Recently, a social media campaign started by NDTV‘s senior journalist Ravish Kumar has been in the thick of many conversations, especially because of its unique request. According to Kumar, people should completely refrain from consuming any kind of television news content for the next two-and-a-half months, keeping in mind that the 2019 general election is just around the corner.

Kumar had appealed to the electorate via an article he had penned in which he voiced that if you are aware and care for your children, your society, and your country, then you should boycott news channels for the next two-and-a-half months. According to him, most of our country’s news channels have become the basis of government propaganda and war of horror, and are shirking their journalistic responsibilities.

When asked by Newslaundry’s Executive Editor Atul Chaurasia as to whether there is any scope for TV news to redeem itself, Kumar said: “No. If you think that TV [content] can be improved, then you don’t understand TV at all. Not from the outside and not from the inside. I work from 7 in the morning till 12 at night so I’m not just saying this from outside the periphery, but this is my understanding: News channels are ruining India’s democratic nature. People have got stuck in the cycle of TV news and are not able to snap out of it.

“Earlier, I had urged people to watch lesser of TV news but it is my appeal that they don’t watch any kind of TV news at all for the next two-and-a-half months. If your allegiance is towards the democracy of India then you shouldn’t watch news channels. There is no need to get emotional about what I’m saying. I’m not being cynical. The questions being raised by news channels are actually questions the government wants to be asked; they are from the government’s end and suit the Prime Minister.”