Ignorant news anchoring

IN Media Watch Briefs | 31/07/2015

Sometimes a TV anchor's ignorance grates. On July 31, on CNN IBN anchor Ananya, while reeling out reactions to the FTII students strike, said that a critic had questioned U R Ananthmurthy's appointment as FTII chairman in an earlier term, since he had nothing to do with the world of films . This is completely untrue. The anchor repeated this falsehood as if it was true! U R Ananthmurthy was a writer who won the Sahitya academy Jnanpith award and was nominated for the Man Booker. He was also awarded over the years for his film-related writing: Best Story Writer for Ghatashraddha (1977) and Best Dialogue Writer for Avasthe (1987) apart from awards for Samskara and Mouni.

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Media Watch Briefs

Amazon resisting voluntary censorship

The new term for self censorship is voluntary censorship, as proposed by companies like Netflix and Hotstar. ET reports that streaming video service Amazon Prime is opposing a move by its peers to adopt a voluntary censorship code in anticipation of the Indian government coming up with its own rules. Amazon is resisting because it fears that it may alienate paying subscribers.

Let the games begin

Clearly, the run to the 2019 elections is on. A journalist received a call from someone saying they were from Aajtak channel and were conducting a survey, asking whom she was going to vote for in 2019. On being told that her vote was secret, the caller assumed she wasn't going to vote for 'Modiji'. The caller, a woman, also didn't identify herself. A month or two earlier the same journalist received a call, this time from a man, asking if she was going to vote for the BSP.