Inaccurate and biased reporting

BY SN| IN Media Watch Briefs | 24/12/2014

Media coverage of the Gujarat police charge of embezzlement against social activists Teesta Setalvad and Javed Anand and three survivors of the Gulberg Society carnage -- Firoz Pathan, Salim Sadhi and Tanveer Jafri -- was not just inaccurate but biased, alleges a press release from the Citizens for Justice and Peace. Television channels India TV and IBN7 and daily newspaper Pioneer indulged in a "witch hunt" and wrongly reported that the five were "charged" with financial misconduct. But no chargesheet has been filed, only an FIR lodged and anticipatory bail granted to them.

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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.