India Today's Lucknow correspondent, aged 30, dies of Covid
Neelanshu Shukla had tweeted on August 20 that he tested positive for Covid and was asymptomatic.
India Today’s Lucknow correspondent, Neelanshu Shukla, 30, died to Covid, less than two weeks after he tested positive. Rahul Kanwal, news director at India Today and Aaj Tak, confirmed the news on Twitter, writing that the "entire team is plagued with grief".
Support Independent Media
The media must be free and fair, uninfluenced by corporate or state interests. That's why you, the public, need to pay to keep news free.
ContributeOn August 20, Shukla had tweeted that he had tested positive, noting that he was "asymptomatic".
Shukla had been reporting from the ground at the peak of the Covid outbreak in the state. One of his more recent stories on August 12 was on Uttar Pradesh's health minister stating that more Covid testing facilities would soon be available across Uttar Pradesh.
Shukla began his career as a print reporter in his native city of Kanpur. He moved to NDTV's Delhi office on the news desk before joining India Today as a Lucknow correspondent.
***
Independent media is on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis in India, as elsewhere, telling stories that need to be told and asking questions that need answers. Support independent journalists by paying to keep news free. Subscribe to Newslaundry today.
Power NL-TNM Election Fund
General elections are around the corner, and Newslaundry and The News Minute have ambitious plans together to focus on the issues that really matter to the voter. From political funding to battleground states, media coverage to 10 years of Modi, choose a project you would like to support and power our journalism.
Ground reportage is central to public interest journalism. Only readers like you can make it possible. Will you?