Purie-Khurshid settlement

IN Media Watch Briefs | 05/02/2015

Aaj Tak, the India Today group’s news channel, has published a small note of mutual regret on the bottom right-hand corner of its website, in its settlement of a Rs 1 crore defamation suit brought in 2012 by Louise Khurshid, the wife of Congress politician Salman Khurshid, Mint reported on 5 February. The note said that TV Today—which had made allegations on the ZM Trust, with which Louise is associated, of skimming charity money—published the story “based on certain documents” but didn’t intend to “question the personal integrity” of Khurshids. It added: “Mr. Salman Khurshid regrets & withdraws harsh words used against Mr. Aroon Purie.”

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Amazon resisting voluntary censorship

The new term for self censorship is voluntary censorship, as proposed by companies like Netflix and Hotstar. ET reports that streaming video service Amazon Prime is opposing a move by its peers to adopt a voluntary censorship code in anticipation of the Indian government coming up with its own rules. Amazon is resisting because it fears that it may alienate paying subscribers.

Let the games begin

Clearly, the run to the 2019 elections is on. A journalist received a call from someone saying they were from Aajtak channel and were conducting a survey, asking whom she was going to vote for in 2019. On being told that her vote was secret, the caller assumed she wasn't going to vote for 'Modiji'. The caller, a woman, also didn't identify herself. A month or two earlier the same journalist received a call, this time from a man, asking if she was going to vote for the BSP.