Zee News producer quits over channel’s coverage of JNU row
A producer with Hindi television channel Zee News Sunday quit the organisation protesting against the coverage of the JNU row by the channel.
Vishwa Deepak, a producer, said in his resignation letter, also shared on social media, “We journalists often question others but never ourselves. We fix others’ responsibilities but never ours. We are called as the fourth pillar of the democracy but are we, our organisations, our thoughts and our actions really democratic?
“This is not just my question but everybody else’s too. The way JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was framed on the pretext of nationalism and declared a traitor through media trial, this came as a very dangerous trend,” he said.
Further, he has claimed that he has had objections to the way the channel has played up the JNU issue.
“Dear Zee News, after 1 year four months and four days, the time has come that I should part ways with you. I should have taken this decision earlier, but if I don’t do it now, I won’t be able to forgive myself,” Deepak said in his four-paged resignation letter.
In the letter, addressed to the Zee News anchor and editor Rohit Sardana, Deepak admitted that while there has been a “communalisation” of newsrooms since 2014, situation is more alarming in Zee News.
“Opposing the blind nationalism being promoted through the JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar case, I hereby submit my resignation from my post in the organisation,” he said.
He also expressed his disappointment with the tag of ‘chee news reporter’ that he thinks he carries now. “After having passed out from one of India’s top media institutes and after having worked for organisations like the Aaj Tak, BBC Deutsche Welle (Germany) now I am left with one identity that I should be called as chee news reporter. My integrity has been shattered,” he stated in the letter.
The letter also challenged the newsroom practices at the Zee News, which are heavily bent in favour of the the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“Why is it so that we are always forced to give a spin to every news, is that portray Modi’s agenda in positive light?,” the letter asked.
“Modi is the prime minister of our country, mine too. But as a journalist, I can’t digest so much of Modi bhakti. My conscience is rebelling against me. It seems as if I’ve fallen ill now,” he added in his letter.
Zee News editor Sudhir Chaudhary when contacted said that it is organisation’s internal matter.
“Zee media is one of the largest media houses in the country. People leaving and recruitments being done is a normal affair. In any case the person concerned was not involved in any stories related to the JNU row. He never discussed any issues with anybody in the organisation if he had any. His resignation is an internal matter of the organisation,” he said.
“Zee media runs 10 national and regional news channels andits newsroom adheres to the highest journalistic standards.Our systems are completely transparent and stringent not topermit any specific viewpoint to domimnate any news broadcast beyond editorial merit,” Chaudhary said.
with agency inputs
