Then, TV news decided to blame the violence which ensued between police and the protesters on the students. Some news channels looked for hidden ‘toolkits’ and international conspiracies.This, when all of us had seen the police lathicharge and tear gas the crowds from the beginning of the protest on those very TV news channels.
Also read: Casteist attacks on CJP protesters flood social media, ‘General Category’ told to stay away
Confusing coyness
Most leading English newspapers covered the protests extensively. However, many were reluctant to name the protesters as either students or supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party, which was leading the agitation against the leaked NEET examination papers. They could have said ‘CJP -ed protests’ but they didn’t.Similarly, on 22 July, the same newspapers did not name Rahul Gandhi in front page stories on his ‘sit-in’ along with other Congress leaders at PM’s house and the almost comical efforts of the Delhi Police to lift him off the ground—although most showed photographs of the struggle. Meanwhile, foreign news media filled in the gaps. Here is the Financial Times Page 1.Why this curious coyness, when all of us had seen the incidents on TV news or social media? Had the government reached out to the news media to modify coverage or was this self-censorship?Either way, it made no sense.TV news ‘unmasked’ CJP
