Centre has 200-man cell monitoring TV news channels 24/7: report
10 Aug 2018
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The Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre has a 200-member team monitoring TV news channels across the country 24x7. And this team is headed not by a party functionary but by an official of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, according to a report in The Wire, made famous by a Rs100-crore defamation brought by BJP president's son Jay Shah (See: Amit Shah's son Jay threatens Rs100 cr suit over article alleging undue profits).
Located right next to the Central Bureau of Investigation’s headquarters in Delhi is Soochna Bhawan and on its tenth floor is the war room from where the government carries out this operation. And in recent days there’s been a new development – the cellphones of the monitoring team are being collected at the entrance, the report said.
And in a first, their supervisor, an additional director general from the information and broadcasting ministry, has warned them that there should not be a repeat of the explosive information breach that occurred recently when details pertaining to the monitoring of the primetime programme ‘Masterstroke’ were leaked to the programme’s editor.
Members of this monitoring team are subjected to six-monthly contracts despite having worked there for years, and now there is a move to eject the 10-15 individuals who have been demanding permanent employment and a salary hike, the report further says.
There may be dissension over working conditions but there is no confusion about the brief the team members have to follow. The instructions are clear – to prepare daily reports tracking which of the channels show Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, in what manner and for how long. Rajyavardhan Rathore, the I&B Minister, too has a separate report prepared along those lines – which channel shows him, in what manner and for how long.
The yardstick of appraisal is simple – TV channels – and journalists - are graded as per their tilt towards or against the establishment. Channels that regularly praise the government are put in the ‘reliable’ category. Channels that are a bit stingy about showing the face of the prime minister are placed in the middle category. These channels receive a call from someone in the monitoring team. In a jolly tone he says they should show the prime minister on screen more often.
The Wire gives details of a purported phone call received by the editor of a Noida-based, Uttar Pradesh-centric channel last week. The caller, introducing himself through some old connection, carried on a conversation about the media with the editor.
And then, in the same jolly tone, came the message: “Your channel doesn’t show him much on screen.”
The editor asked: “Who is shown less?”
The monitor replied: “Hullo! Who else but our prime minister.”
The editor responded: “What are you saying? We show him on screen a great deal.”
The monitor shot back: “It must be a great deal for you. Ask us, we are the ones monitoring the channels. We watch your reports. Your channel comes somewhere in the middle.”
The editor said: “Now that you are saying it, we will show him more.”
The monitor responded, “Whatever you see fit.”
The editor asked: “Is this a suggestion or a warning?”
Beyond that, there is nothing remotely friendly about the monitoring moves, the report continues. The next phone call that is made from the premises of Soochna Bhawan is placed to the I&B ministry at Shastri Bhawan or the BJP office. From a special nugget of information to cutting short a live programme or even suggesting a specific topic for debate, everything is discussed.
If a channel does not oblige, once again a warning masquerading as a friendly suggestion is issued, “I say, you don’t seem to understand the significance of the issue. You are the editor, it is up to you to decide, but at least try to comprehend what is important for the nation. You are not sensitive to the interests of the nation. You must realise that the times are changing, and the old ways of thinking are passé.”
And then the clincher: “You are intelligent… You’re capable of understanding. Be sensitive towards us or we shall not be able to participate in any of your programmes.”
This kind of approach is both flattering and threatening, the report notes – flattering because the proprietor and editors feel important, and threatening because owners in particular are made to fear the consequences if they don’t kowtow.
And while such monitoring is not new – the system was put in place by the Manmohan Singh government in 2008 to monitor the coverage of government schemes by a 10 - 15 member staff – the present government has taken it to a whole new level of media monitoring, the report concludes.
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