The News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) has directed the Indian broadcasting channels Zee News, Times Now and News Nation to take down videos on the farmers’ protest against the Farm Bills and the 2020 Delhi riots, among others.
In separate orders passed earlier this month and made available recently, the body, formerly known as NBSA, has asked the channels to remove the respective videos from all platforms within seven days citing that they are in violation of the Code of Ethics and NBSA Guidelines.
While the offending videos on Zee News link the ongoing-year-old farmers’ protest to Khalistanis and deal with an open letter sent by the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG) to advertisers, the Times Now videos in question are related to the 2020 Delhi riots. News Nation has meanwhile been directed to remove videos of a show on ‘Conversion Jihad‘ which aired on November 6, 2020.
Zee News
On January 25, a complaint was registered about two programmes that aired on Zee News related to the farmer’s protest titled Taal Thok Ke: Khalistan se kab avdhaan hoga kisaan (When will the farmers be aware of Khalistan) and Taal Thok Ke: Nahi mane kisan toh kya Republic Day par hoga grihayudh? (If the farmers do not agree then will there be a civil war on Republic Day) on January 19 and 20, respectively.
According to the complaint, these programmes violated several NBSA guidelines, including not reporting to sensationalise or create panic, distress or undue fear among viewers; ensuring facts are clearly distinguishable from opinion, analysis and comment; and providing balanced reportage by remaining neutral and ensuring that diverse views are covered, especially on a controversial subject, without giving undue prominence to any particular view.
The complaint further mentioned that unverified videos from social media, of tractors with modifications, were aired in both the programmes and that the anchor mentioned that these tractors belonged to the protesting farmers and were being readied for the January 26 tractor rally. The videos were later fact checked by multiple agencies, the complaint stated, and the broadcaster is yet to apologise for misleading viewers.
The complaint also pointed out almost 40 headlines and statements made by the anchor in the above-mentioned programmes alleging they showed a clear bias against the protesting farmers. Further, throughout the programme, the anchor called the farmers “the biggest patriots and the annadaataas (meal provider), in order to hide the malicious attempt to link the Farmers’ protest with Khalistan movement,” the complaint added.
Another complaint was registered a few days later, on January 29, against a programme aired by Zee News on January 26 titled Farmer Protesters Violence: Desh ka jhanda hatakar Red Fort par pradarshankariyon ne apna jhanda lehraya (Protesters removed the national flag and hoisted their own flag on the Red Fort).
Stating that the anchor repeatedly said that a protesting farmer removed and threw the national flag from the Red Fort and hoisted the Khalsa flag in its place, the complainant alleged that the information was inaccurate as it is visible from the video footage that the flag thrown away was not the national flag. Noting that the misinformation shared by the anchor was also debunked by several news media outlets, the complaint added that it was a violation of the NBSA’s Code of Ethics related to accuracy.
On November 5, 2020, a complaint was also filed against Zee News CEO and editor in chief Sudhir Chaudhary for expressing his opinion about the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), a group of former officers of the All India and Central Services, and addressing the group using the word ‘gang’ with a negative connotation. Further, he had inaccurately stated that CCG was trying to cut the finance of news channels that broadcast “the truth,” when in fact, the open letter only urged advertisers to stop funding channels that spread hatred and communal disharmony, the complaint added.
Chaudhary also inaccurately reported that “opposing extremism that has spread in Islam is seen by the CCG as hatred towards the Muslim community,” the complaint said.
The NBDSA noted that the programme “lacked impartiality, and the name-calling and mudslinging by the anchor also offended the standards of good taste and decency.”
Directing the channel to take down all the videos in question, the broadcasting authority also stated that there was “need for introspection on the part of the broadcaster” and added that the channel should take “remedial actions/measures against anchors who fail to remain neutral and impartial during broadcasts.”
Broadcasters should exercise due care and caution while reporting any news pertaining to any religious symbol/flag and follow the Fundamental Principles of the Code of Ethics & Broadcasting Standards, the NBDSA further added.
Times Now
In a complaint registered on September 18, 2020, Rahul Shivshankar, anchor of the Times Now primetime show India Upfront, was accused of violating multiple guidelines of the Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards as well as the Specific Guidelines on episode 1086 of the show that aired on September 14, 2020, titled Shocking Secret admission out in Umar’s arrest: Does left lobby know the truth? Delhi riots key witness intimidated, threat linked to kingpin?
Alleging that the channel had not covered the Delhi riots in a fact-based manner, the complaint stated that it had selectively chosen to filter information regarding the anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) protestors “to unduly influence socio-political narratives.” It further alleged that the channel’s reportage was done to target a community that is critical of the Delhi Police’s investigation and project them and their critique in a negative light, which hinders the right of the viewer to have a fact-based view on the matter.
The NBDSA observed that the anchor did not conduct the debates in an impartial and objective manner and that any programme should avoid pushing any agenda in the debate and should conduct a debate in a fair manner. It also directed the channel to take down videos of the show.
News Nation
A complaint by the Citizens for Justice and Peace was filed in November 2020 against a News Nation programme titled Dharmantar Jihad, which aired on November 6, 2020. It alleged that the anchor spoke about ‘Conversion Jihad’, a term invented by the broadcaster, on national television, and then also uploaded clips of it on his Twitter account.
According to the complaint, the programme reported that a family from Mewat, Rajasthan had been forced to convert their religion, consume cow meat, and were threatened by Tablighi Jamaat members. The anchor further claimed to have exposed a conspiracy to “completely wash away Hindus of India.”
Further, the complaint alleged that the anchor also called Maulana Syed-ul Qadri in the show and had referred to him as a “jhoot ki factory” (factory of lies). It also alleged that the anchor had blatantly allowed hate speech in the show and provided a platform for a panellist representing the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to propagate Islamophobic ideas.
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The NBDSA observed that the statements made by the anchor and the captions ‘Memchand zinda hai Jamaat sharminda hai‘, ‘500- Hindu kaise banaye Muslim?‘ and ‘Kya Mewat Pakistan ban gaya?‘ used in the programme violated its guidelines. While the channel had apologised in case the programme hurt the sentiments of the members of a particular community, it had failed to submit any specific reply to the grievances of the complainant. Thus, the NBDSA ruled that the videos in question must be removed within seven days.