3 Popular News Channels Penalised for Spreading Hate

Don’t Target Entire Community for Acts of Few: News Standards Authority

Newsreel Asia Insight #147
March 1, 2024

The News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) has taken action against three popular news channels – Times Now Navbharat, News 18 India and Aaj Tak – for broadcasting content that promotes hatred and communal disharmony, based on complaints it received against the channels.

The NBDSA, an independent body led by retired Supreme Court Justice A.K. Sikri, imposed a fine of 100,000 rupees on Times Now Navbharat and 50,000 rupees on News 18 India, while Aaj Tak received a warning, as reported by LiveLaw. The complaints were filed by activist Indrajeet Ghorpade.

The three channels were also instructed to remove the contentious programs from online platforms within seven days.

The fine against Times Now Navbharat was levied due to the anchor Himanshu Dixit targeting the Muslim community and generalising inter-faith relationships as “love jihad.”

“When some of the panellists expressed their concerns regarding the communal angle being given to such alleged incidents and regarding selective cases of violence against women where the perpetrator belonged to a particular community, the anchor shouted them down and did not allow them to express their views,” NBDSA pointed out.

“Love Jihad” is a controversial claim that Muslim men target women belonging to non-Muslim communities for conversion to Islam by feigning love.

Supporters of the theory assert that such conversions are part of a deliberate strategy to increase the Muslim population. They often call for laws or actions to stop what they perceive as a trend. It has led to legal, social and political debates, with some states in India proposing or implementing laws aimed at preventing unlawful conversions, which they associate with “Love Jihad.”

Critics point out that the term is used to stoke communal tensions and is part of a broader narrative of religious polarisation. They point out a lack of substantial evidence to support the claims made under the “Love Jihad” banner and emphasise the importance of respecting individual rights to love and marry regardless of religious backgrounds.

News 18 India faced fines for three shows, two hosted by Aman Chopra and one by Amish Devgan, which communalised the Shradda Walker case as “love jihad.”

Walker, a young woman from Mumbai, was tragically murdered in May 2022. Her partner, Aaftab Amin Poonawala, was accused of her murder. According to reports, Shraddha and Aaftab met through a dating app and eventually moved in together to Delhi. Their relationship, however, was marred by frequent arguments and altercations. The case took a gruesome turn when it was revealed that after killing Shraddha, Aaftab allegedly dismembered her body and disposed of the parts in a forested area over several months. The case was seized upon by some sections of the media and various political and social groups, who attempted to frame it within the narrative of “love jihad.”

Aaj Tak was reprimanded for a program by Sudhir Chaudhary that generalised acts of violence during the Ram Navami festival as targeting a specific community.

The NBDSA’s action followed violations of the Code of Ethics & Broadcasting Standards, which require impartiality, objectivity, neutrality and accuracy.

The authority pointed out that while media outlets have the freedom to debate any topic, targeting an entire community based on the actions of a few is unacceptable. It urged media to carefully consider facts before using the term “love jihad” in future broadcasts, highlighting the potential harm of religious stereotyping to the nation’s secular ethos. It added that discussing incidents independently would align with the principles of journalistic freedom.

The NBDSA further stated that every citizen has the right to marry a person of their choice, regardless of religion.