“Disturbing”: Sagarika Ghose slams Sudhir Chaudhary-DD deal in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose on Tuesday called out Prasar Bharati over roping in ‘tainted and jailed’ television anchor Sudhir Chaudhary in a speech in the Rajya Sabha. 

Making a Zero Hour mention in the Rajya Sabha, the journalist-turned-politician also held the media responsible for the character assassination of actress Rhea Chakraborty following a media frenzy led by Arnab Goswami’s Republic Media Network.

Ghose stated, “New media technologies are shrinking the world. India's unique identity as a vibrant democracy rooted in diversity and pluralism is an asset to the international order and needs to be projected on the global stage. This can only happen if our national broadcaster, Doordarshan, aspires to becoming truly world-class.” 

She cited examples of international networks, saying, “The network Russia Today is rapidly expanding and taking the message of Russia to the world. Networks like Al Jazeera are using government funding to protect the Arab voice in the world. Doordarshan can play this role. But for this, it needs top-class modern content and management.”

She expressed concern over Doordarshan’s recent Rs. 15-crore per annum contract with Sudhir Chaudhary without taking his name. 

“Seven decades after independence, India deserves a truly world-class public broadcaster as envisaged in the 1990 Prasar Bharti Act. Sadly though, there are reports that Doordarshan has entered into a lucrative contract with a private individual (apparent reference to Sudhir Chaudhary), who indulges in deeply divisive and incendiary and hate-mongering language on television, and who has faced two jail terms on criminal charges of extortion. It is highly disturbing to note that individuals with these terribly tainted records can become part of our proud national broadcaster.”

Ghose, who has 35 years of experience as a journalist, also addressed broader issues in television news. 

She said, “I've been a journalist for 35 years, and it's tragic to see the trivialisation and character assassination and sensationalism that is today practiced in television news. Almost 400 licensed news channels are competing for the lowest common denominator.” 

She referenced the case of actor Rhea Chakraborty, stating, “Four years ago, news channels ran a motivated campaign against a film actor. Today, that film actor has been proven innocent. Today, all those accusations have been revealed as baseless, but who will give back to Rhea Chakraborty those years of humiliation that she endured at the hands of the media?”

Ghose questioned the accountability of news media, asking, “The question arises, how can news media channels be made more responsible and accountable? Media owners will soon be called out on the floor of Parliament. Rogue anchors are a disgrace to journalism.” 

She noted the challenges in the industry, saying, “We know that the business model of TV news is broken. So is this a new way to make profit to unleash lies and more lies and fakery?”

Recalling her time with the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA), Ghose said, “I had the privilege of serving on the News Broadcasting Standards Authority, which was chaired by the distinguished jurist, late Justice J.S. Verma. Justice Verma would say the media should be free and responsible, not irresponsible and censored. The NBSA lacks teeth and any statutory power.”

She called for a new regulatory body, stating, “An independent media industry body that upholds global standards of professional broadcasting and journalistic fairness is urgently needed.”

Ghose concluded by addressing the failing business model of television news, saying, “Today, the model of advertising-funded television news is rapidly imploding. The model is imploding, and it is for this reason that the media is engaging in character assassination. The media is engaging in a witch hunt against individuals, and the media is engaging in hate-mongering.”