Is Media raising ‘CWG Bribery’ issue as smoke Screen?

Congress and CWG organization committee is under intense scrutiny for CWG preparations fiasco. It is only expected to see a diversionary tact

Indian Media has lapped up a report in Australian media that India bribed 72 Commonwealth countries $100,000 each to get the hosting rights.  Media in India has not even bothered to inform their readers the facts about this alleged ‘Bribe’. Is it because the Rights to host was won by NDA regime?

Here are the facts -

1. There were 2 counties in last round, New Delhi, India and Hamilton, Canada

2. Canadian offer of $3.8 million; India bettered the offer to USD 7.2M to ‘train athletes’ of  72 member  countries 

3. New Delhi won 46 votes to Hamilton's 22 in a secret ballot

All this is public information and most of media carried this news at that point of time.

The Hindu reported India to host 2010 Commonwealth Game

India made a last-minute offer before the vote on Thursday to give $7.2 million to train athletes — bettering a Canadian offer of $3.8 million.

PTI reported New Delhi wins bid to host 2010 Commonwealth Games.

India's last minute offer of USD 7.2 million for athlete training tilted the scale in its favour as New Delhi got overwhelming support from member countries to host the 2010 Commonwelath Games.

All this makes one wonder why Indian Media not refuting such mischievous reports coming from foreign media? One can be excused if we suspect that motive of this ‘expose’ to create a smokescreen to deflect attention from current problems

High time Media starts respecting Majority Sentiment

As if on from Sagarika, now even India Today has called Lord Ram ‘Divine Encroacher’. In an article All parties play safe on Ayodhya, India Todays writes

The divine encroacher awaiting permanent settlement in the debris of the desecrated Babri mosque has not stirred the political Ram bhakts into belting out lusty cries of 'mandir wahin banayenge' yet.

We fail to understand how can a responsible media make such insensitive and crude remarks about one of most revered personalities in India.

Has IBN Journalist crossed the red line?

One is used to acidic barbs from Sagarika! but media watch thinks Sagarika has crossed every limit of decency and restrain by speculating if Lord Ram Divine ‘encroacher’ on disputed site.  

Dictionary definition of encroacher is

To take another's possessions or rights gradually or stealthily: encroach on a neighbor's land.

Rama occupies a very considerable place in our daily life of India and in the religious history of the world. He is the embodiment of righteousness and is believed to be the incarnation of the solar aspect of Vishnu. Even in death "Ram Nam Satya Hai" (The name of Ram is truth) is commonly chanted while carrying a dead body to the cremation ground in India. 

Statement of Sagarika has hurt religious sentiments of millions of Hindus across globe especially during such ‘troubled times’.

Media Watch strongly demand Sagarika and her employer IBN should apologize to the nation. 

Sagarika has since deleted this tweet

Please also read Editorial slandering of Hindu symbols by CNN-IBN

NDTV & Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd has stake in Emaar MGF

Early this year, Two of India’s leading media houses, New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV) and Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd (BCCL) picked up minority stake in Emaar MGF Land Ltd in a pre-IPO placement for Rs25 crore each

What is Pre-IPO Capital? Well it's exactly that, capital that is raised prior to an IPO. pre-IPOs are usually offered at a considerable discount to the anticipated IPO price. For example, if company X believed that they will list for $1, they may offer shares in a pre-IPO capital raising at $0.25. Should they end up listing for $1, then you make 4 times on your money at the IPO. Pre IPO is considered highly risky investment

This makes one wonder what is media houses doing in such risky ventures which are not even their core business. Media houses investing in real estate companies!!! What about the conflict of interest? Whats the guarantee that such ventures will not impair impartial reporting on affairs pertaining to that group?

Press council of India had raised this concern their report on paid news

In addition, owners of media organizations have financial relationships, including share-holdings, with advertisers, resulting in only favourable information about such advertisers getting disseminated and unfavourable information against them getting blacked out.

Emaar MGF is responsible for construction of Common Wealth Game Village 2010

Disturbing caption at IE

Disturbing caption by IE-

Kashmiri people shout anti Indian slogans at Barzla Hospital in Srinagar. 

Not separatist but kashmiri people!

Kahin pe nigahen Kahin pe Nishana

IBN publishes article Congress anxiously waiting for Ayodhya verdict but has a disturbing picture which has no relevance either to news

1. Whats relevance of this picture in a news item related to congress anxiety abt RJB verdict

2. Why IBN chose such a strident picture in these troubled times. I would like to remind IBN Editor in chief Rajdeep Sardesai his own comments to us in twitter

@i_panchajanya is the aim of a channel to exercise restraint, or to inflame passions? we live in troubled times.

Sagarika has to elaborate

CNN IBN journalist Sagarika Ghose asks -

jama masjid shooting. wonder who most wants the cwg games to fail? which group would most want to see UPA discredited?

Very intriguing question Indeed. Please reread the question. Question is “which group would most want to see UPA discredited?” NOT India but UPA. Since Sagarika didnot explain what she had in mind while asking this questions. Lets try to speculate -

1. Does Sagarika think some group has done this ghastly act to discredit UPA? 

2. Since question is not about discrediting India as a whole, Does it mean it was carriedout by local organization in India?

3. One of first questions every investigative org would ask - who will gain the most by discrediting UPA? Which naturally would be political rival of UPA?\

Questions galore.. Media watch sincerely hope Sagarika would explain to nation what she meant? One donot expect vain words from a senior journalist like her. 

 

Media behavior as we Countdown to RJB Verdict on Sept 24.

Sept 16: IBN  face the nation topic is “whether the urban educated class is anti-Muslim.”

Sept 16: IBN Cobrapost conducts investigation “Is there an anti-Muslim bias in urban housing societies?” and arrives at conclusion

A Cobrapost special investigation report has revealed that Muslims in Indian metro cities find it difficult to get accommodation. There are certain societies in some cities that do not rent out to members of particular communities.

This controversy is not new.This was first raised by Shabana Azmi in 2008 when in an interview she claimed that she and her husband Javed Akhtar could not buy a flat in Indian city of Mumbai due to religious discrimination. In the same interview, She had even claimed that

Indian democracy unfair to Muslims

But according to some in film fraternity, she owns not 1 not 2 but four flats in Juhu, and a house in Khandala. The fact remains, there are certain Parsi societies that do not allow non-Parsis. In Bandra, there are many societies that do not allow non-Christians. There are some who do not allow Hindus who eat non-vegetarian food. This doesn’t mean secularism and democracy of our country is in danger

The question remains why is IBN is broadcasting such sensitive issues during such ‘troubled times’?

Sept 17: News Broadcasters' Association (NBA) issues guidelines for electronic media asking them not to speculate about the judgement and not to show the footage of 1992 Babri Masjid demolition.

Sept 19: NDTV discussed Ayodhya verdict: Time for closure?

During the program shows the pre demolition Babri structure. Is this not violation of spirit of NBA guidelines? if you cant show footage of demolition how can you show pre-demolition structure? What was the purpose?

Sept 21: IBN News Congress anxiously waiting for Ayodhya verdict

Are we allowed to ask what is this picture doing in a news on congress & Ayodhya Verdict?

Sept 24: India Today - SC puts amity before Babri Masjid verdict

NBA guideline clearly says not to show not to show the footage of 1992 Babri Masjid demolition. but India Today violates the spirit of directive and shows pic with Karsewaks on Top of disputed structure.