Yup, that’s Republic Bharat’s idea of covering a war and an unprecedented humanitarian crisis

We’re two months into the Ukraine-Russia war. Satellite images show bodies in the streets, casualties are mounting, and several journalists in Ukraine have died since the Russian invasion began, while some of their counterparts in Russia have shown extraordinary courage in speaking out.

Let’s be clear: What Ukraine is experiencing is a humanitarian crisis. The basic ask from journalists reporting on it is a sense of gravity.

Now, the war has been front and centre for news channels in India too. Sure, Sudhir Chaudhary strolled through Poland while Republic said its interview with the Ukraine president was the literal turning point in the war, but several young reporters did the best they could under circumstances they weren’t trained for.

Then there’s Republic Bharat’s Shazia Nisar, a news anchor dispatched to Ukraine who added her own twist – literally – to reporting.

There’s no denying her enthusiasm, but that isn’t precisely what people were pointing out.