The problem with the Marxist media outlets in Kerala – Kairali’s People TV and Deshabhimani — is that the readership-viewership they cater to seldom believe what is carried in them. Many subscribe to Deshabhimani out of compulsion. Deshabhimani’s errors are legendary. To paint Americans as decadent and uncouth, it once published a news item on its front page “US man gobbles 68 dogs in 10 minutes, creates world record”. Grapevine has it that even the Resident Editor who marked it for the front page failed to figure out that ‘dog’ mentioned in AFP copy was actually American fast food – hot dog.
Their electronic media outlet People’TV is no different. The channel doesn’t figure in the top ten Malayalam channels. The reason is not very far to seek. “Often they come up with some ludicrous “breaking story” in the morning which will be ripped apart by rival channels by afternoon,” said a journalist working in Janam TV.
The latest discovery in the Marxist media outlets is about the presence of senior RSS leader J Nandakumar in Sabarimala on November 6, of which he had already tweeted with pictures of his meeting with chief priest and others. Moreover, he had already given bytes to Janam TV where he had criticized the state government for its hostile attitude towards Sabarimala. “The picture which Prajna Pravah national coordinator J Nandakumar had tweeted on November 6, in which he is seen with Sabarimala tantri, has been secretly unearthed by Kairali and Deshabhimani. One must learn journalism from Deshabhimani and Kairali. Are there no sensible ones in that bunch,” writes Ambika JK in a Facebook post.
It’s expected that PM Manoj, Resident Editor of Deshabhimani, will boast about his team’s ‘discovery’ in TV panel discussions. Manoj, whose brother is an accused in the murder of an RSS activist, is said to be the ringleader of the ‘Communist Fraction’ in media in the state.
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