Peabody Awards: Ravish Kumar calls ‘Indian Media disgrace,’ appeals support for ‘good journalism’
New Delhi: Renowned Journalist Ravish Kumar strongly criticized the Indian mainstream media calling it a disgrace to Journalism and Humanity. He was speaking while accepting the ‘Peabody Award’ alongside Vinay Shukla, for his documentary ‘while we watched' on Kumar, on June 9 at Los Angeles in the USA.
The award honors the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in all of television, radio, and online media during 2023. The awards are held in high esteem within the media industry due to their academic affiliation and reputation for discernment.
The documentary “While We Watched,” directed by Vinay Shukla, chronicles Ravish Kumar’s journey over two years as he faces violent personal threats, falling network ratings at NDTV, staffing losses, funding issues, and deep ethical dilemmas. The award citation describes it as a “powerful defense of independent journalism” and a “poignant portrait of everyday courage in the face of radicalized politics and publics.”
During his speech at the ceremony Kumar delivered a scathing critique of the mainstream Indian news system, he said, “When a journalist becomes a spreader of hate and lies, an instigator of mob lynching, a cheerleader for the government, [they] become an instrument to kill democracy. When hundreds of news channels repeat the same, they become a weapon to kill humanity. Most of the Indian mainstream media is a disgrace to democracy and humanity.”
Kumar expressed gratitude to his family and supporters, stating, “I would like to remember my wife Nayana, my brave daughters Tanima and Tanisha, who suffered a lot, and my millions of viewers who felt hopeless, helpless, and stateless because of this criminal Indian mainstream media. They came in search of hope. They supported me. They gave me hope to do journalism. Whenever you get the chance, please do support good journalism. You will get a good democracy. Thank you.”
Ravish Kumar has persistently criticized the Indian Media and also labeled it ‘Godi Media’ (Media sitting on Lap). In 2022, after quitting NDTV, the channel he was the face of for decades, following the channel's takeover by Billionaire Gautam Adani, the popular Journalist switched to Youtube, and is one of the foremost independent voices in Indian journalism today.
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Karnataka School Edu Dept prohibits children from being made to dance to obscene songs
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka School Education Department has issued a circular strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs in educational and cultural programmes.
It stated that such dances would negatively impact students' mental health and moral values. It will create indiscipline and harm the sanctity of education.
"All the Deputy Directors (Administration) of the state's School Education Department have been asked to take strict measures to prevent children or students from dancing to obscene songs in all government, aided and unaided schools in the state," the office of the commissioner of the School Education Department said in a recent circular.
"If it is found that children are being made to dance to obscene songs, appropriate action will be taken against the headmaster or management of such school," it added.
The department also listed certain measures in this regard, which include: strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes; selecting songs that are inspiring, positive, instilling national pride in children and reflecting the greatness, dignity, values, culture, and morality of the state.
Stating that the school headmaster and management are responsible for selecting songs and dances for cultural programmes, it said, they should also ensure that students wear decent clothes in dance or cultural programmes.
