Reporters Without Orders

This week, host Anmol Pritam is joined by Newslaundry’s Shivanarayan Rajpurohit, independent journalists Ashfaque EJ and Saurabh Kumar.  

Shivnarayan talks about his report that uncovers how an Adani subsidiary gained access to its controversial power plant site in Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur through a forest department road – without obtaining the required forest clearance that would precede such arrangements. “Experts say that the project and road leading up to it will cause a lot of damage to the surrounding flora and fauna,” he says.

Saurabh and Ashfaque’s documentary follows five of the 18 anti-CAA activists accused of orchestrating violence during the 2020 Delhi riots.

“Through our documentary, we wanted to show that the Delhi police, to cover up its inefficiency in containing the violence during the 2020 Delhi unrest, booked these activists,” says Saurabh. He adds that the FIRs against the activists is not based on “concrete proof” and has “several loopholes”.

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This week, host Pratyush Deep is joined by Newslaundry’s Priyanka Ishwari and The Quint’s Tanishka Sodhi.

They talk about their story on Outlook’s transformation from a news magazine that once reported hard-hitting stories and exposed some of India’s biggest scandals to a magazine that focuses more on features, poetry now. 

Priyanka says several former Outlook journalists haven’t read the magazine in ages “because they don’t think it makes any noise anymore”. 

Noting that Outlook hadn’t been doing great work after Vinod Mehta’s editorship ended in 2015, Tanishka says under its current editor, Chinki Sinha, the magazine has taken even a “more unpleasant turn”.

She also talks about her interview with comedian Daniel Fernandes in the wake of the Kunal Kamra controversy. She notes that even though the comedy landscape is booming, space for political comedy is shrinking because “people are scared”.

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Timecodes

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:01:24 – Outlook’s vanishing edge

00:23:15 – State of political comedy 

00:33:28 – Recommendations

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Outlook’s vanishing edge: How a bold magazine lost its bite

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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This week, host Shivnarayan Rajpurohit is joined by Newslaundry’s Sumedha Mittal and independent journalist Anand Mangnale.

Sumedha and Anand break down their investigation on Kiran Bedi’s use of public resources for surveilling her daughter. They say the decorated IPS officer not only “misused her powers in doing so”, but also covered up her alleged misdeeds by presenting herself as a “helpless, concerned mother”.

Kiran Bedi left “no room for differentiation between helping somebody and breaking the law for them,” they add.

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Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:39 - Kiran Bedi Tapes

00:25:35 - Recommendations

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Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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This week, host Sumedha Mittal is joined by Newslaundry’s Prateek Goyal and Drishti Choudhary.

Prateek explains the Nagpur violence that resulted in the damage of several vehicles and shops, the injury of 33 police officers, and a division among the communities. He says the violence was “just a sample of radical mindsets” and that extremists fueled by “ego” mobilised the mob.

Drishti talks about the phenomenon of AI anchors in Indian newsrooms, and why this model “is not working”. She also explains how these anchors are ‘stereotyped’. 

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Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:00:38 - Nagpur violence

00:11:52 - AI anchors in the newsroom

00:22:44 - Recommendations

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The costs of Reliance’s wildlife ambitions

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Newslaundry’s Prateek Goyal and Avdhesh Kumar.

Prateek talks about two big stories he reported on last week. The first is allegations of rape against prominent industrialist Shyam Sunder Bhartia. He explains why there was a delay in the police registering an FIR, and how a court had to get involved. The second, part of the Hindu Rashtra Project, details how Hindutva groups in Madhya Pradesh target interfaith couples – even if they’re protected by the court. 

Avdhesh talks about his follow-up story from Sambhal, where communal violence broke out last year. While the police have made several arrests, he says this doesn’t quite add up. 

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Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:28 - Rape case against Shyam Sunder Bhartia

00:12:09 - Police ‘action’ in Sambhal

00:26:04 - ‘Love jihad’ in Madhya Pradesh

00:33:26 - Recommendations

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Crime Beat

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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This week, host Anmol Pritam is joined by Newslaundry’s Avdhesh Kumar and Shivnarayan Rajpurohit.

Avdhesh’s ground report from Sambhal raised questions about the veracity of claims made by two prominent newspapers about locals “fleeing” the violence-tensed region. Citing officials, the outlets reported that several locals “fled” over fear of arrest or police crackdown. However, on visiting Sambhal Avdhesh found this narrative to be misleading. Residents of houses mentioned as “locked” by the newspapers had a different tale to tell.

Shivnarayan reported on Railway authorities’ unusual move of distributing cash to the victims of the tragic stampede at the New Delhi railway station. He explains how the move was not only insensitive but violated Railways’ guidelines on distribution of solatium amounts.

He also discusses his report about the Central Pollution Control Board findings on the water quality of Ganga and Yamua during Mahakumbh. Not only the water in several ghats of Prayagraj was found to be unfit for bathing, the levels of faecal bacteria in some locations was over 13 times the permissible limit.

He had previously also reported on how almost all of the air monitoring stations in Delhi violated CPCB norms. Out of the 25 stations he visited, at least 22 were either surrounded by dense vegetation or had obstacles blocking airflow in clear violation of the regulatory body’s guidelines.

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Timecodes

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:02:25 – Reality of locals ‘fleeing’ Sambhal

00:12:50 – Stampede at New Delhi railway station

00:26:00 – CPCB report on Mahakumbh’s waters

00:41:03 – Delhi AQI monitors flouting norms

00:47:08 – Recommendations

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Dubliners

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The Post

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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This week, host Pratyush Deep is joined by Newslaundry reporters Avdhesh Kumar and Basant Kumar.

Avdhesh reported on how voters in Delhi’s 12 reserved seats voted in the recent polls. He explains that despite the AAP’s massive defeat, a large section of Dalit voters continued to vote for the party.

Basant was on the ground in Prayagraj reporting on the stampede at the Mahakumbh. He says the Uttar Pradesh government wasn’t being transparent about the actual death toll, and that it failed to manage the crowds that day. 

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Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:17 - Delhi’s reserved seats

00:16:06 - Death toll in Kumbh

00:38:57 - Recommendations

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Basant

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Jailed for ‘kidnapping’ her own child, a homeless woman’s long road to justice

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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This week, host Sumedha Mittal is joined by The Caravan’s Sunil Kashyap.

Based on the learnings from his reportage on BJP’s strategy to make a comeback in Delhi, Kashyap underlines how in its campaign and outreach efforts, the saffron party foregrounded regional and caste identities in Delhi this time. The party pulled no stops to win over different communities and groups with targeted promises and tailored measures. On the other hand, he says the AAP seems to be losing shine among its own workers.

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Timecode

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:00:35:12- BJP’s strategy for Delhi

00:55:04:14 - Recommendation

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Capital Gains: BJP’s strategy to unseat the AAP in Delhi

Produced and edited by Hassan Bilal, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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This week, host Anmol Pritam is joined by Newslaundry’s Pratyush Deep and Basant Kumar.

Pratyush profiled Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, digging into the curious growth of his small firm. Within six years, its revenue rose from Rs 45 lakh to over Rs 323 crore. He also sheds light on his journey from an engineer to a minister.

Basant discusses his experiences reporting on the Delhi assembly polls. He explains what factors are working in favour of political parties and how leaders have changed the very functioning of elections over the past years. 

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Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:06:38 - Ashwini Vaishnaw

00:15:37 - Delhi polls

00:34:52 - Recommendations

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Black Warrant

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This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Ranchi-based independent journalist Anand Dutta and Newslaundry’s Drishti Choudhary.

Anand talks about his IndiaSpend report for which he trekked for several hours in remote areas of Jharkhand to understand how it is like for vulnerable sections to access healthcare. Across India, people have to cover an average distance of 13.55 km to reach a community health centre, and the problem is not limited to Jharkhand.

Drishti, meanwhile, spoke about her reportage on the Delhi elections, including her video report on what voters feel in Asia’s largest unauthorised colony of Sangam Vihar.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00:00 - Introduction

00:04:30:00 - Jharkhand’s Healthcare Access Report

00:23:31:09 - Delhi Elections Reports

00:32:44:18 - Recommendations

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What a four-hour trek reveals about Jharkhand’s healthcare access

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