March 25, 2025
Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose’s Zero Hour mention on the need to imbibe new global technologies by the national broadcaster and not employing tainted journalists known for spreading divisiveness
Sir, new media technologies are shrinking the world. India’s unique identity as a vibrant democracy rooted in diversity and pluralism is an asset to the international order and needs to be projected on the global stage. This can only happen if our national broadcaster, Doordarshan, aspires to becoming truly world-class. The Network Russia Today is rapidly expanding in taking the message of Russia to the world. Networks like Al Jazeera are using Government funding to project the Arab voice in the world. Doordarshan can play this role. But, for this, it needs topclass modern content and management. Seven decades after independence, India deserves a truly world-class public broadcaster as envisaged in the Prasar Bharati Act of 1990. Sadly though, Sir, there are reports that Doordarshan has entered into a lucrative contract with a private individual who indulges in deeply divisive, incendiary and hatemongering language on television and who has faced two jail terms on criminal charges of extortion. It is highly disturbing to note that individuals with these terribly tainted records can become part of our national broadcaster. Sir, I have been a journalist for 35 years and it is tragic to see trivialisation, character assassination and sensationalism which are today practised in television news. Today, almost 400 licensed news channels are competing for the lowest common denominator. Four years ago, news channels ran a motivated campaign against a film actor. Today, that film actor has been proven innocent. Today, all those accusations have been revealed as baseless. But who will give back to Miss Rhea Chakraborty those years of humiliation that she endured at the hands of the media? The question arises how news media channels can be made more responsible and accountable. Media owners will soon be called out on the floor of Parliament. Rogue anchors are a disgrace to journalism. We know that the business model of TV news is broken. So is this the new way to make profit to unleash lies and more lies and fakery? Sir, I had the privilege of serving on the News Broadcasting Standards Authority which was chaired by the distinguished jurist, late Justice J.S. Verma. Justice Verma would say that media should be free and responsible, not irresponsible and censored. The NBSA lacks teeth and any statutory power. However, today, an independent media industry body that upholds global standards of professional broadcasting and journalistic fairness is urgently needed. Sir, I would just like to say that today the model of advertising funded television news is rapidly imploding. The model is imploding. Therefore, it is for this reason that the media is engaging in character assassination. The media is engaging in a witch-hunt against individuals and the media is engaging in hate-mongering.
