Ravish Kumar criticises mainstream media's Kashmir coverage; Calls it a waste of resources
Journalist Ravish Kumar has recently criticized mainstream media outlets for their coverage of Kashmir, particularly during the ongoing elections in the region. In a post on X, Kumar targeted what is commonly referred to as 'Godi Media'—a term used in India to describe news channels that are perceived as being overly supportive of the ruling BJP government. He expressed concern that these outlets are more focused on promoting party narratives than addressing the real issues faced by the people of Kashmir.
Kumar pointed out that many television anchors set up elaborate sets in front of Dal Lake in Srinagar, but their reports and debates fail to provide meaningful insights or address the region's pressing problems. He accused these media houses of visiting Kashmir merely as a formality, without any genuine intent to explore or report on the ground realities.
"Their focus seems to be on producing promotional content rather than genuine reporting," Kumar remarked. He further criticized these channels for spending large sums of money on what he termed as 'gutter programs,' suggesting that these funds would be better utilized as bonuses for their employees. "Why waste money on meaningless shows?" he questioned.
In his post, Kumar also attached a YouTube link to a report by Manisha Pandey, a journalist with News Laundry, recommending it to aspiring journalists. He praised the team at News Laundry for their commitment to genuine journalism, despite their reliance on viewer support to sustain their operations. "Those who face the daily challenge of raising funds are doing an excellent job, while those with abundant resources are only conducting election tours," Kumar commented.
Kumar's criticism extends beyond Kashmir, as he expressed concern about the declining standards of journalism at the district level across India. He warned that this deterioration is making it increasingly difficult to uphold the integrity of the profession.
The term 'Godi Media' has become widely known in India as a label for media outlets that are seen as being aligned with the BJP and pushing the party’s narratives, particularly during election periods. According to critics like Kumar, these media outlets have abandoned their role as independent watchdogs, instead becoming tools for political propaganda.
कश्मीर जाने वाले गोदी मीडिया के पत्रकार डल झील के आगे सेट लगा कर बैठ जाते हैं।
— ravish kumar (@ravishndtv) September 26, 2024
झील तो झील है लेकिन उसका सहारा लेकर कश्मीर के सामने पड़े सवालों से बच निकलते हैं। इसीलिए आप उनकी रिपोर्ट या बहस से कुछ नहीं जानते हैं। कुछ पता नहीं चलता। केवल एंकर जाने की रस्म निभा देते हैं। उनका…
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Canada is already examining tariffs on certain US items following Trump's tariff threat
Toronto (AP/PTI): Canada is already examining possible retaliatory tariffs on certain items from the United States should President-elect Donald Trump follow through on his threat to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products, a senior official has said.
Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if the countries don't stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across southern and northern borders. He said he would impose a 25 per cent tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders.
But Trump posted Wednesday evening on Truth Social that he had a "wonderful conversation" with new Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and she "agreed to stop Migration through Mexico".
"Mexico will stop people from going to our Southern Border, effective immediately. THIS WILL GO A LONG WAY TOWARD STOPPING THE ILLEGAL INVASION OF THE USA. Thank you!!!" Trump posted.
It was unclear what impact the conversation will have on Trump's plan to impose tariffs.
In Canada, a government official said on Wednesday that Canada is preparing for every eventuality and has started thinking about what items to target with tariffs in retaliation. The official stressed no decision has been made. The person spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak publicly.
When Trump imposed higher tariffs during his first term in office, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of new duties in 2018 against the US in a tit-for-tat response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum.
Many of the US products were chosen for their political rather than economic impact. For example, Canada imports USD 3 million worth of yogurt from the US annually and most comes from one plant in Wisconsin, home state of then-House Speaker Paul Ryan. That product was hit with a 10 per cent duty.
Another product on the list was whiskey, which comes from Tennessee and Kentucky, the latter of which is the home state of then-Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell.
Trump made the threat Monday while railing against an influx of illegal migrants, even though the numbers at Canadian border pale in comparison to the southern border.
The US Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone — and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian one between October 2023 and September 2024.
Canadian officials say lumping Canada in with Mexico is unfair but say they are ready to make new investments in border security and work with the Trump administration to lower the numbers from Canada. The Canadians are also worried about a influx north of migrants if Trump follows through with his plan for mass deportations.
Trump also railed about fentanyl from Mexico and Canada, even though seizures from the Canadian border pale in comparison to the Mexican border. US customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border.
Canadian officials argue their country is not the problem and that tariffs will have severe implications for both countries.
Canada is the top export destination for 36 US states. Nearly USD 3.6 billion Canadian (USD 2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60 per cent of US crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85 per cent of US electricity imports are from Canada. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the US and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a emergency virtual meeting on Wednesday with the leaders of Canada's provinces. He stressed they need to present a united front.
"I don't want to minimize for a moment the gravity of the challenge we now face," Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said. "Now is really a moment for us not to squabble amongst ourselves."
The provincial premiers want Trudeau to negotiate a bilateral trade deal with the United States that excludes Mexico.
Sheinbaum, Mexico's president, said earlier Wednesday that her administration is already working up a list of possible retaliatory tariffs "if the situation comes to that."
She later said she talked to Trump and had "an excellent conversation".
