika
Ghose, is slated to be
be next editor of
India Today
departure. In several interviews, Goenka has said
that the future of news lay in online presence.
However, in a major jolt to Indian Express,
Shekhar plans to woo several journalists from the
daily to India Today. Reportedly, 10-15 journalists
may shift. But the two seniors, Raj Kamal Jha and
Unnikrishnan were persuaded
by Anant to stay back in a sen-
sitive meeting. Shekhars entry in
India Today was possibly responsible for the sad
professional end for another familySandeep
Bamzai, editor, Mail Today, and his sister, Kaveree
Bamzai, Editor, India Today. While Kaveree has
quit, Sandeep is on his way out. The two e xits may
pave the way for the entry of another family,
Sardesai and Sagarika.
Another media group, which has witnessed
churning in editorial staff for several
months, is The Hindu. Ever since Siddharth
Varadarajan, the dailys editor, quit in a
huff because of interference by the
owners, others have done the same.
Varadarajan was followed by MK Venu, the news-
papers resident editor in Delhi. He has joined the
Amar Ujala Group, which owns one of the largest
Hindi daily but has plans for English media.
Recently, Hindus two senior editors, P
Sainath, its rural editor and a Magsaysay Award
winner, and Praveen Swami, resigned. Earlier,
Suhasini Haider joined The Hindu as the
diplomatic editor, which peeved Sandeep Dixit,
who covered foreign policy. He went on a long
leave in protest and was finally placated with the
offer of business editor; he accepted it, though
with apprehensions. These changes were pushed
by Malini Parthasarthy, who regained the groups
ownership from her relative N Ram in a board
room coup.
Yet another board room coup was the sale of
Businessworld (BW), a weekly business magazine,
by the Kolkata-based Anand Bazaar Patrika
(ABP) Group. After decades of losses, ABP finally
decided to sell the magazine, almost lock, stock
and barrel, along with the journalists, to Anurag
Batra, owner of Exchange4Media, and Vikram
Jhunjhunwala, an investor. According to reports,
Jhunjhunwala has sold most of his shares to Axis
Banks Rana Kapoors daughter. It was possibly the
first time that an online media firm took over a
print publication.
Immediately, Batra sacked several journalists
to pare down costs, continued the print version,
but strengthened the magazines online presence.
Recently, BWs Editor Prosenjit Datta quit, and
Rajeev Dubey took over as the new editorial head.
Over the next few months, Batra plans to generate
revenue streams from events and seminars. In
addition, he hopes to convert BW into an
interactive website and something like an Internet
TV site. Journalists have been told to video record
all their meetings, so that they can be uploaded
on the website in real time. In the new scenario,
print may take a back seat.
Clearly, there are growing signs of corporati-
zation of Indian media. Although most media
There are growing signs of
corporatization.This is possibly the first time
that large businesses are buying media
properties. The entry of Ambani, Adani, Birla
and Rana Kapoor are pointers to this trend.
16
RAGHAV BAHL
Plans to migrate to online
medium. (Below) Barkha Dutt
is rumored to join CNN-IBN
Lede
takeovers and hirings
media monopolies
anytime in the past or future. Network18 had bor-
rowed Rs 1,700 crore from Mukesh two years ago
and issued him 10-year convertible debentures.
Some people believe Mukesh was irritated by
attacks on him during the run up to the 2014
national elections and his inability to retaliate.
With a media company in his bag he will now be
in a position to defend himself. Indian equity
research firms are in such awe of Mukesh, the
countrys richest man, that they would not com-
ment on timing of his decision to convert deben-
tures into equity.
Both Edelweiss Securities and Grant Thornton
declined to comment, although Abneesh Roy of
Edelweiss did tell a business newspaper that the
takeover could potentially increase competitive
intensity in the TV broadcasting space, one needs
to see how much focus and bandwidth of RIL will
be available to Network18/TV18, which will be a
good fit to RILs consumer-facing businesses like
4G, retail, Indian Premiere League team etc.
firms are owned through corporate structures,
this is the first time that large businesses are
buying media properties. The entry of Ambani,
Adani, Birla and Rana Kapoor are pointers to this
trend. Venture capitalists and private equity
players are more willing to invest in media firms,
as was witnessed during the later-soured deal
between DB Shaw and Amar Ujala.
The first hint that Independent Media Trust
(IMT), of which Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) is
the sole beneficiary, was about to acquire Bahls
companies came on May 29 when it announced
approval of Rs 4,000 crore to complete the
purchase. Still, it came as a bit of a shock to IBN
staffers that day when Bahls wife, Ritu Kapur,
head of programming at TV18, came to the office
and announced it was her last day there.
A subsequent RIL announcement said: With
the completion of this transaction, IMT and RIL
have become promoters of NW18 and TV18.
RILs initial foray into broadcasting and digital
space will give it 78 percent in NW18 and 9
percent in TV18; the remaining shares will come
through open offers to the public. Mukesh will get
control of CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz ;
CNN-IBN and IBN7 ; ETV MP, UP, Rajasthan,
Bihar, Urdu, Kannada, Bangla and Haryana and
IBN Lokmat .
Entertainment channels Colors, Rishtey,
MTV, MTV Indies, Vh1, Nick, Sonic, Comedy
Central, ETV Marathi, Gujarati, Oriya, and
History18 will also fall into his lap, apart from
Bahls various investments in publication and dig-
ital sphere, including Forbes magazine. Analysts
see it as a good fit for Mukeshs investment in
telecom, where Reliance Jio is to roll out its
network next year on 4G platform.
The timing of Reliance to acquire Network18
was intriguing. It could have made the move at
17
SHEHAR GUPTA
(Front) Has joined
India Today Group as
vice chairman and
editor-in-chief.
(Behind) Aroon Purie is
in the retirement mode
VIEWS ON NEWS August 22, 2014
Glenn
Mulcaire
Private
Investigator
HALL OF
Neville Thurlbeck,
Chief Reporter
Clive
Goodman,
Royal Family
Reporter
Matt Nixson Former
Features Editor
Polly Graham, Former
Showbiz Editor
Rav Singh Former
Showbiz Editor
Jules Stenson Former
Assistant Editor
recent Huffington
Post article highlight-
ed how the 83-year
olds Twenty-First
Century Fox Inc
made an ambi-
tious bid of $80
billion to Time
Warner Inc, an offer if trans-
formed into reality will change the
American media landscape by
concentrating the bulk of media
and sports content into the
tycoons hands and making him
the most powerful man in US
media. However, Time Warner
has outrightly rejected the offer
fearing the undue influence of
Murdochs family and the
indecisiveness on Fox Incs future.
With Murdoch refusing to give up
his chase, what remains to be seen
is how he negotiates the deal while
the future of his company hangs
on a thin thread.
From phone hacking to
bribery, the corruption at News
International has involved many
playersincreasingly, ones close
to Rupert Murdoch. ProPublica
mapped out the players involved
in this growing debacle, organized
by their proximity to Rupert
Murdoch, James Murdoch and
other senior staff. Keep in mind
that in the United Kingdom,
officers can make arrests without
a formal charge.
June 24, 2014: Former editor
Andy Coulson was found guilty of
conspiracy to hack phones, while
Rebekah Brooks was found not
guilty of all charges. Also acquitted
were Brooks' husband Charlie, her
secretary Cheryl Carter, head of
security Mark Hanna (all found
not guilty of conspiracy to "pervert
the course of justice") and retired
managing editor Stuart Kuttner
(found not guilty on phone hack-
ing charges). The jury has not yet
reached a verdict on further
charges against Coulson and for-
mer royal editor Clive Goodman
relating to paying police officers.
Lede media monopolies
ruperts woes
INFAMY
?
45 people were arrested, 21 charged and
five found guilty in the phone hacking scandal
involving Rupert Murdochs empire. But his appetite
for expansion and takeovers remains unsatiated.
The chart shows the fate of reporters,
writers and managers in the News of
the World and The Sun. Concentric
circles show the individuals proximity
to Rupert Murdoch
Tom Crone News
International Legal
Affairs Manager
Les
Hinton
Dow
Jones
CEO
Rupert Murdoch News
Corp Chairman & Chief
Executive Officer
James Murdoch News
Corp Deputy Chief
Operating Officer
Rebekah Brooks News
International Chief
Executive
Mark Hanna
News
International
Head of Security
Greg Miskiw,
Former
Assistant
Editor
Stuart
Kuttner,
Former
Managing
Editor
David Johnson,
Brooks'former
security guard
Daryl Jorsling
Brooks' former
security guard
Paul Edwards
Brooks' former
chauffeur
Charged
Arrested
Arrested more than once
Found Guilty
Pled Guilty
Found not Guilty
Resigned
Charlie Brooks
Rebekah Brooks'
husband
Cheryl Carter Brooks'
former personal assistant
Duncan Larcombe,
Royal Editor
Rachel Richardson,
Fabulous Magazine Editor
Jane Atkison, Northern
Features Editor
John Sturgis,
Reporter
Virginia Wheeler, Defense Editor
Chris Pharo,
News Editor
Graham
Dudman,
Former
Managing
Editor
Jamie Pyatt,
District Editor
Neil Wallis, Media
Consultant, former
Executive Editor
Lucy Patton,
Former Crime
Editor
Mike Sullivan,
Crime Editor
John
Edwards,
Picture
Editor
Fergus Shanahan,
Executive Editor,
Former Deputy Editor
Geoff Webster,
Deputy Editor
James
Desborough,
Reporter
Terenia Taras,
Freelance Journalist
Nick Parker, Chief
Foreign Correspondent
This was an interactive graphic
on ProPublica website. We have
adapted it for the print version
In the UK arrests can be made
without formal charges
Anthony France,
Crime Reporter
Rhodri Phillips,
Reporter
Raoul Simons
The Times
Deputy
Football Editor
Douglas
Wight,
Former
Scotland
News Editor
Patrick Foster,
Former Times
journalist
Andy
Coulson,
PMs Chief
Press Officer,
former Editor
Bob Bird, Former
Scotland Editor
Ian
Edmondson,
Senior Editor
James
Weatherup,
Assistant
Editor
John Kay, Chief
Reporter Dan Evans,
Reporter
CIRCLES OF ARRESTS
R
R
R
R
commit misconduct in a public
office. Anthony France, a crime
reporter at The Sun was also
arrested.
Nov. 20: David Cameron's former
media chief Andy Coulson and
former News International chief
executive Rebekah Brooks were
charged for conspiring to pay
bribes to public officials. Two
other journalists were also
charged: John Kay, former chief
reporter at The Sun, and Clive
Goodman, a former News of the
World reporter. Former News of
the World crime editor Lucy
Patton, arrested last December on
suspicion of paying police officers.
August 30: Former News of the
World legal manager Tom Crone
was arrested on suspicion of
conspiracy to intercept communi-
cations. Former Times journalist
Patrick Foster, arrested over
suspected computer hacking,
and former News of the World
Scotland news editor Douglas
Wight, was arrested and charged
with perjury and conspiracy to
hack telephones.
August 29: Bob Bird, former
Scotland editor of News of the
World, was arrested and charged
with attempting to pervert the
course of justice.
July 31: Nick Parker, The Sun's
chief foreign correspondent, was
arrested on the suspicion of
gathering data from stolen mobile
phones. He has since been
released on bail.
July 24: British prosecutors
brought 19 conspiracy charges
against eight major figures in the
Murdoch scandal. The accused
include Rebekah Brooks, who
served as a top editor of
October 30, 2013: A London
court was told that Neville
Thurlbeck, James Weatherup, and
Greg Miskiw had pleaded guilty
to conspiracy to intercept commu-
nications, and Glenn Mulcaire
had pleaded guilty to hacking a
mobile phone.
June 19, 2013: Nick Parker, the
Suns chief foreign correspondent,
was charged with conspiracy to
commit misconduct in a
public office.
May 3, 2013: David Johnson, a
former security guard for Rebekah
Brooks, was charged Friday with
concealing potential evidence
relating to phone hacking.
Mar. 21, 2013: The Crown
Prosecution Service announced
that Neil Wallis, a former
executive editor of the News of the
World who was arrested in July
2011, would face no further
charges, due to "insufficient
evidence for a realistic prospect
of conviction."
Mar. 20, 2013: Geoff Webster, the
deputy editor of The Sun, was
charged with two counts of
conspiring to commit misconduct
in public office by authorizing pay-
ments to public officials.
Feb. 13, 2013: Six more
journalists were arrested on
suspicion of conspiracy to inter-
cept telephone communications.
They were former News of the
World editors Jules Stenson, Rav
Singh, Polly Graham and Matt
Nixson, and The Sun editors
Rachel Richardson and Jane
Atkinson.
Jan. 22, 2013: Virginia Wheeler,
The Suns defense editor, was
charged with conspiracy to
Murdoch's News of the World,
Andrew Coulson, another former
editor of the Murdoch paper, and
Stuart Kuttner, Glenn Mulcaire,
Greg Miskiw, Ian Edmondson,
Neville Thurlbeck and James
Weatherup. All eight have
previously been arrested, but
these criminal charges represent a
major escalation in the ongoing
scandal because the indicted
could now face prison time.
July 19: Rhodri Phillips, a news
reporter at The Sun, was arrested.
May 15: Rebekah Brooks, her
husband, and four others were
charged with conspiring to per-
vert the course of justice. The
other suspects include head of
security Mark Hanna, Brooks'
former
personal assistant Cheryl Carter,
her security guard Daryl Jorsling,
and her chauffeur Paul Edwards.
April 19: Duncan Larcombe,
the royal editor of The Sun, was
arrested on suspicion of
conspiracy to corrupt and
conspiracy to cause misconduct
in a public office.
March 15: Neville Thurlbeck,
a former chief reporter at
The News of the World, was
arrested on suspicion of
intimidating a witness. This is
his second arrest.
March 13: Six more people
were arrested including
Rebekah Brooks, her husband
Charlie Brooks and News
International Head of Security
Mark Hanna. This is Rebekah
Brooks' second arrest. We'll
be updating this chart with
more names as and when they
become known.
-Courtesy ProPublica
Lede media monopolies
ruperts woes
F
Why have journalists surrendered
their right of independent assessment?
BY RAJENDRA BAJPAI
OR more than 60 years, two generations of Indian journalists have meekly
surrendered their right to question the government on defense and foreign
affairs, sometimes with disastrous consequences. They have dutifully pub-
lished the government version of defense-related issues and published re-
ports without questioning the countrys foreign policy. Journalists probably
fear being labeled traitors or worse, reprisals if they do not toe the
government line.
Take for instance, the routine reports of firing across the LoC between
India and Pakistan in Kashmir and at their common border, elsewhere.
Comfort
in conflict
zone
reporting
Reporting
defense and foreign affairs
CLICHED VIEWPOINT
(Facing page) The media tamely reports the
official view on LoC in Kashmir; (Above) Much
hue and cry on Vaidiks meeting with Saeed
Newspapers and
electronic channels
have questioned
Vaidiks credentials
because he was
not representing
a newspaper,
magazine or
electronic media.
So what?
Indian newspapers and electronic
media routinely blame Pakistan for
violating the ceasefire agreement.
That makes Pakistanis the villains and
Indian soldiers emerge as saints.
There is never an attempt to find
out whats happening. If they do not
have the willingness or resources to
investigate, the least they can do is to
say the government claimed. After
all, we have the IB, RAW, Military In-
telligence and other undercover or-
ganizations doing something or being
funded for no good reason.
I
n the 1950s, the Chinese made
several overtures to get India to
negotiate the border problem.
The Indian establishment, especially
the then prime minister Jawaharlal
Nehru, believed there was nothing to
negotiate as there was no real dispute,
as the McMahon Line established the
territory that belonged to India.
Indian newspapers were vocifer-
ous in advancing this theory. They
were not willing to entertain a con-
trary viewpoint.
How flawed this attitude was, was
clear from the fact that at the turn of
the last century Britain was the super-
power and when it sent out expedi-
tions to the border areas in British
India, they simply annexed territories.
And thats what an expedition led by
Henry McMahon did when it visited
the eastern Himalayas.
The result of this total submission
was an unexpected war with China in
1962. Had newspapers forced the
government to negotiate, the war with
China may have been averted.
A more recent case that reflects
the mindset and ignorance of news-
papers and television channels is that
of freelance journalist Dr Ved Pratap
Vaidik. The TV channels have come
down heavily on Vaidik for meeting
Mumbai terror-accused Hafiz Saeed
in Lahore and saying in Pakistan that
he supports Kashmirs independence.
Newspapers and electronic chan-
nels have questioned Vaidiks creden-
tials as a journalist because he was not
representing a newspaper, magazine
or electronic media. So what? There
are hundreds of freelance journalists
in India who have as much right to
write and interview people as those
with official accreditation.
The interview with Hafiz Saeed
should have been lauded. Anybody
can interview Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif but its difficult to get access to
Hafiz. Just because he is Indias enemy
is no reason not to meet him.
Arnab Goswami of Times Now in
his Newshour programme wondered
why Vaidik had not been arrested and
asked whether the government would
have ignored a journalist who inter-
viewed Dawood Ibrahim. In fact,
many Indian journalists have inter-
viewed Dawood, an extremely elusive
character. Several channels also
repeatedly broadcast Vaidiks com-
ments that he welcomed independ-
ence of Kashmir. The comments were
snatched out of context.
A
nother case is that of 30-odd
Indians trapped in Iraq
where they are being held
hostage by ISIS. Newspapers said the
government was planning to rescue
them and that a couple of naval ves-
sels were in or around the Persian
Gulf. Rescue them? How? By sending
storm troopers? Or sending the
army? Such an operation would be
difficult even if countries bordering
Iraq were willing to extend help to
India. Newspapers dont ask questions
but opt for the easiest way out.
Breakup as per Business, English News and Hindi News channels which
included: Bloomberg, CNBC Awaaz, CNBC TV18, ET NOW, NDTV Profit,
Zee Business, CNN IBN, Headlines Today, NDTV 24X7, Times Now, Aaj Tak,
ABP News, Zee News, NDTV India, IBN 7, News 24, News 9, News Express,
Tej TV, News Nation and India News.
Media monitoring
TMM report
MODI GRABBED 2,455 HOURS
OF TELEVISION NEWS COVERAGE BETWEEN
An analysis based on the TV monitoring
intelligence report
By The Media Monitor
1st FEBRUARY TO
18th JUNE
Monthly Channel Breakup
Total Duration
Channel Breakup
Total Duration (Hr:Min:Sec and %)
Total Duration (Hr:Min:Sec and %)
FEBRUARY: 380:53:34
ENGLISH NEWS CHANNELS
657:02:03
BUSINESS CHANNELS
(ENGLISH & HINDI)- 401:24:11
HINDI NEWS CHANNELS
1396:41:27
MARCH: 484:12:07
APRIL: 585:47:08
MAY: 687:07:37
JUNE: 317:07:15
12.92%
15.51%
19.72%
27.99%
23.86%
56.89%
16.35%
26.76%
Months Business Channels English Hindi Total
(Hr: Min: Sec) Channels Channels
February 59:18:13 135:0035 186:34:46 380:53:34
(2.42%) (5.50%) (7.60%) (15.51%)
March 45:20:28 132:58:07 305:53:32 484:12:07
(1.85%) (5.42%) (12.46%) (19.72%)
April 118.51.51 134:14:48 332:40:29 585:47:08
(4.84%) (5.47%) (13.55%) (23.86%)
May 134:57:32 165:20:48 386:49:17 687:07:37
(5.50%) (6.73%) (15.76%) (27.99%)
Up to 18th June 42.56.07 89:27:45 184:43:23 317:07:15
(1.75%) (3.64%) (7.52%) (12.92%)
Total 401:24:11 657:02:03 1396:41:27 2455:07:41
(16.35%) (26.76%) (56.89%) (100%)
A
n analysis by TMM shows that it
was virtually a one man show on
TV news channels. Narendra
Modi as BJPs prime ministerial candidate
cornered 2,445 hours of prime time
coverage of the total TV space, which was
more than his rivals, including members
of the Gandhi family and leaders like Mu-
layam Singh Yadav and Mamta Banerjee
put together.
The television monitoring intelligence
report data on coverage of top campaign-
ers in the general elections by English and
Hindi news channels between 8 PM to 10
PM (prime time) showed that Modi occu-
pied an astounding 2,455 hours or 83.65
percent of news channels total air time
from February 1 to June 18. While Hindi
channels devoted the maximum coverage
to Modi, business channels did not ex-
actly go gaga over the future prime min-
ister. Modi, however, managed to clock
16.35 percent of TV space on business
news channels.
Television clipstelevision footage of
duration of 30 seconds to 2 minutes
were analyzed during prime timefixed
news broadcast time slots during evening
programmingbetween 9 AM to 4 PM
and 7 PM to 11 PM (for business chan-
nels) and 7 PM to 11 PM (for English and
Hindi news channels.)
D
I
S
C
L
A
I
M
E
R
TMM put together this report with the information which is in the publicly available domain (television as a medium) and reported the
unbiased observations. TMM is not giving an opinion on any particular brand. This report is copyright material & TMM has the authority to disseminate this
document. This report contains some trademarks, brands that belong to their respective owners.
Monthly Breakup
Virtual one man
show on television
Channels Total Clips
Business Channels 1810
(English & Hindi)
English Channels 1230
Hindi Channels 3527
Months Total Clips
February 985
March 928
April 2127
May 1790
Up to18th June 737
BREAKING NEWS
DATE NEWS CHANNEL TIME
5/07/14
12:03PM 12:05PM 12:09PM
180 Indians including 46
nurses earlier held by ISIS,
return home
12:04PM
12:52PM 1:14PM
2:00PM 2:05 PM 2:10PM
1:02PM 1:21PM 2:48PM
12:40PM 12:58PM
12:00PM
5/07/14
Aditya Pancholi files a `100 crore
defamation case against Rabia Khan
in High Court, hearing on July 9
5/07/14 Moradabad SSP hold BJP MP
Suresh Singh responsible
for tension
5/07/14
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan
call an all party meet before
Budget to ensure smooth
running of Parliament
5/07/14
1:40PM 1:00PM
Digvijaya Singh to go on hunger
strike in support of farmers
demands for compensation ; crops
had been damaged in flood
7/07/14
11:17AM 11:16AM 11:17AM 11:16AM
11:25AM
Congress MPs create
ruckus in Lok Sabha;
proceedings continue 11:18AM
7/07/14
11:25AM 11:28AM
11:29AM 11:28AM
Ruckus in Lok Sabha; house
adjourned till 12 noon
Here are some of the major news items aired on television channels
recorded by our unique 24x7 dedicated media monitoring unit that
scrutinizes more than 130 TV channels in different Indian languages and
looks at who breaks the news first.
7/07/14
11:35AM 11:35AM 11:36AM
SC ruling says Shariat
courts do not have
constitutional backing 11:40AM 11:34AM
12:00PM
12:13PM 12:15PM 12:13PM 12:13PM 12:14PM
1:55PM 1:56PM 1:57PM 1:59PM
11:48AM 11:40AM 12:20PM
1:56PM
11:56AM
7/07/14 SC refuses to stay army chiefs
appointment ; says no to stay
on Gen Shags appointment
7/07/14 Lathicharge on Congresss
workers in Delhi protesting
against price hike
7/07/14 Guard gets lifer in Pallavi
murder case ; she was killed
in a Mumbai highrise
7/07/14
2:42PM 2:43PM
7 -day strike of Maharashtra
doctors ends following talks
with CM
9/07/14
10:40AM 10:46AM
10:50AM 10:55AM 10:55AM
SC issues notice to Salman in
Black Buck killing case ; wants
reply in a week
9/07/14
11:42AM 11.44AM
11:45AM 11:48AM 11:50AM
1:47PM 1:45PM
Home minister Rajnath Singh
announces Amit Shah to take
over as BJP president
9/07/14
1:35PM 1:40PM
1:48PM
Shoot-out between rival
groups at Faizabad court, hand
grenades used; 2 people killed,
many injured
BREAKING NEWS
9/07/14
1:47PM 1:48PM 1:48PM
I T notice to Sonia in Herald
House case.
1:49PM 1:50 PM
8:15AM 8:15AM 8:16AM 8:16AM
3:08PM 3:05PM 3:10PM 3:18PM 3:20PM
4:02PM 4:03PM
4:05PM 4:04PM
5:41AM
8:14AM
9/07/14 Lathicharge on Congress
workers protesting against price
rise in Jaipur
10/07/14 Modi Governments first budget;
finance minister to present the
budget in parliament
10/07/14
Blast on a bike in Punes Farskhana
injures 2; reasons not known;
police says no reason to panic
10/07/14
4:05PM 4:10PM
Clash between villagers and police
in Bijnor; skirmish sparked by
recovery of body from the Ganga
10/07/14
5:39PM 5:40PM
Branded petrol price reduced by a
rupee; excise duty on premium
petrol down from 7.5 to 2.35 `/litre
14/07/14
11:32AM 1:34PM
Ved Pratap Vaidik's meeting with
Hafiz Saeed sparks controversy;
Congress demands action
14/07/14
12:21PM 12:14PM 12:30PM 12:26PM
Inflation dips from 6.01 percent
to 5.43 percent over last month
BREAKING NEWS
14/07/14 BSP, TMC, NCP, SP and
AIADMK supports TRAI
amendment bill
14/07/14 TRAI amendment bill passed in
Lok Sabha
14/07/14 President issues notification on
list of governors
14/07/14 Government imposes extra
fine on Reliance
14/07/14 Stay on death sentence for 2
Delhi gang-rape accused
15/07/14
11:20AM 11:20AM 11:22AM 11:22AM 11:25AM
Ruckus in R S over Ved Pratap
Vaidiks statement and the contro-
versial Vaidik-Hafiz Saeed meet
15/07/14
4:42PM 4:44PM 4:44PM 4:47PM 4:45PM
TRAI amendment bill passed
in R S ; after being cleared in
L S yesterday
17/07/14
10:10AM 10:22AM 10:36AM
Terror attack on Kabul Airport; all
terrorists killed; Taliban takes
responsibility
12:55PM 12:53PM 12:50PM
1:23PM 1:21PM 1:22PM 1:21PM
3:11PM 3:12PM 3:10PM 3:10PM
3:12PM 4:12PM 4:11PM
3:44PM 4:00PM 3:53PM
BREAKING NEWS
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Views On News (VON) is Indias premier fortnightly magazine that
covers the wide spectrum of modern communication loosely known
as the media. Its racy, news and analysis oriented story-telling
encompasses current global and Indian developments, trends, future
projections encompassing policy and business drifs, the latest from
inside the print and electronic newsrooms, the exciting developments
in ever-expanding digital space, trending matters in the social media,
advertising, entertainment and books.
EVERY FORTNIGHT VIEWS ON NEWS WILL BRING YOU TELL-ALL
NEWS, ANALYSES AND OPINION FROM THE SHARPEST INVESTI-
GATIVE REPORTERS AND MOST INCISIVE MINDS IN THE NATION
An ENC Publication
If the media is leaving you behind, stay ahead of it by picking up yester-
days Views On News!
VIEWS ON NEWS
Dont miss a single issue of this stimulating, unbiased, entertaining new fortnightly magazine and get special discounts for yourself and
your friends
Political interests are gradually taking over cable
and digital distribution to manipulate news to their
advantage and block those which criticize them.
e know of print and
TV channels being
owned by political par-
ties, politicians and fam-
ily members. What is
disturbing is that the trend has
gripped cable and digital distribution.
While ownership over a channel pro-
vides scope to air pro-party or pro-
politician news, which may have a
larger viewership, control over a dom-
inant cable firm, or MSO (multi-sys-
tem operator), allows for wider
censorship of political news.
Take the case of the Punjab-based
Fastway Group, which owns three
MSOs, Fastway Transmissions, Hath-
way Sukhamrit and Creative Cable
Network. Competition Commission
found that Fastway indulged in anti-
competitive practices and denied
market access to Day and Night news
channel. According to Day and Night,
its coverage was blocked out by the
three MSOs, owned by Gurdeep
Singh, several times.
In October 2010, when Manpreet
Tamil Nadu is
an interesting case
to show how politics
converges with
cable distribution.
The fight between
DMKs Sumangali
and AIADMKs
Arasu proves it.
Politics of
cable wars
Singh Badal, the states FM and the
nephew of the Shiromani Akali Dals
CM, Parkash Singh Badal, resigned
from the cabinet and party, the cover-
age was blacked out. In one instance,
the audio of a cartoon network was
patched up with the news channel. In
another case, when the audience
walked out of a youth Akali Dal rally
in December 2010, Day and Night
was abruptly switched off.
While Gurdeep Singhs relation-
ship to the Badal family or Akali Dal
is not firmly established, it is clear
from the above instances that his
MSOs were ideologically aligned with
both. Similarly, in 2011, a documen-
tary on the involvement of the three
Reddy brothers (who were ministers
in Karnataka state regime) in illegal
mining was blanked out in the seven
districts of the state. The Reddy bro-
thers owned the cable networks in
these areas and the documentary was
aired by an English news channel,
CNN-IBN.
Tamil Nadu provides the most in-
Hawkeye
Alam Srinivas
teresting case of how politics con-
verges with cable distribution. For
years, the dominant MSO in the state
was Sumangali Cable Vision (SCV),
owned by the relatives of former CM,
K Karunanidhi of the DMK. When
the partys patriarch fell out with the
Maran family, which owns SCV, and
while he was still the CM, the state
government launched a competing
firm, Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV
(Arasu). A patch-up ensured that
Arasu was allowed to go defunct.
When DMKs political competitor,
J Jayalalithas AIADMK came to
power in 2011, it re-launched Arasu.
However, DMK was a coalition part-
ner of the Congress-led UPA-II,
which was in power at the center.
When Arasu applied for a digital li-
cense in July 2012since MSOs were
forced to send digitized signals as per
government regulationsthe central
ministry of information and broad-
casting sat on it for months.
Several local cable operators in
Chennai took legal action to ask for a
postponement of the deadline set up
by the government for complete digi-
tization in the state capital. The poli-
tics at play was simple. Arasus digital
licence was on hold; if digitization
went ahead as per schedule, it would
lose out to SCV, owned by DMK
politicians. Obviously, the majority
cable subscribers would opt for SCV,
rather than wait for Arasu.
Around the same time that Arasu
battled with the central ministry for a
license in 2012, Gujarats CM, Naren-
dra Modi, who is now the prime min-
ister, initiated efforts to launch NaMo
TV. In a smart move, Modi decided to
opt for a ground-based channel,
which was technically not broadcast-
ing. This was essentially to wriggle
out of the need to seek a license from
the central ministry. In a twist of fate,
NaMo TV was launched a day after
Election Commission announced the
dates for state assembly elections.
Under the model of conduct, NaMo
TV shut down its operations, and was
never revived.
As Gujarats chief minister,
Modi had launched a
ground-based channel to
obviate the need to seek
centers permission.
But it was soon shut down.
New media undergoes rapid growth in India,
blurring the lines between various platforms.
IGITAL media is
rapidly emerging
in India as a force
we could have
never imagined
some years ago. We were so addicted
to our newspapers that the day could
not start without it.
But today our newspapers look
stale as we would have read most of
the news reports on our ipads and
phones last night. There were stories
Kaleidoscope
Ramesh Menon
We will have
newspapers that
are tailor-made for
our individual
needs. Your
neighbors paper
would be different
as his tastes are
not the same
as yours.
change our lives?
will digital media
that had broken on Twitter late in the
evening. You saw what was trending
and followed. You knew what every-
one was thinking of the develop-
ments. If you broke the news, people
followed you. News sites had an icon
with the headline that helped you
tweet. Or they used tweets to lure you
to their news site.
Not just news. Amishs Shiva Tri-
ology was promoted by Amitabh
Bachchan on Twitter. With over four
lakh followers, it was a good market-
ing idea, which helped Amish laugh
all the way to the bank. This, then, is
the power of 140 characters.
We will soon have newspapers de-
livered on personal computers that
are tailor-made for our individual
needs. Your neighbours paper would
be different as his tastes are not the
same as yours.
At nearly four million views, Sar-
wesh Mehras The Girl and the
Autorickshaw is a hit on YouTube. If
you havent heard of the film, go to
Humaramovie.com, a favourite with
aspiring film makers. Its panel of ex-
pert film makersImtiaz Ali, Anurag
Kashyap and Anurag Basu, among
otherscurate what goes online.
Vinay Mishra, head of strategy and
alliances, Humaramovie, reckons that
the company, which is over a year old,
should soon break even on its invest-
ment of over `2 crore.
W
ith nearly 230 million
Indians tuning to enjoy
music, watch a film, a
TV show or a cricket match on their
mobiles, computers, tablets or other
devices, the internet is finally deliver-
ing some serious revenues. Of the
`27,000 crore that digital media made
in 2012, more than 80 percent came
from entertainment products online.
In 2009, it was just `10,000 crore.
The excitement is that advertisers
are willing to pay more to reach the
online audience spending an average
of 7 to 8 percent of their budgets on
digital medium.
India has become the worlds third
largest internet user after China and
the US. The country has nearly 74
million internet users, a 31 percent
increase over March 2012. Its users
are significantly younger than those
of other emerging economies.
Print continues to grow in India
unlike in most countries. Though it
has become more competitive and vi-
brant over the last few years, the in-
dustry is finally acknowledging that
challenges to its business model,
though not immediate, will emerge
eventually. English markets will be
challenged by the emergence of the
digital ecosystem first, followed by
regional markets.
Says Anuj Poddar, head-strategy
and business development, Viacom
18 Media Private Limited: New
media has finally arrived and growing
even faster than anticipated. Premium
content from broadcasters and film
studios is fuelling high streaming con-
sumption through web platforms and
smart phones and tablets.
We will soon witness how seam-
lessly lines between various media
platforms will start fading. The way we
create and consume news will change.
So will films. Multimedia plat-
forms will grow. We will employ dif-
ferent gadgets and devices to access
data or even entertain ourselves.
Amishs Shiva
Triology was
promoted by
Amitabh Bachchan
on Twitter. It was a
good marketing idea,
which helped him
laugh all the way
to the bank.
35
The plethora of news
websites promises
plenty for the
people. However,
while articles may be
in abundance, their
treatment across
the websites
is questionable.
BY R PARVATHY
he trend of breaking the news first has moved
over from television to the internet. With a
plethora of news websites offering plenty to
readers, one expects diversity in viewpoint
while digesting it. However, it seems that the
herd culture continues to dominate the online medium as well.
One would expect the cyberspace to provide the freedom to ex-
press ones opinion at will which, sadly, the offline world denies,
Cyber
sensibility on
NEWS
Web crawler
trending now
VIEWS ON NEWS August 22 , 2014 36
There is room for plenty of news in the
cyberspace. Besides official websites of the
print and electronic media, there is a surge
in user-generated news sites as well.
( and is bound to in a bid to reflect ob-
jectivity) yet news websites function
otherwise. That the media sometimes
behaves as an agent of the state is not
news to the public. But the Fourth Es-
tate appears as a standard bearer for the
powerful people of the country. When
the media came down heavily on a free-
lance journalist, Ved Prakash Vaidik for
interviewing wanted terrorist Hafiz
Saeed in Pakistan these gaping loop-
holes in the institution were exposed
yet again.
Congress, now in the opposition
after facing a crushing defeat from BJP,
jumped at the opportunity and started
questioning the motive of the inter-
view. News websites followed suit.
Instead of providing alternative view-
points or fresh perspectives, they dili-
gently followed the blame-game which
the two national political parties were
playing. Pictures of Vaidik and Saeed,
and Vaidik and Ramdev started circu-
lating on all websites. The Times of
India published articles which pointed
out that the meeting was sanctioned by
the ruling government. The video and
screenshots of Times Nows Big Story
which questioned Vaidiks visit to Pak-
istan started making its way into cyber-
space as well. Websites were quick to
lap up the information and declare
Vaidiks actions as suspicious, anti-
national and unpunishable.
However, the utility of the cyber-
space was truly demonstrated when
news of 46 nurses from Kerala who
were stranded in trouble-land Iraq
reached the home country. Websites
wasted no time in covering the minute
by minute coverage of their where-
abouts and the much publicized release
of the women. India Today published
a special report which traced the
whole event from the beginning till
the time the nurses returned back
to India. News also focused on their
available mobile connectivity and
efforts to contact the Indian Embassy.
The Times of India did a story on how
India had secret talks with Saddam
Hussains Baa'th Party concerning
their release. There were numerous
stories on first-hand accounts of
the nurses directly from the disputed
land. However, once they were back,
be it The Asian Age, Hindustan Times
or livemint.com, all celebrated
their homecoming.
Websites started trending once
again when Madras High Courts
Judge, Justice D Hariparanthaman
was denied entry into the famous
Tamil Nadu Cricket Association
(TNCA) club for sporting a dhoti.
Stories ran amok as the states CM
stepped up to address the issue.
India.com and Hindustan Times
splashed J Jayalalithaas utterance,
insult to Tamil culture as their news
headline. Business Standard, The
Statesman, Indian Express and
news.oneindia.in went beyond the
Chennai incident and interrogated
the practice of Indian clubs dress
codes and their viability in todays
time. However, it was Indias em-
phatic win over England after 28
years at Lords that saw the maximum
surge in cyberspace activity. It looked
as if nothing else dominated the news
world. NDTV Sports broke the story,
following which other websites took
up from there.
Ishant Sharmas spell-bound bowl-
ing made him the poster boy
overnight, followed by hefty contribu-
tions from fellow team-mates Ajinkya
Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Murli Vijay
and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar. Social
media websites like Facebook and
Twitter were heavily trending on the
Test win. In fact, the response on
Twitter was so overwhelming that
IBNlive.in.com published a story ex-
clusively on the tweets following
the match. VVS Laxman, Sanjay
Manjrekar, Harsha Bhogle and others
congratulated the home team on
its win.
The cyberspace today is evolving
beyond individual needs to cater to
the society as well. While the offline
mode of news presentation may have
its limitations in terms of production
and deadlines, the webspace does not
hold any such space-time barrier.
Yet there seems to be a deficiency
in terms of content presentation. It
seems news websites do not make
creative use of the medium and,
plainly rely on replicating information
from the offline to the online mode
and vice-versa. In the end, there is an
abundance of information but scarcity
in diverse representation.
T
The power of Modi's well-planned and clinically
devised marketing campaign had the media eating
out of its hands. RAMESH MENON gives a blow-by-blow
account of how the strategy played out.
he power of Modis marketing was not restricted to
the aspirational, modern, urban elite but stretched
far and wide. During the All India Congress Com-
mittee session in New Delhi on 17 January, party
leader Mani Shankar Aiyar derogatorily commented
that Modi could never become Indias prime minis-
ter but the party could make place for a tea stall for
him at the meeting venue, taking a dig at Modis
humble origins. In response, the BJP decided to hold
informal meetings at tea shops and call them Chai
Pe Charcha. It focused on politically crucial states
OVER A
SELLING
TEA
CUP
PR
modis media blitz
MAN OF IDEAS
Modi releasing the BJP manifesto along
with senior leaders of the party
such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to highlight
their backward-class PM candidate who once
sold tea with his father. As results showed, the
backward classes were emotionally drawn to
Modi. The Chai Pe Charcha events in 4,000
locations were estimated to have reached 50 lakh
people, who drank tea from paper cups that had
Modis photo on them, listening to political
discussions that showcased the BJP as an alter-
native. The partys research team found that
there were about 19,000 villages in Uttar Pradesh
and 11,000 in Bihar with a population of 2,000
or more and they had absolutely no media pen-
etration of any kind, not even radio sets. These
remote villages were not being targeted by any
political party. For the first time since Independ-
ence, the BJP reached out to them with 650 GPS-
enabled video vans that would showcase Modi
and his work in Gujarat and what the BJP
wanted to do if it came to power. Such video
vans made 1,38,900 trips into the interiors of
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
T
he research team also found that in
many places, when asked if they would
vote for the BJP, peoples answer was
No. But when the same people were asked if
they would vote for Modi if he were the candi-
date, the answer was invariably Yes. So they
tweaked the campaign to make voters feel they
were voting for Modi if they voted for the BJP. A
new slogan was coined: Kamal ka button dabao,
Modi ko pradhan mantri banao (A vote for the
lotus [the BJPs election symbol] is a vote to
make Modi the prime minister). The basic
theme of the campaign was that every BJP cand
date was fighting the election to ensure a Modi
victory. The leader himself often asked people
for votes in his name and not that of the local
candidate he shared the dais with.
The BJP also reached out to far-flung areas
using Doordarshan, All India Radio and re-
gional media in dialects like Mythili and Bhojpuri,
something the ruling Congress could have easily
done but did not. It also heavily advertised in
Urdu newspapers in an effort to reach out to Mus-
lims, who were apprehensive of the rise of the BJP.
It conducted customized campaigns in areas dom-
inated by Muslims, asking them to get over their
fear psychosis and elect a government that could
give the community jobs, development and a bet-
ter quality of life. In Kashmir, its slogan Jannat
yahan par vikas kahan? (Paradise is here but
where is developm ent?) made an impact as BJP
leaders kept asking why such a beautiful state had
made no headway...
At every political gathering, no matter which
corner of the country it was in, Modi customized
his speech to make it relevant. He sized up the au-
dience and spoke extempore, getting immediate
attention as he talked of local issues. In Chennai,
Tamil Nadu, he spoke of the need for Sri Lankan
Tamils to be given rights, safety and respect. In
Arrah, Bihar, he said that the absence of electricity
was not news but the presence of it was. In
Mysore, Karnataka, he said he could make the city
a tourists paradise like Gujarat. In Barmer, Ra-
jasthan, he said he wanted to create a separate
body to look after desert regions. In Dehradun,
Tactfully, the
BJP gave out the
message to the
voters that every
vote they cast for
the party would
go directly to
Modi, as if he
was contesting
from all the
seats directly.
Uttarakhand, he asked why
men from Garhwal and Ku-
maon regions should only be
soldiers as good schools and
universities could make offi-
cers out of them. In Varanasi,
Uttar Pradesh, he said the
Ganga needed to be cleaned as
the river had turned toxic in
many places. Everywhere, he
was lustily cheered by crowds
as he managed to strike a chord. As he criss-
crossed India, Modi rejuvenated the party that
had got demoralized over the ten years it had
spent out of power. He in-stilled a sense of
direction into leaders and workers as he sold
the dream of a better future. His energy and
aggressive-ness made him look like a decisive
leader in a hurry, catching the imagination of an
impatient electorate.
It is amazing how
much energy he has, says
Ajay Singh, who was part
of the BJP war room,
adding that Modi slept for
hardly four hours a day.
We worked 24x7 since
January, often going to bed
in the early hours of the
morning, but it was such
fun, says Ajay Jasra, a cor-
porate communication
specialist in the BJP war
room. Modi was turned
into a brand and deliber-
ately advertised as one. The
multiple campaigns sur-
rounding him were high-
decibel, relentless and
expensive and outshone
the Congresss, which
seemed tired in compari-
son. Ajay Maken, who was
in charge of the Congress
campaign, admitted to the
media that the BJP had out-
done his party, while Jairam
Ramesh, a former minister,
said that the BJP had spent
`5,000 crore on showcasing
Modi... Ajay Singh points out,
Tactically, we kept money
aside for the last two weeks to
create a shock-and-awe cam-
paign as we saw that the Congress had given up.
We unleashed a campaign in Modis voice, which
said, Aapka diya gaya vote seedhe mujhe milega
(Every vote you cast will directly come to me), to
create a feeling that Modi was contesting all the
BJP seats...
A
media hungry for TRPs and eyeballs
latched onto the Modi campaign, fur-
ther advancing his cause. The Hindus
rural affairs editor P Sainath observed: That
building of a cult around Narendra Modi was a
propaganda triumph. But it worked because we
are Indias most media-saturated electorate ever...
Never before have the media participated in an In-
dian election to the extent and in the manner they
did this time. For weeks, any speech by Modi in
any distant district ran live on several channels.
He added that some major corporate houses
with big media holdings formed cells to help ad-
vance the Modi campaign. A study by the CMS
Media Lab, part of the Centre for Media Studies,
New Delhi, found that he hogged over a third of
prime time news telecast on five major channels.
And that was between 1 March and 30 April.
From 1 to 11 May, Modis time crossed the 50 per-
cent markover six times what Rahul Gandhi got
and ten times the share of Kejriwal. Moreover,
quite a bit of Kejriwals coverage was negative,
which was not the case with Modi.
With a strong momentum in his favour, Modi
gave his campaign a final push in the last lap of
Targeting 19,000
villages in UP and
11,000 in Bihar, the
BJP reached out to
them with 650
GPS-enabled video
vans, which made
1,38,900 trips.
PR
modis media blitz
STRIKING A CHORD
(Below) The ability of Modi to tailor
his speeches, which addressed local
concerns, endeared him to the
electorate across India
(Facing page top) The Modi masks
became a popular sight during
election time
the election by taking the fight to the enemy camp
and holding a rally in Amethi, the constituency of
his principal opponent Rahul Gandhi, in support
of BJP candidate Smriti Irani. This is my younger
sister Smriti Irani. I chose her for Amethi, but not
to create fresh problems for the mother and son
(Sonia Gandhi and Rahul), he said on his rivals
turf. He went on to describe Amethi as one of
Indias most backward districts because of forty
wasted years and three wasted generations. The
rally Gandhi held in Modis constituency of
Varanasi just days later seemed like an inadequate
response and only reinforced the impression that
the Congress vice-president had been on the de-
fensive throughout the election. His sister
Priyanka entered the fray to bat for him but it was
too late in the day, and her invocation of her mar-
tyred father betrayed the feeling that the Congress
was running out of options...
As the bitterly fought election drew to a close,
Modi was all over. Commenting on the unprece-
dented scale of Modis outreach, Kunal Pradhan
and Uday Mahurkar of India Today wrote in an
article titled Maximum Campaign: Wherever you
are in India, whatever your politics, and
whomever you did or didnt vote for, the spectre
of Modi hangs over the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
So relentless has been his campaign, so dramatic
his delivery, and so ubiquitous his
development message, that he has
converted a complex parliamen-
tary system into a presidential-
style referendum on himself. Over
the last nine months, Modi has
travelled 3,00,000 km, or seven
times the Earths equatorial cir-
cumference. He has attended 5,187
events, addressed 477 rallies in
twenty-five states while sleeping
barely five hours a night, and har-
nessed the Internet and mobile te-
lephony to connect with an
estimated 230 million people, or
one in every four voters. Thats more people than
the population of Brazil and three times the com-
bined annual traffic of the Delhi and Mumbai air-
ports. Long before the results of the election were
out, the outcome was a foregone conclusion.
B
ut when the results were finally out, the
outcome surpassed everyones expecta-
tions. On the morning of 16 May 2014, all
doubts about a hung parliament were laid to rest
as the BJP seemed set to win a clear majority. In
the event, the party bagged 282 seats in the 543-
member Lok Sabha, ten more than needed to
form a government on its own. It was the first
time since 1984 that a single party had managed
to win a simple majority... The Congress was re-
duced to its worst ever tally of forty-four. No party
secured the minimum of fifty-five seats needed
for its leader to be officially recognized as the
leader of the Opposition. Modi himself hand-
somely won both the seats he contestedVado-
dara by a margin of 5,70,128 votes and Varanasi
by 3,36,854 votes. In Amethi, Gandhi managed to
win, but only by 1,07,903 votes, down from a mar-
gin of 3.70 lakh in 2009...
Excerpted from Ramesh Menons new
book Modi Demystified: The Making
of a Prime Minister
MODI DEMYSTIFIED
The Making of a
Prime Minister
By Ramesh Menon
HarperCollins Publishers India
PAGES: 263
PRICE: `499
GREAT
GOOD
Journos like Ramesh Menon, Alam
Srinivas,Sanjaya Baru, Manoj Mitta,
Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Hari
Jaising h offer a bountiful crop.
BY INDERJIT BADHWAR
NDIAN publishers have reaped a rich harvest of
books this year. But a few are noteworthy as they
have been penned by seasoned, thoughtful jour-
nalists who have witnessed the Indian scenario at
close quarters.
Topping the list is a runaway bestseller, Sanjaya
Barus The Accidental Prime Minister (Viking), in
which the former prime minister Manmohan
Singhs erstwhile media adviser does a tell-all on
how Singh was a political prisoner of the Congress
president Sonia Gandhi and her coterie. Barus
book was trashed as baseless and mischievous by
Books
hari jaisingh
the former prime ministers office, and he was
condemned as a political turncoat by none other
than communist worthy Prakash Karat, who had
used every ugly epithet in his lexicon to debase
Singh during the Indo-US nuclear deal.
Another book that has brought to the fore the
fixing of natural gas prices is Paranjoy Guha
Thakurtas Gas Wars: Crony Capitalism and the
Ambanis (self-published). Monopolistic gas pric-
ing was a headline-making electoral issue after
Aam Aadmi Partys Delhi government lodged a
criminal complaint against industrialist Mukesh
Ambani. In a later development, Reliance Indus-
tries Ltd and its chairman, Mukesh Ambani, is-
sued a legal notice to the author and the
distributors of the book.
Other journos on the book trail include our
magazines own Managing Editor Ramesh Menon,
and Executive Editor Alam Srinivas. Menons
magnum opus, De-mystifying Modi (Harper
Collins), is a hardboiled, critical and balanced
analysis of the forces and controversies that have
shaped the human being and politician Narendra
Modi. Alams Cricket Czars (Har-Anand Publi-
cations) is about the controversies surrounding
the gentlemans game, IPL, and the people who
control it.
READS
INSIGHTS
An all-encompassing new book that histori-
ans, students, and anybody interested in under-
standing a dynamically changing India in the
context of the 16th general elections would like to
read is Hari Jaisinghs Pitfalls of Indian Democracy:
Bapu to Anna (S Chand & Company). The title
sounds academic and a trifle stodgy. But the con-
tent is lively and sparkling.
Jaisingh is a polished journalist. He has been
the editor of The Tribune, occupied senior posi-
tions in The Indian Express, National Herald and
Business & Political Observer, and contributed to
the Morning Telegraph and The Guardian, Lon-
don. That experience is on ample display in the
book, which charts the bumps and grinds, the
highs and lows, the fear and loathing of the Indian
political system, and institutions from the advent
of Mahatma Gandhi to the Anna Hazare anti-cor-
ruption protest movement.
B
ut this is no history text book a la Romila
Thapar or Jadunath Sircar or Ishwari
Prasad. It is journalistic story-telling at its
best, based on more than 40 years of reporting on
the frontlines, with anecdotes, conclusions, les-
sons learned, and a vision for the future. Jaisingh
minces no words: The basic ills which have un-
dermined the vitality of our nation are communal
violence, caste wars, corruption, criminalization
of politics, command economy, terrorism and
Maoismthe failure of political parties and
politicians to keep pace with changing times
.What has added to the peoples woes is the ab-
sence of transparency and accountability .
This is a harsh judgment. But Jaisingh takes us
step by step to discover how India landed in this
mess. This dark perception, however, has several
silver linings that are a beacon to Indias potential
and the strength of self-correcting mechanisms
that keep alive the liberal, all-inclusive spirit of
the constitution.
During the darkest days of Indira Gandhis
Emergency in 1975-1976, the countrys High
Courts rose to the occasion and proved true and
courageous champions of citizens democratic
rights. Ironically it was the Supreme Court that
seemed to be hamstrung by the Emergency and
sided with a retrograde regime .
O
ne of the judgments he refers to is the
Emergency censors attempt to shut
down the Baroda periodical Bhumipu-
tra for reporting on a civil liberties conference.
Even though habeas corpus and Article 19 guar-
anteeing freedom of speech had been suspended
by the Emergency and backed by the Supreme
Court, Justices JB Mehta and SH Sheth of the Gu-
jarat High Court ruled: There cannot be a more
draconian assault on the people in a democracy
than the guidelines issued by the Chief Censor...
The Chief Censor has been more loyal to the king
than the king himself and has outwitted the peo-
ple in their attempt to maintain even the most
basic form of democracy in this country.
Commenting on todays judiciary, Jaisingh
laments: It works slowly and thrives on delays,
inefficiency, antiquated laws, outdated rules,
vested interests and corrupt practices . Yet,
broadly, he says, the countrys legal system is ma-
ture and relatively independent, and offers a set of
practical recommendations for reform.
And although Jaisingh is often hypercritical of
Anna Hazare on several points, he remains
adamant that Hazare symbolized and highlighted
the churning for change in Indian societythe
desire, propelled by Indias younger generation, to
work for a corruption-free transparent system for
the larger good of the people.
No such review would be complete without
mention of another, highly explosive bookThe
Fiction of Fact-finding: Modi and Godhra (Harper
Collins)by one of my favorite reporters, Manoj
Mitta, now with The Times of India. It is evident
that Mittas has not lost his intrepid espousal of
tell-it-like-it-is journalism, his USP when he re-
ported for India Today.
Hari Jaisinghs
book tracks the
bumps and
grinds, the
highs and lows
of India's
political system,
and institutions
from Gandhis
time to Hazare's
crusade against
corruption.
PAGES: 430
PRICE: `600
Pitfalls of Indian
Democracy: Bapu to Anna
By Hari Jaisingh;
Publisher: S Chand
& Company
In Retrospect
HOME WITHOUT
Photography
Thousands of homeless live and eke out a life on the streets of Delhi.
A DOOR
recent survey conducted
by United Nations Develop-
ment Program (UNDP) sta-
tes that Delhi has nearly
56,000 homeless people. The homeless in
the capital are defined as those who live in
the city without a roof over their heads.
Despite the fact that Delhi has perma-
nent shelters to solve this problem, most of
them are either overcrowded or have
abysmal living conditions. As a result, most
of them spend their day around flyovers
or on footpaths and other public spaces like
railway stations and temples.
Constant migration to Delhi is one of
the factors that puts a huge strain on the
citys limited housing. A large number
of migrants (mostly from rural areas) seek-
ing job opportunities restrict themselves
to living on the streets to save on house
rents. Women on the other hand, are
rendered homeless for a multitude of
reasons. These include dis-placement
from rural areas due to land grabbing
and acquisition, domestic violence and
A photo-essay BY SHADAB NAZMI
employment opportunities.
The living condition of such families
is desperate. Drug abuse is common among
the street children. They sniff paint
thinners, markers and strong adhesive
solutions to get a high, exposing them
to severe health hazards. Most of the men
are alcoholics and domestic violence is
common-place among the capitals
street-dwellers.
In areas like Sarai Kaale Khan and
Kalkaji, homeless families are largely
from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya
Pradesh and Odisha. Men are rickshaw
pullers and construction workers,
whereas women go to near-by markets and
work as maids in local restaurants.
According to the residents under the
Sarai Kaale Khan flyover, they are continu-
ously harassed by local policemen and
at times, their tents are bulldozed.
The increase in the multitude is telling
heavily on the citys infrastructure.
Photography
SHADAB NAZMI
He is completing his Masters in Convergent
Journalism from MCRC. Jamia Millia Islamia.
In your face
LOOK
The new-look cover of Time. For a
change, the magazine departs from its
practice of featuring people and goes for
typography. Simple and powerful!
Talented photography, combined with a
good sense of placement, makes the reader
wonder how the photographer would have
achieved this task. But its also to the
artists credit how these hands became so
entangled. Whats disturbing though is
sameness of skin texture.
Whatever happened to diversity?
DESIGNS THAT MADE IMAGINATIVE USES OF PHOTOGRAPHS, FONTS, COLOR
AND WHITE SPACES TO LEAVE AN IMPRESSION.
By ANTHONY LAWRENCE
Design
Well-balanced page, with lots of space, great photographs, nice fonts
and a clean overall impression. Makes one wonder what made the
designer depart from the clutter associated with football coverage,
which gives a sense of action, and opt for this rather quiet treatment.
Impressive painting done in traditional style
and an attractive background color make for
an impactful cover. The light
texture in the background doesnt
overpower, but enhances the effect.
This website of leading Pakistani newspaper, The Dawn, makes a
statement of grandness through its simplicity. It impresses with its
clean layout. The use of blue and grey colors adds to its sophistry.
No pop-ups, no distractions. Which is why the website appeals to
the people who care for news.
One look at the poster is enough to convey the
force of the movie. Its an interplay of
photography and digital art work,with the focus
being on expressions and action.
N
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Noted filmmaker in a free-wheeling conversation
with Meha Mathur and Arpita Arya.
H
es a filmmaker whose range of
genres is remarkably vast. From
movies that touched a raw nerve
with their sensitive portrayal of
womens issues, like Damini and Lajja, to histori-
cal biopics like The Legend of Bhagat Singh, to ac-
tion thriller Ghayal, to comedy par excellence
Andaz Apna Apna, and romance movie Ajab Prem
ki Ghazab Kahani, he has done it all. The
director who started his career under Govind
Nihalani, assisting in films like Ardha Satya,
Rajkumar Santoshi has made the Indian
cinema rich with his in-depth and honest
handling of subjects. In an interview to
Views On News, he talks about his
films and issues dear to him.
You have done a number of
women-centric movies like
Damini and Lajja. Given the
number of incidents of rape
that we are witnessing
today, do you think the
film industry is taking up
the issue earnestly?
The issue of womens safety
was relevant then, as it is
today. But earlier it would not
come out in the open. People
would keep these issues under
carpet. Post Damini people started
raising voice. I am happy that peo-
People started talking of
rape after Damini
Talking to
Rajkumar S antoshi
ple are talking about it today. But I have a com-
plaint that even women dont sympathize with
women. And I also feel that Indian men have
double standards. Why should only women come
out on streets in protest? Why not men? I feel
that till men do not come forward this situation
will continue.
In Lajja I raised the issue that the first victim
was Sita. What would have happened if Sita had
not agreed to agni pariksha? Her agreeing to it
meant that till date women have to go for it. As
to your question, I dont think so. Sadly in many
films women are used as props, as objects of sex
and for entertainment.
This is as much a matter of debate that women
portrayal in films is influencing the society. Do you
like agree?
Of course they are. How rampantly films show
people cohabiting before marriage, as if this
is natural. So the youth think this is right. In the
sixties, directors faced a tough time to create sit-
uations to show thisrains, darkness etc, today
there is no need to create such a situation. But
then, jaisa samaj waisi films. Whom do
we blame?
Are you satisfied with medias coverage of films?
Does it highlight the right issues?
I am satisfied to some extent. It has brought to
light many things. But constructive journalism is
limited. Theres the obvious trend of looking at
FREEZE FRAMES
(Above) While Andaz Apna Apna
(1994) was a rib-tickling
comedy, Damini (1993) was a
hard-hitting issue-based film.
controversies among young journalists. Theres
also the editors pressure to create news, by
highlighting controversial statements.
Earlier the criteria for a successful movie was
either silver jubilee or golden jubilee, which has
been replaced by the 100crore club. When you
make a movie what gives you more satisfaction?
I have made many films, each distinct from other,
especially issue-based movies. Cinema is a
platform for me to bring forth an issue. At least
the message reaches out. I want that the people
who put in their money get it back. The audience
should be happy. Hundred crore will be good
news but I dont make films from that view.
What are your forthcoming projects?
I have brought rights for Jis Lahore Nai Dekhya,
O Janmyai Nai by Asghar Wajahat. Its based on
the India-Pakistan partition, and talks about har-
mony, peace and how the Muslim community is
misunderstood. The issue is very pertinent to our
times. Theres so much of misunderstanding be-
tween Hindus and Muslims. If a few people can
have a change of heart after watching my movie,
it will be a success.
People across the border realize the need for con-
tact and harmony. But till governments come
round to this point of view, how will such efforts
succeed?
As novelists, poets, filmmakers, we will continue
with our efforts. Of course for their own interests
they can do anything. But fire should always be
fearful of water. We have the power to bring forth
the right thing to people.
Do you feel scared that the movie may not do well?
Yes, there is a certain risk involved in making
such offbeat films in the era of commercialization
but one has to take that risk to be successful.I
have never made my films keeping the trade in
mind. Jo dar gaya so mar gaya.
The talk of sequel to Andaz Apna Apna is in air.
Will Salman and Aamir come together?
Both are good friends and when we meet we do
talk about it. They both are excited to be part of
the project. But we will have to create a structure
and complete the script before finalizing the
cast. I need to see if it is economically viable to
cast both these stars since they are hugely pop-
ular and at the top of their game.
If either of the two disagree, will you go ahead
with one of them?
It will be either both or none. The viewers
should like it, if not more, than at least as much
as the original. I want to work with Shah Rukh
Khan now.
What is the difference between actors then
and now?
Youngsters today are quite disciplined. There is
a sense of responsibility because the cost of
production has gone up plus there is cut-throat
competition out there. If you are lax someone
else will take your work. Star kids have their
own struggle as they need to prove their worth;
and those from non-filmy background need to
impress big directors with talent.
It has been a long journey for you. What changes
have you witnessed?
Change is the rule. And I have always been part
of the industry, and never left to join back, so I
cant feel it. I have grown with change, worked
with all of them from Amitabh to Katrina and
Ileana DCruz. So I am part of change.
What are your expectations from the new
Modi government?
Cost of production is very high now, so I request
the new government to give relaxation in terms
of taxes. Also, I would like an ease in receiving
shooting permission.We are hopeful of the
governments support.
For me, true
change will be
the day men
come out on the
streets to
support women
in their causes.
Entertainment
movies
Here is a love
story that tells us
more than the
poetry of love.
BY RAMESH MENON
realism of it all. Augustus, played by Ansel Elgort,
has the courage to joke about his prosthetic leg.
No self pity.
Soon, Hazel and Augustus find their lives
getting closer, as it matures into love. Ironically
both are living on the edge. But their quest to live
a full life, admire the little things of life, soak in
moments of joy are so real. Acerbic wit comes as
comic relief after tear jerking episodes that brings
out the pathos and helplessness of the cancer pa-
tients and their loved ones. At one point when
she is battling with death, Hazels mother tells her
to let go as she is unable to witness the pain of the
child.
Both Hazel and Augustus know that cancer
was written in the stars but they also know that it
is up to them to make the best of the time left.
They decide that till oblivion they will be
together. Hazel says: My love, I cannot tell you
how thankful I am for our little infinity. I
wouldnt trade it for the world. You gave me a
forever with the numbered days, and Im gratful.
It is a film that will stay in your mind long
after you have watched it. You realize that there
is life beyond cancer. And love.
C
ancer kills more people much
before they die. But here, in
The Fault in Our Stars, we see
two teenagers tell us that there
is more to life even with death
lurking in the shadows. Based on a bestseller by
John Green, the American blockbuster unravels
how 16-year-old Hazel Grace Lancaster, played
by Shailene Woodley, waits for death. She is suf-
fering from fatal thyroid cancer that has spread
to her lungs. She has to be strapped to a portable
oxygen tank all the time to help her breathe
adequately. Her parents gently persuade her to
join a cancer support group to make friends, but
Hazel is hesitant. She does not want to open her
wounds to the world. Not yet.
As fate would have it, the cancer support
group meeting opens a new world for her. Hazel
meets charming 17-year-old Augustus Waters,
who suffers from osteosarcoma that leads to
amputation of one leg. But he is happy as ever
with an artificial leg and the fact that he is still
alive. Then there is Issac, played by Nat Wolff,
who has lost one eye to cancer and the other one
is to be removed soon. But he laughs at the tragic
Heart
Tugging Drama
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS
DIRECTION: Josh Boone
SCRIPT: Scott Neustadter and
Michael Weber
ACTORS: Shailene Woodley,
Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff
RATING **** OUT OF ****
Soap queen Ekta gives
another mega hit that has got
the viewers hooked on the
larger-than-life romantic tale.
BY INDERJIT BADHWAR
the Balaji Telefilms impresario who
created the telethon Kyunki Saas Bhi
Kabhi Bahu Thi.
Usually, TRP and TAM ratings
mean little to me as a viewer. Shows
I find repulsive or with abysmal
production values seem to have the
highest ratings which proves how
far removed my tastes are from
public opinion. But this time around
I am in sync with the junta. Jodha
Akbar s ratings and my opinion
of the serial on Zee TV match: Its
a topper. Why? Because it works
on several levels and achieves
dramaturgical credence and perfec-
tion even when dealing with the
most outrageous mythological and
interpersonal fantasiesfalse preg-
nancies, a snake woman seductress
who feeds on venom, a man-beast
sent to kill the shah-in-shah.
Akbar the Sunni emperor, played
brilliantly by the macho, Greek
god-ish Rajat Tokas, and Jodha his
Rajput princess played by Paridhi
Sharma, a demure Meena Kumari
look-alike are a mixture of fact and
fiction, fantasy and reality, but the
plots and sub-plots glide seam-lessly
through this superbly entertaining
I
am hooked again. The last
time this happened to me
was when Dallas and The
Bold and the Beautiful
ruled the airwaves. And
then there was Buniyaad and the
memorable Dhoop Kinare from
Paskistan when Benazir Bhutto was
the PM and glasnost on Pakistan TV
was the talk of the town. This time its
Jodha Akbar. Not the big screen one
but the five-days-a-week half-hour
televised serial made by Ekta Kapoor,
admixture in which lurks an omi-
nous, omniscient, undercurrent of
tension and danger.
This is what gives the serial its
edge-of-your seat mystery appeal.
Ultimately its a real game of chess in
which the purpose is to kill or destroy
the Kingshah mat (origin of the
term checkmate). Part of this is true
to history because during the Mughal
sultanate it was fair game for kith and
kin to succeed to the throne by bump-
ing off the incumbent or aspirant. So,
Akbar is the target. The serials
scenario is that of a chessboardthe
King, Rooks, Knights, Bishops,
Queen, and Pawns. The story goes
from episode to episode with pawns
and players changing positions
amidst delicious palace intrigues,
traps, wars, harem politics, in which
Jodha, remains the chief protector
of her beloved shah-in-shah.
The falling-in-love of Akbar
and Jodha after their marriage,
the delicate and super-sensitive
handling of potentially controversial
Hindu-Muslim concerns, feminist
principles, and honor-related issues
are the pioneering scripting and
directorial triumphs.
Small screen
jodha akbar
HATS OFF! EKTA
U O T E S
Q
Rajdeep Sardesai
Depressing to hear of violence in
Saharanpur. Both areas of western
UP which have seen violence in
recent weeks have a bypoll pending.
Barkha Dutt
"I dont think this happens in any
other country" : a deeply hurt
@MirzaSania breaks down in an
interview with me "I am a
proud Indian".
Madhavan Narayanan
Lots of rehash journalism going on.
Some so-called "news blogs" just
cut and paste or rejig. This is
executive briefing, not journalism.
Vir Sanghvi
It has been 9 years since those
terrible mumbai floods when so
many of us stared death in the face.
Could it happen again? I wonder.
Rahul Kanwal
Shaken by criticism after Bangalore
school horror, CM says 10 special
courts will be set up to fast track
cases against women & children.
Prabhu Chawla
JustThink: "It's easy to stand with
the crowd. It takes courage to stand
alone." #JustThink
Vikram Chandra
Another gold silver combo for India!
This time in men's 77 kg
weightlifting. #CWG2014
While goodbye notes can
be heartwarming or
heartbreaking, this is one
such occasion when it is both.
It is time for me to say
goodbyes at the Expressfor
the second time. The first was
exactly at the same time of
the year in 1983 when most of
you were not born yet.
Shekhar Gupta, Editor-in-Chief Indian
Express, in his farewell email to the staff
I am not a
diehard Modi
supporter yet. Nor
am I a fan. What I
am presently doing
is watching the
prime ministership
of Narendra Modi
like a hawk
Vinod Mehta, Editorial
Chairman, Outlook
If I had closed
my eyes and listened to
the budget speech of Fi-
nance Minister Arun Jaitley,
it could have passed off as any
budget speech of the previous
UPA government, and maybe
governments before that
except for the voice.
Aroon Purie, Editor-in-Chief,
India Today
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RAGING CABLE WARS

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