Smita Prakash, Editor-in-Chief of ANI (Asian News International), slammed journalist Ravish Kumar over his attack on a certain section of media, including ANI, using the term ‘Godi Media. In an interview with Dainik Bhaskar, Prakash accused Kumar of hypocrisy for popularizing the term “Godi Media” (a pejorative implying lapdog or subservient media) while having worked at NDTV, which she described as the epitome of such media during previous governments.
Smita Prakash made the comments in Dainik Jagaran’s special podcast Manthan, hosted by Smriti Rastogi. Responding to a question on the accusations of ‘Godi Media’ against ANI, Smita said that this is her favourite topic, and opened a front against Ravish Kumar who had coined and popularise the term, accusing him of hypocrisy. She said that when Ravish was working in NDTV, the channel was the biggest example of ‘Godi media’.
Smita Prakash said that no other media house was as close to the government as NDTV during that time, and no other news agency or channel had the access the NDTV. Notably, at that time NDTV was run by its founder Pranoy Roy, before Adani group took over the media house due to massive financial malpractices by the media house at that time.
Smita Prakash said she was not talking just Congress government, and NDTV got unprecedented access even during Vajpayee Government and the Narsimha Rao Govt.
Prakash highlighted NDTV’s special privileges, asking, “There were some competent people, I am not denying. But how many Padma Awards did NDTV get?” She questioned Kumar by saying, “If you call access journalism as Godi Media, at that time Ravish turned a blind eye. And he was complicit. If you think any agency or news channel is close to the powers that be and is not questioning, then why were you working there?”
Prakash provided specific instances to show how NDTV had got unprecedented privileges not just from Indian govt, but even from Pakistan govt. Some of the incidents she mentioned were:
Event at Rashtrapati Bhavan: She noted that NDTV held its 25th anniversary event at Rashtrapati Bhavan in December 2013, a privilege she said was unprecedented. “You tell me, their annual day was held inside Rashtrapati Bhavan. Have you heard of anyone else?”
Former NDTV Staff in Government Roles: Smita Prakash recalled that during a trip of PM Dr. Manmohan Singh to Iran, there were four personnel in the Prime Minister’s office who were former NDTV employees. She said, “One time during Dr Manmohan Singh’s foreign trip, we had gone to Iran and the media team was with us. I think there were 4 people from NDTV who were in Prime Minister office. They earlier used to work at NDTV but at that time they were working for PM. Some of them were Media Advisors, some officers on special duty, some were on other positions. There were 4 former NDTV employees on the same table.”
Notably, former NDTV journalist Pankaj Pachauri was the Communications Adviser to the Prime Minister’s Office during Manmohan Singh’s term. He was in the position from 2012 to 2014. Another likely person was Binoy Job, who served as Director of Media and Communications in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) during Manmohan Singh’s tenure. Job worked as a journalist at NDTV before joining the govt. It is not clear who are the other 2 Smita was referring too.
Broadcasting from Pakistan Minister’s House: Smita Prakash made an explosive claim, saying that once NDTV used a Pakistani minister’s house to broadcast news using Pakistani network. Talking about media coverage during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s visit to Islamabad for the 2004 SAARC Summit, Prakash said that at that time media networks had to book satellite through BSNL at that time for coverage from foreign countries, as there was no FTP etc. She said that satellite booking was very expensive at that time. She then revealed that while other networks were using BSNL satellites to broadcast news on the SAARC event, NDTV was using Pakistani network, that too from the house of a Pakistani minister.
She said, “NDTV was broadcasting from the terrace of Information and Broadcasting Minister of Pakistan’s House. How? So NDTV was Godi Media of which country at that time? Didn’t Ravish know about it at all? What is this special relationship?” She further alleged that a camp of JKLF (Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front) was located on the campus of the same house of the information and broadcasting minister.
She said, “What kind of an Indian journalist you are that you went to the terrace of the Pakistani minister’s house and your cameraman didn’t turn around to take the shot where there is a JKLF camp.” He said that while the JKLF members were not present at that time, the tents were there, and NDTV could have shown them.
Smita Prakash asked what was the special relationship that Pakistani govt allowed NDTV to use its minister’s house for satellite transmission.
Prakash concluded by challenging those who position themselves as morally superior, “What I am saying is not to throw dirt on others. Those who work or used, if they try to be holier than thou, to say we are very clean, they were also like that.” She said that NDTV is ANI’s client, and she does not want to target the channel, but her comment is on Ravish and his hypocrisy.
She also said ANI covers opposition parties more than the ruling party, and there is no bias. But the news agency has to cover the ruling party and the ministries, as they form policies on various issues. She said that if there were shadow ministries from opposition parties, they could have been covered on policy issues.
