Silencing The Messenger By Anisha Reddy and Sharmita kar

OutlookIndia

Listen to excerpts from Outlook's All is Well issue by Pragya Vats  #Press #Journalism #News #Newsroom #Expression #Broadcast #Journalists #HappyNewsIndustry #Writing #Publishing #PrintMedia #Media

Transcript

00:00 Silencing the Messenger by Anisha Reddy and Sharmita Kaur from Outlook

00:05 The Newsclick raids send a very important message of crumbling press freedom in the country.

00:12 In the wee hours of October 3, 2023, in what will be known as one of the most extensive

00:19 crackdowns on press freedom in the country in recent times, homes of 46 journalists,

00:25 all associated with Newsclick, were raided by the special cell of Delhi Police,

00:31 which usually probes cases related to terrorism. While some were contributors,

00:36 the others included those who had less than two years of experience.

00:40 The raids come almost seven months after taxed officials conducted similar searches

00:47 at the BBC offices in Mumbai and Delhi, after the broadcaster aired a documentary in the UK,

00:54 which was critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's role in the 2002 Gujarat riots.

01:01 Among those who were questioned were senior journalists Abhisar Sharma, Pranjay Guha Thakurta,

01:07 Anindya Chakravorty, Urmilesh, Bhasha Singh, popular satirist Sanjay Rajora,

01:14 and historian Sohail Hashmi. None of them knew what they were being accused of initially.

01:21 Police personnel, probe agencies, and a union minister claimed that they did not justify

01:27 their actions. Once daylight faded and journalists came out of detention, the police gave a

01:33 statement that Prabir Purkayas, the founding editor of Newsclick, and the organization Human

01:39 Resources Head Amit Chakravorty had been arrested under sections of draconian anti-terror law,

01:45 Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. This sends a clear message to all journalists.

01:50 Look what we can do to you. This is a way of stifling freedom of expression and the working

01:57 of the media in the country, Thakurta told Outlook. A small portion of the media is trying to do its

02:04 job by holding truth to power and critically looking at the actions of those in power

02:10 and not the opposition. The message goes to them, he says.

Category

Transcript

Recommended