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This week on NL Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Anand Vardhan, Manisha Pande, and Raman Kirpal are joined by M. K. Venu, founding editor of The Wire to discuss the recession, the state of the media, and everything that happened this week.

The panel discusses and debates the possible paths of India’s economic recovery, whether the government’s approach to the lockdown made things worse, and why India has experienced greater negative impacts due to the coronavirus than other global economic powerhouses. Venu gives insight into the predicaments of the Indian worker, and says, “In India, we claim to be socialist, but we are the harshest capitalist state that can ever be.”

Venu also weighs in on the “sensationalist end of broadcast media,” The Wire’s approach to journalism, and how the distribution of corporate spending on advertising is changing rapidly. They also discuss the paradigm shift in which news organisations influence, and which ones are influenced. On the prevailing respectability of the print media, Anand observes, “You don’t see people saying, ‘Ye maine iss channel pe dekha tha’ with the confidence with which they cite the printed word.”

The panel also discusses a possible future constitutional crisis arising from the Central and Maharashtra governments’ uses of state machinery for personal gain, lawfully or unlawfully, in the Sushant Singh Rajput-Rhea Chakraborty-Kangana Ranaut case.

Also on this edition of NL Hafta: the significance of the bad-faith allegations against Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, the imprudent Republic reporters, and highlights from the run-up to the upcoming elections in Bihar.

All this and more, only on this week’s NL Hafta. Tune in!

References:

Why I Agree With Bill Maher’s Views On Islam

Song: Mele Nu Chaliye

Hafta letters: Secularism, Freedom of Expression and Republic TV

Timecodes

0:05:16 - Introduction & Headlines

05:41:20 - Economy of India & Negative GDP Growth

35:39:00 - Print Vs TV Vs Digital News

55:09:12 - Subscribers Mails

1:05:36:01 - Subscribers Mails

1:10:49:12 - Kangna Ranaut’s office demolition and destroying institutions

1:28:39:21 - Role of Media in India

1:39:57:05 - Subscriber Mails

1:46:55:11 - Bihar Elections

1:49:35:07 - Recommendations

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Produced by Aditya Varier and Lipi Vats, recorded by Anil Kumar, edited by Harshula Sharma.

Transcription assistance by Arnav Binaykia.

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