NDTV - Self-righteous, ill-advised or both?

[echarcha]

NDTV - Self-righteous, ill-advised or both?

A friend forwarded me this.
An independent blogger, Chetan Kunte, who expressed his concern over Barkha Dutt's news coverage of the terrorist attacks was served a legal notice by NDTV and worse, forced to display a public apology for his actions.
The original blog by Kunte is cached by google here
And the blogger's unfortunate apology is here
This is outrageous, to say the least!
Please spread the word...that's the least we could do.

By now, anyone who has any exposure to blogs or twitter must know about the Kunte-NDTV flap. Chetan Kunte wrote a blog post criticizing NDTV's and particularly Barkha Dutt's coverage of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks (the blogpost is only available through Google cache). The post is gone from Kunte's blog, and instead we see this apology that makes for a very sad reading.

It does not take a PhD in reading between the lines to guess what happened. NDTV probably sent Kunte a legal notice, asking him to pull the post down, apologize, never write about them again, and pay an absurdly massive amount of money. Remember this legal notice from a few years back? Seems like NDTV might have used the same basic wording.

And here's my guess of what might have happened next. NDTV probably sent the legal notice. Kunte, probably satisfied that the post had done its job by raising awareness, must have agreed to take the post down. But NDTV lawyers, or maybe even Barkha Dutt herself (I don't know for sure) might have insisted that unless he issues a sniffling apology, they will take him to court and demand crores and crores. And who knows, since they seem to have been following the IIPM playbook so closely, maybe they even tried to contact his employers to pressure him (again, I don't know if this is true.... just speculating).

I don't know which of these opinions I feel more strongly -

a) NDTV should be ashamed of browbeating a lone blogger using legal threats. They can dish out rough stuff, but clearly can't take it. Some humility might take NDTV and Dutt a long way. Sadly, the media, the watchmen of the society seem to consider themselves more equal than others. This self-righteousness and goonda-ism using legal cells is not something one would have expected from a news organization.

b) Forget the rights and wrongs, but NDTV has made such a big mistake tactically. Even if they didn't like what Kunte wrote, forcing him to post an apology was extremely ill-advised. Obviously, bloggers and tweeters and facebookers would pick up on it, and the blowback to NDTV would spread all over the internet. And it seems to have started already. Influential and widely read bloggers such as Shripriya, Patrix, Rohit, Prem Panicker, Sandeep among others have already written about this. The contents of the post, and further criticism and "shame on you"s for NDTV will receive greater publicity and attention than Kunte's original post ever did.

What remains to be seen is, how will the other news channels, i.e. NDTV's competitors handle this news? Since their own 26/11 coverages didn't exactly receive bouquets, will they take a "chor-chor mauserey bhai" approach and ignore this story in solidarity with NDTV? Or will the competitors actually report on this and take the opportunity to claim they are better than that? Can't you just picture Rajdeep Sardesai on screen talking about this story at the top of his voice, probably with Mahesh Bhatt, saying "CNN-IBN is mature enough to take criticism in its stride. Mahesh Bhatt, why do you think our competitors are making an issue out of one blogger's opinion? Your response??" And how will the newspapers react? There are enough interconnections between TV channels and newspapers to kill the story everywhere but on the internet.

No matter which way you spin it, the story does not reflect well on Barkha Dutt and NDTV. If by some minuscule chance they are reading this, my suggestion to them, based on having lived through a similar situation - just apologize to Kunte, praise free speech, blame the matter on some misunderstanding or miscommunication with your legal cell, save face and move on.

http://gauravsabnis.blogspot.com/200...d-or-both.html

[echarcha]

Here is the print format in a PDF file of the cached website.

[chitrala]

WTF.... I feel that Kunte is right on most of the accounts(though I won't go as far as he went and incriminate her for deaths) in mumbai attacks. 24x7 journalism has pushed news channels to a new low.

Even if he is wrong on all the points how can the channel ask for an unconditional apology for the term "shoddy journalism". As a viewer we have got the right to decide what is good and what is bad. It's my personal opinion and my personal blog. If someone doesn't agree with it can go to hell. Why did Kunte offer an apology for using those words? It should be within his right to freedom of speech.

[Sane Less]

I do not see anything wrong in the conduct of NDTV or Bhakra Dutt. One has to remember that this is a us vs. them fight going on... and what's wrong if NDTV and this lady sided with the heroes of this war. This is the age of information... and the people of peace know that. It is only us idiots that are foolishly being led to the slaughter house... by the hundreds in every new incident.

[echarcha]

So now NDTV will sue anyone who calls names to Burkha Dutt?? Oh boy, we have also called her names

[DesiBaba]

forget it folkz..India and Indians need to be spanked..that country does not deserve a democracy

[2gud]

Originally Posted by DesiBaba

that country

jaahir hai bahut door hogaye ho desi bhai, apne des sey...

[Randheer]

Then this way BJP and Modi should send crores of notice to Burkha Dutt and company for calling a simple riot as Genocide. 'Genocide' is a serious word and at least not to be used by registered channels.

Blogging is another form of Media and Burkha Dutt is no holy cow.

Whole NDTV/CNN-IBN/Times Now are bootlickers and Mistress of Congress and they have been doing this for last 50 years. Burkha and Rajdeep got Padma Bhushan for that recently. The Pinko media is one of the component responsible for India's abckwardness.

They present before people that Congress is good or every one is dirty and there is no one to replace Congress.

Make people Cynical of Politicians and then this cynism will be transffered against BJP or Left and not against Congress .They did this succesfully by campaign against Politicans post 26/11 and offcourse the prize was paid by BJP as they appeared to be doing Politics on terrorism.

[Randheer]

Originally Posted by echarcha

So now NDTV will sue anyone who calls names to Burkha Dutt?? Oh boy, we have also called her names

I am ready to go to Jail . if we can't fight Gun trotting Goonda Politicians,we educated class people definitely can fight these Pinkos and ANti Nationals.

Though seemingly Ugly, Gun trotting mafias are much easy to handle than these moron Pinkos and leftists. See how Nitish Kumar fixed Bihar in just 3 years and fixed all the Mafias there. But these Pinkos hide behind Media Freedom/Liberal Hindu mindset/intellectualism.

These Pinkos do strategic harm to a Nation.It is good that 24/7 coverage as exposed them.

[Randheer]

I saw a Program by Lady Burkha Dutt which suggests that "Fighting on name of language is good" while "Religios Friendship" should be there, offcourse involving all shady intellectuals.

Gist is its very Good that Hindus fight on basis of language but they should always lick behinds of minorities to keep India intact.

Pretty sicko thought

[Indian]

now NDTV has become a menace.
they are trying to shape people's thought process.
a little talk against muslims or pakistan , she cannot tolerate. But she will not leave an inch of opportunity to hit hindus.

recent week i was observing coverage indian channels on "PUB CULTURE" and the statements made by CMs of K'Taka,Rajasthan and Delhi. Asho Gehlot and Yadyurappa said the same thing , but BJP CM had become taliban like and congress CM is angel.
and that old bitch delhi CM is confused soul.

i think we should have a media watch section as one of our forum and invite NDTV, Times, CNN, etc. we will be sued for that ?

[echarcha]

I really was apalled when that fat fuck anchor on NDTV - Dua (sorry I forget his name right now) objected to people chanting Bharat Mata Ki Jai outside Oberoi Trident. He said people are shouting communal slogans!

Search for that clip on NDTV.. It was right after the news of Karkare getting shot.

[Randheer]

Originally Posted by echarcha

I really was apalled when that fat fuck anchor on NDTV - Dua (sorry I forget his name right now) objected to people chanting Bharat Mata Ki Jai outside Oberoi Trident. He said people are shouting communal slogans!

Search for that clip on NDTV.. It was right after the news of Karkare getting shot.

His name is Vinod Dua and his biggest achievement is that he is doing slavery of his former Colleague Pranab Roy. He is one of the biggest Pinko ever living in India. He is one of those who think why are not Mughals still ruling over us, why are not Talibans taking over us. We can then eat lot of paya and Boti kebabs together.

You see his lifestyle programme "jayaka India ka". Though a good concept but he will go to all old cities and muslim ghettos and show how good food there is. Sala can't live without Nihari-Kulcha or Paya. He will eat at all shady and unhygenic muslim shops but when he has to eat at some vegetarian Hindu shop,he will do all Natak of calorie consciousness and oily .
He can eat oily Bheja Fry but will find Dhokla Oily . These guys have overdose of Secularism.

In this program this thick fellow can't stop himself from taking potshots on BJP and its leaders.

The problem with these buggers is that they won't say that they Openly support Congress but will do everything to oppose BJP,Hindu religion,concept of India as a Nation.

Media is anti establishment but these guys are totally anti India. They have done bigger damage to India in last 50 years than anyone else.

[pakkidost]

Vinod Dua is one big time Congressi chamcha...bechare ki kismat bhi kya hai ki now he is serving the Communist boss....

NDTV is one shame in the name of "Right of expression". Most biased, most Anti Hindu, Anti Indian channel. Barkha Dutt is now known as Burkha Dutt...

Abhigyan Prakash of NDTV is one low life scum of the earth, caught on camera that suddenly zoomed in on his manhoos face, laughing and joking just outside Taj at the peak of attacks.

I hope BJP alliance govt comes in power in centre and pull this deshdrohi channel off air.

[Randheer]

Originally Posted by Indian

recent week i was observing coverage indian channels on "PUB CULTURE" and the statements made by CMs of K'Taka,Rajasthan and Delhi. Asho Gehlot and Yadyurappa said the same thing , but BJP CM had become taliban like and congress CM is angel.
and that old bitch delhi CM is confused soul.

Shiela Dixit is irrelevant as she is just CM of a City state,e.g if say somebody is just CM of Mumbai, he can say that Dance and Massage Bars could be allowed in Mumbai as people going there are mature but a CM of entire Maharshtra can't say this.

She may be darling of Media as a Counter to Modi but practically she doesn't matter much.

Ashok Gehlot tried to present this as he is changing BJP's policy but later retracted. But yeddy has balls to stick to his stand .

Karnatka was going same way as Maharashtra and it was not far when some local MNS would have sprung up. Yeddy nipped that in Bud. Bars,Dance Bars,Pubs,Massage Parlours do affect local people and their sentiments need to be respected. Yeddy is heavily promoting Kannada Language and Literature without any body asking.

Most of the guys fighting for Pubs in bangalore are the Software Professionals who would have begged their Pitajis for 50 rupees to watch a movie . Their Pitaji would have given 10 GALIS before giving that 50 rupees to watch a movie. Saale Software Professionals Bangalore aakar Ultra Modern ban jaate hain . They need a kick in their behinds

Our strength lies in old Hindutva Tradition of Childhood or Brhmacharya Avastha till 25 years to be spent in education and developing good virtues and skills and not in going to Pubs and involving in Aiyashi and Bhog-Vilas.

So our Pitajis who use to give galis when we asked money for movie tickets were doing great job for the country