In this episode, host Nidhi Suresh is joined by Ayush Tiwari and Akanksha Kumar of Newslaundry.

The conversation starts with Nidhi asking how Ayush feels about going back to reporting on the 2020 Delhi carnage. She also asks both of them if they think doing the same thing over and over again and being exposed to this sort of violence desensitises a reporter or equips them to handle it with more empathy?

Ayush and Akanksha agree. “It equips you better to handle emotional outbursts no matter what story you’re working and also you go with a better approach,” says Akanksha.

The discussion moves on to Akankha’s report about the hundreds of job aspirants in Uttar Pradesh who are yet to get appointment letters despite clearing the village development officer exam a year ago. Akanksha explains how she got a lead for the story, explains the hiring process and what's holding up the appointment letters.

In June 2020, the Narendra Modi government consulted “prominent persons from the media field” to help craft strategies for effectively communicating “10 big narratives of the government”. Ayush talks about his report on the matter and explains what the initiative is all about, who all were involved, and what discussions they had. “They were not willing to come on record and speak on what was going on," Ayush says, referring to the journalists consulted by the government. "If you have not done it then why do you need to stay anonymous. Just remove that skirt of anonymity and come out in public and say.”

This and a lot more as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have.

Tune in!

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Produced by Parikshit Sanyal, edited by Saif Ekram.

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