Why is NDTV headline not focusing the core of story?

Nine years after the Sabarmati Express burned on the railways tracks of Godhra, a special court in Ahmedabad gave its verdict on what actually happened on that day. The verdict had three core issues

1. The court has upheld that there was a conspiracy behind the attack on the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express

2. Court convicted 31 people under Section 302 and 120 B of the Indian Penal Code

3. Court also acquitted 63, including the key accused, Maulvi Umarji

Now look at the headlines at NDTV website and what does it focus on!

Did TOI’s plagiarize Pak propaganda material and publishes as its own

This entry into Media Watch pertains to ToI Report Two pro-India parties floated in J&K with Army, MHA help. published today (22/02/11)

This article seems to be a straight lift from Pakistan propaganda websites and its worse considering the fact that ToI had the audacity to publish it as its own news. Please look at the report Proxy groups to be floated in held Kashmir published on 18/02/2011  in the website of The News.

A google search reveals the nature of groups circulating this news.

Media Watch is not surprised as earlier we had caught TOI writing an article on Incest with material lifted from Pakistani websites but one would have hoped they would be more careful using material which directly affects nations security!

Fellow twitterati @pawandurani checked with Omar Abdullah CM of J&K on veracity of the news and this was the reply he got

@iShahnaz @pawandurani strange that TOI now sources it's material on Kashmir from Pak based agencies rather than ask Govt of India.

Thanks @pawandurani  for the lead

NDTV does a sob story on Kasab

Please watch it at NDTV. Notice the wording used

“Young Boy, Desperate for money”

Seems TOI is concerned that Amit Shah lives near to PM’s house

Media Watch is still trying to understand the point ToI is trying to make with their report  Amit Shah staying barely 100km from PM's residence. ToI writes

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may or may not be aware of it, but the BJP politician because of whom he hinted that the main Opposition could be blocking Goods and Services Tax (GST) has been staying barely 100m away from his official residence.

In their excitement to write this report it seems the reporter forgot the significance of having an extra “K” while writing distances. In the heading its KM while in body its M! Media Watch would like to understand the point ToI is trying to make while reporting this news. Is it a crime to stay 100M away from PM’s house?

As if this is not enough another Media House DNA, reports Sohrab case-accused Amit Shah living like abadshah in Gujarat Bhawan. It seems to be those hit & run type of headlines where the news in the body does not support whats mentioned in headline. In the entire news, DNA has not even once written why do they thing Amit Shah is living like a badshah? Is DNA aware that Amit Shah is barred from entering Gujarat by the Supreme Court in October. Where else do you expect him to stay? Imagine the reaction if Amit Shah had decided to say in a hotel (Like Shashi Tharror and his Ex boss decided to do)

Continuing from Advani “Apology” fiction series TOI goes for the jugular

It seems TOI is determined to let it go. They have now published another article in the Advani’s apology “fiction” series.

TOI in their article BJP tries to regain edge after Advani ‘embarrassment’ writes

A day after it suffered an embarrassment for L K Advani's apology for his unsubstantiated allegations against Sonia Gandhi, BJP was trying to overcome the reverse and prepare for an impending confrontation in the Budget Session.

Lie 1: There was there was no apology.

Lie 2: Advani never said it was unsubstantiated allegations. Following is exactly what he said. The fact is he rebuked Sonia for not making a public announcement and he said if she had made a public announcement, the Task force would have taken  it into consideration.

I am happy that you have categorically denied the reports alluded to in the Task Force’s report on Black Money.  If these had been denied earlier, I am sure the Task Force would have factored in, the denial in its report. 

TOI continues

Having been set back by Advani camp's penchant for launching poorly planned offensives, the party now faces the task of regaining the edge it thought it had over the issue of corruption.

Lie 3:  It was Advani’s camp. The Task force comprised of noted Indian Institute of Management Bangalore professor R Vaidyanathan, chartered accountant S Gurumurthy, former Intelligence Bureau chief Ajit Doval and senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, son of Ram Jethmalani who is pursuing the black money case in the Supreme Court.  Media Watch leave it to readers to make a decision on whether these noted personalities are from Advani Camp or not.

TOI then links this with even BJP’s reaction on Babri Masjid Demolition case!!

In what seemed like a weak attempt, BJP on Saturday alleged that the government's appeal against the high court order in the Babri mosque demolition case after "a long gap" is an attempt to divert people's attention from burning issues like corruption, inflation and black money.

Then TOI subtly tries to say that UPA govt. is still going strong

Sources in the party said, many are sore with the coterie of advisers that has developed around Advani. The advisers, many in the party feel, have convinced themselves and the veteran that the UPA government has weakened and is ripe for a final push that will lead to early election.
Many in the party don't agree with this drastic conclusion. They agree that the UPA regime has become vulnerable, but feel that it has more resilience than Advani's advisers would concede.

Lastly, TOI gives sort of clarion call for BJP leaders to rise against 'extra-organisational' rule

The black money bungle has raised the possibility of the leaders -- smarting under the 'extra-organisational' rule -- finally summoning the courage to protest.

Thanks for the lead Snape in comments

 

Sunday Times exposes ToI paid news

Indian Media may be protecting each other but it Sunday Times has done a commendable job by doing a sting operation which exposed TOI paid news operation. Following is the report

The Indian government has condemned the phenomenon of "paid news", in which newspapers and broadcasters accept money to run favourable articles about politicians, companies and celebrities.

Broadcasting minister Ambika Soni said the practice was affecting the credibility of news reports and undermining the media's claims to be upholding democracy.

Her intervention follows last summer's report by the Press Council of India that revealed widespread payments for positive coverage, especially in the run-up to elections.

The report described paid news as "a complex phenomenon" that "ranges from accepting gifts on various occasions, foreign and domestic junkets, various monetary and non-monetary benefits, besides direct payment of money."

It also involved "private treaties", involving share transfers between media and non-media companies "in lieu of advertisement space and favourable coverage."

Many politicians paid papers to run sympathetic stories about them during the 2009 elections, and the report lists several examples.

With all that in mind, a Sunday Times reporter contacted Medianet, a company suspected of offering "paid news" deals. It was created by Bennett, Coleman and Co, which publishes many titles including The Times of India.

Last week, the reporter telephoned Medianet, as it reveals today, posing as the PR agent of a company wanting coverage for a party at an exclusive shopping mall in Delhi.

The Medianet executive said space could be bought in the Delhi Times supplement, The Times of India's society pages, for £27 a centimetre on the front page, or £16 inside.

This could be dressed up as a genuine news story, as long as it met a "celebrity quotient". Celebrities were available to attend the event at an extra cost, he said.

He later confirmed that a recent Times article about the launch of a range of ballpoint pens had been paid for by a marketing company.

The story quotes Ravi Dhariwal, the chief executive of The Times of India, as saying: "There is no paid news in any of our main papers and titles. We do have advertising and promotional supplements which sometimes carry paid features."

Sources: Sunday Times/The Hindu/Press Council of India

Kudos to Sunday times. Media Watch can’t access the the actual The Sunday Times news India’s media demand cash to run favourable news Published on 20 February 201. If anyone can access can you please send the text and screenshot of news. Thanks in Advance