An Indian Times Network correspondent was seen running and attempting to take cover from alleged shelling by the Al-Qassam Brigades in the Shabira neighborhood in the Gaza envelope area, during the first week of the Israeli aggression on the region.
The correspondent, Pradeep Dutta, works for the "Times Now Navbharat" Indian channel, a subsidiary of the Times Network. Since Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, he has been covering events from the Israeli side.
He was with a group of journalists who hurried to take cover against a wall on October 13 when the warning sirens sounded. The correspondent threw himself to the ground and continued to report what was happening around him in an exaggerated manner to the point of shouting, which surprised the other journalists. Even an Israeli soldier pointed to him to lower his voice and calm down.
Channel Times Now posted the video with the title "Watch How Times Network Correspondent Escaped Hamas Attack." The news article stated that their correspondent "miraculously escaped a Hamas attack."
Reviewing the full video, no evidence was found to suggest any clear material danger, explosion, or shelling near the correspondent. Only the sound of warning sirens is audible in the area, which prompted those present to take cover.
The scene sparked ridicule on social media, with some arguing that the correspondent lacks the competence, training, and experience to cover war zones, while others believe that he is resorting to sensationalism to attract viewers and increase views. Some also speculate that he might have been assigned to carry out this particular task.
Dutta who introduces himself on his social media profiles as an influencer and enthusiastic journalist, has appeared in several videos where he is seen shouting and running in an attempt to escape an alleged shelling after hearing sirens.
He has been captured in various situations during his reporting, including lying on the ground, running upstairs, or interviewing Israeli soldiers while they dance.
In each instance where the Indian correspondent covers events, he appears overly enthusiastic to the point where even the settlers around him find his behavior surprising, and they often seem calmer in comparison.
His reports initially focused on the Gaza border region, featuring burnt cars and damaged houses in the kibbutzim, which he attributes to Palestinian resistance. He interviews settlers while displaying an exaggerated sense of sympathy. He also openly expresses pro-Israel positions.
The channel where Dutta works is one of the 13 media outlets affiliated with the Times Group, one of India's largest media networks. According to its official website, the Times Group receives support from over 25,000 advertisers with revenues exceeding one billion dollars and employs 11,000 staff. It is known for its pro-Indian government stance.
Dutta is one of a group of Indian correspondents who have traveled to cover the conflict from one side, specifically the Israeli side. Misbar observed approximately nine television correspondents, including him, in Tel Aviv.
Indian Correspondents in Tel Aviv: Different Channels, Same Background
Since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, Misbar has been following Indian news reports on various channels that rely on field correspondents. Some of these channels have even dispatched multiple correspondents. Through their accounts on X, we observed the nature of their posts and the coverage they share with their audience.
India Today
India Today channel sent the journalist Gorav C. Sawant, who provides reports from the Israeli side, and does not hesitate to share his supportive positions for Israel during the war, accompanied by photos of him with the soldiers.
India Today is one of the channels owned by the TV Today network, also known as The India Today Group, along with three others: AajTak, AajTak HD, and Good News Today.
The network includes 18 digital platforms and nine magazines. According to their official website, their viewership reaches an estimated 500 million views monthly.
NDTV Channel
Kadambini Sharma, the Senior Editor for Foreign Affairs at NDTV (New Delhi Television), along with Omashankar Singh, the Senior Editors for Political and Foreign Affairs at the channel, covered the recent aggression on Gaza from Tel Aviv.
NDTV (New Delhi Television) is a media network under the AMG Networks umbrella, which is a subsidiary of the Adani Group, closely associated with the Indian government. In 2022, the Adani Group acquired a 30% ownership stake in NDTV.
TV9 Bharatvarsh Channel
Sumit Choudhary, a correspondent for TV9 Bharatvarsh channel, appeared in video reports alongside soldiers and shared his supportive positions for Israel to the extent that he stated in an interview quoted by Israeli media, "I have seen the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, but I have not seen such terror.”
TV9 Bharatvarsh is an Indian Hindi-language news channel owned by the TV9 network, which operates five other regional channels, including TV9 Telugu, TV9 Kannada, TV9 Marathi, TV9 Gujarati, and TV9 Bangla. The network employs 700 people and, according to its official website, has reached up to 100 million monthly visitors in record time.
In 2018, ownership of the institution shifted to a new group known for its proximity to the ruling party.
Republic TV
Gursimran Singh and Alisha Nair, former correspondents at the Indian channel Republic, regularly participated in their coverage with a clear inclination towards adopting the official Israeli narrative.
Gursimran Singh also posted a video on his X account in which he exchanged greetings with the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, who praised India's support for Israel.
Republic is an Indian media network that broadcasts its content to the Indian public in four languages. The network is known for its founder and editor-in-chief, Arnab Goswami, who has affiliations with the ruling political party.
According to its official website, the network reaches over 438 million people across India in 2023. It also records 6 billion monthly views on YouTube alone, reaching over 130 million people on the Meta platform.
News18 India Channel
Niraj Kumar, a correspondent for News18 India in Israel, covered the recent attack on Gaza. The channel is one of the media outlets associated with the Godi media group.
News18 India is owned by the Network18 Media Limited & Investments group, which encompasses various media, digital content, entertainment, e-commerce, journalism, and related businesses. Some of the prominent channels within the group include CNBC-TV18 and CNN News18.
Bharat TV
Rupika Liyaquat, reporting for Bharat 24 - Vision of New India channel, covered events from Tel Aviv. Rupika is one of the well-known journalists associated with the Godi media group and has faced criticism for her alignment with the government's agenda. During her coverage, she expressed support for Israel, as evident in her posts on her X account.
Despite the diversity of media outlets they work for, all of them are associated with the "Godi Media" group, a common term coined by Indian journalist Ravish Kumar after resigning from NDTV India. This was in response to a close group's acquisition of 30% ownership of the channel.
The term "Godi Media" refers to channels affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, acting as PR arms for Narendra Modi's government and having a bias towards their agenda. They are often described as "lap dogs" for the Hindu nationalist agenda.
So why are pro-government media outlets in India interested in the war being waged by Israel on Gaza following Operation Al-Aqsa Flood?
Reporters Against Ethics and News Standards
What most of these correspondents have in common is their overt support for Israel, taking pictures with officials in Tel Aviv or soldiers on the front lines, attempting to gain sympathy with posts containing videos of settlers in a state of distress, or trying to hide.
The reporting they do on the Gaza border is often seen as propagandistic, or as journalist and historian Max Hastings puts it as an "extension of Israeli war effort."
Lack of Balance in the Coverage
In the field of war, journalists typically maintain a distance between themselves and the armed forces because any direct contact could lead to either conflict and hostility or the establishment of a propaganda deal. In this context, where the Indian media aligned itself with the Israeli military in terms of coverage and the stories emphasized, there was a prevalent agenda in most reports and correspondences (agenda setting). This agenda portrayed "Hamas as a terrorist movement suffering Israel's presence" and "Tel Aviv as a safe place that Hamas tries to sabotage." There was also a significant focus on the settlers who were captured by the Qassam Brigades, or whose homes and properties were damaged during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
Their coverage of the Palestinian side was weak in terms of news value and story depth, often presented in a condensed news format. Their primary sources of news were the Israeli military, to the extent that some news reports appeared quite similar.
The Sensationalism and Exaggeration in Describing the Effects of the Resistance's Bombardment
Some reports focused on the damage to certain vehicles and houses during the peak of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, which has so far resulted in the deaths and injuries of thousands of civilians, mostly women and children.
These reports were characterized by exaggeration in describing the effects of the resistance's bombardment on the Israeli side, while the human and material damage in Gaza due to the Israeli aggression was more deadly and destructive.
Adopting the Israeli Army’s Narrative
Some of the correspondents propagated the Israeli army's narrative during the recent aggression on Gaza, including claims that Hamas prevents civilians from moving to southern Gaza, an area presumed to be safe and not targeted by Israeli airstrikes, following the instructions of the occupying state.
Some of the reports and correspondents that covered the bombing of the Baptist hospital, for example, primarily conveyed the Israeli narrative or presented it alongside the Palestinian narrative.
Indian journalist Arfa Khanum Sherwani, in a post on her X account, says, "Indian journalists on the ground claim they are covering the war in West Asia by reporting from the Israeli side only." She further explained, "Israel and Palestine are two sides in this war. How can someone claiming to cover the war not report from Gaza? This is not journalism but shameful propaganda for the aggressor."
Arfa, who is one of the most vocal critics of Godi Media and works as a Senior Editor at the independent website The Wire, pointed out that Indian media coverage in Israel did not adhere to the principles of balance.
She further mentioned in a media statement published on October 17, "Media affiliated with the Modi government did not go to Israel to cover the war; they went to push an agenda." She added, "It's unreasonable for Indian media to cover the war while sitting in a hotel room. Indian media has become a subject of mockery."
The Indian Media Is Accused of Having Double Standards
Users on social media in India mocked the news coverage by Indian TV channel correspondents in Tel Aviv, accusing the media of double standards. They compared it to local coverage, such as the crisis in Manipur, where the province has witnessed violent ethnic clashes, leading to the deaths of at least 120 people since the beginning of the year.
This is not the first time that "Godi Media" has faced such criticisms. It has been previously barred by citizens and protesters from covering events related to them due to what they considered media deception of their issues and bias against them.
Mehbooba Mufti, the president of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party, said in a post on Ink's website that media outlets aligned with the Modi government "did not waste time heading to Israel, but they ignored the ongoing tragedy in Manipur that has been brewing for months." She added, "Nothing seems to evoke the same concern and interest when they witness the killing of innocents and the torture of women in their backyard."
In September of the previous year, leaders of the opposition alliance in India published a list of 14 journalists they considered biased towards the government, including prominent figures like Navika Kumar, the editor-in-chief of Times Now, where Dutta works, and the journalist Rubika Liyaquat. The alliance decided to boycott them, along with several other news channels.
Godi Media: Journalism in Service of an Agenda
The journalists in India do not enjoy independence in practicing their profession, and they face restrictions and threats from the ruling party, which makes their work difficult, according to Amnesty International.
Reporters Without Borders also indicates that journalism in India is facing a real crisis due to the control of government-affiliated businessmen over major media outlets in the country. Indian journalists who criticize the authorities, according to the organization, face violent campaigns that include attacks and harassment by followers of Prime Minister Modi.
Perhaps this explains the nature of the news coverage by Indian channel correspondents that was observed by the Misbar. It was not separate from the political power's choices in the country, but rather an extension of it through the news agenda they relied on, determining the nature of the materials they focused on and their format.
After the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his solidarity with Israel.
Modi also shared a post on October 10, thanking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for their phone call and providing an update on the ongoing situation. He stated, "The people of India stand strongly with Israel at this challenging moment. India strongly condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations."
This official stance is reinforced by the presence of approximately 18,000 Indian citizens in Israel, including many caregivers for the elderly, diamond merchants, IT professionals, and students.
Israel is home to approximately 85,000 Jews of Indian origin. According to the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv, the major waves of Indian immigration to Israel occurred in the 1950s and 1960s.
Narendra Modi was the first-ever Indian Prime Minister to visit Tel Aviv, and this historic visit took place in 2017. India is the world's leading destination for Israeli arms exports, with a value of $247 million in 2022.
In September 2023, the U.S. Department of State announced the activation of the "I2U2" website, which will serve as a platform for collaboration between India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. The website will focus on receiving new projects in various fields, including water, energy, transportation, space, health, food security, and technology, among these four countries.
In August 2023, a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center revealed that Israel views India more positively than any other country in the world. The survey indicated that 71% of Israelis hold positive opinions about India, while 20% have negative views, and 9% did not express their opinions.
It is worth noting that India abstained from voting in the United Nations General Assembly on the Arab-proposed resolution calling for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza.
Despite Modi’s call to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas following the incident at the Baptist Hospital to express condolences for the casualties caused by the airstrikes, he did not explicitly call for a ceasefire or humanitarian truce in Gaza. During this call, he mentioned that civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict were a significant and ongoing concern, emphasizing the need to hold those responsible accountable.
India sent humanitarian aid to Al-Arish International Airport in Egypt, including 6.5 tons of medical aid and 32 tons of disaster relief materials, as per the official representation of India in Ramallah's statement. However, at the media level, India's support was clearly inclined toward the Israeli side, neglecting social responsibility and the principle of balanced coverage.
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