Noida violence: Times Now, CNN-News18 ‘unearth’ a dark ‘conspiracy’ of QR codes, WhatsApp groups

Since last Thursday, hundreds of contractual workers have been protesting at the NSEZ metro station with a basic list of demands, including a livable wage of Rs 20,000, compensation for unpaid overtime, and the simple dignity of humane working conditions. For four days, the national television media looked right through them. However, the moment the protest turned to arson and stone-pelting on Monday, the cameras miraculously found their focus. 

Suddenly, the same channels that couldn’t spare a moment for the workers’ plight were running one segment after another, peddling ‘conspiracy’ theories and their usual, tired lectures on ‘public inconvenience’ and protest etiquette. It looks like they were following the lead of UP's labour minister Anil Rajbhar, who floated a “well-planned conspiracy” linked to Pakistan – without, of course, a shred of credible evidence.

Times Now, for example, “unearthed shocking revelations” from a government probe. The smoking gun? Workers were apparently added to WhatsApp groups via QR codes. In a desperate attempt to highlight the urgency of these “revelations”, the anchor gasped that protesters were added to these groups “overnight”. It’s as if these channels think digital coordination among the working class is a dark art rather than a basic tool of modern life.

Without a single credible source, the broadcast pivoted to the “conspiracy angle”. When pressed for details, the reporting dipped into intense speculation. The reporter admitted there is no known organisation behind the unrest, yet insisted that because thousands gathered, there “must be” some shadowy mastermind pulling the strings.

The narrative shifted seamlessly from ignoring the workers’ demands to obsessing over CCTV footage of masked individuals. By fixating on “sabotage” and “coordinating links”,  they didn’t explore why thousands of people were desperate enough to protest, but rather the “shocking” fact that they have the intelligence to use social media.

Abhishek Kumar, a leader of the All India Central Council of Trade Unions, told The Hindu that, in the absence of formal unions, social media is a lifeline for workers. “Workers in almost all the factories have been using social media effectively to spread their news," he said.

Not to be left behind, CNN-News18 turned up the hysteria a notch. On X (formerly Twitter), they touted a “shocking organised plot” and melodramatically questioned if protesters had set “fire” to the “growth story.” It was a curious choice of words. 

With families struggling to afford basic cooking gas and essential commodities, and workers fleeing unaffordable cities in droves, what “growth story” were they even talking about? When a former chief economic advisor questions the integrity of India’s GDP data, this “growth story” feels more like a fairy tale for the elite.

But the channel didn't stop at this alleged harm to the “growth story”. They doubled down on the state's narrative, claiming a “probe reveals a coordinated network” using labour groups, QR codes and WhatsApp to “mobilise unrest”. Of course, this bombshell was dropped without an iota of credible evidence – transforming the process of organising into a sinister conspiracy while sidelining the legitimate desperation that actually fuels it.

The media's moral outrage also found a convenient new shield: school children. CNN-News18 pivoted its ire away from inhumane labour conditions and toward a school bus caught in the chaos. While the safety of children is an indisputable priority, the channel didn’t use the incident to call for a resolution. Instead, they used it as a stick to scold the protestors with vague lectures of “civic responsibility”. Furthermore, the visual evidence is glaringly thin. The footage provided fails to confirm any actual violence in the vicinity. 

To make matters worse, they even patronised the protestors, saying their “vulnerability stood exposed” and that they were “taken advantage of” by violent elements.

Amidst the studio hysteria, only the reporter on the ground at CNN-News18 offered a flicker of objectivity, highlighting the core of the struggle: labourers are fighting for fair pay, compensation for unpaid overtime, bonuses, and the basic right to a safe working environment.

The administration’s defence – that they’ve “addressed” the demands – rang hollow, as the reporter noted that while officials claim payslips and bonuses are coming, they have not communicated that to the labourers. The reporter also had to gently push back against attempts to link the protest to “recent terror busts”. 

While he acknowledged “anti-social elements” in the arson, he pointed out that these are ultimately people placing basic demands before their government. The rest of the segment, however, was just a series of CCTV footage allegedly showing protestors breaking into private properties, causing damage, carrying sticks and iron rods, etc. 

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a hike in minimum wages across different categories to be implemented retrospectively from April 1. Whether the workers agree to these hikes remains to be seen. 

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