Between February 1 and April 12, Newslaundry monitored 429 segments aired during primetime across six leading TV news channels.Indian democracy finds itself at a crucial crossroads, amid the ongoing world’s largest elections and a surge in misinformation. Despite slipping to 161 in press freedom ranking and being classified as an “electoral autocracy” in the latest V-Dem report, is the media effectively informing voters about critical issues, or are they overshadowing them to extol Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration?
Between February 1 and April 12, Newslaundry monitored 429 segments aired during primetime across six leading TV news channels, hosted by six prominent anchors to evaluate whether vital concerns such as unemployment, inflation, healthcare, and education were given precedence over divisive narratives.
These segments were categorized into six themes: anti-opposition, pro-government, Hindu-Muslim communal issues, government scrutiny, employment and education, and miscellaneous topics.
The surveyed anchors were Arnab Goswami of Republic TV, Amish Devgan of News18 India, Navika Kumar of Times Now, Sudhir Chaudhary of Aaj Tak, Sushant Sinha of Times Now Navbharat, and Rahul Shivshankar of CNN-News18.
NL’s analysis focused on the primary topic of discussion in each segment, considering the statements made by anchors, the agenda of the discussions, and the messaging conveyed through on-screen tickers and graphics.
Out of the 429 segments examined, 224 (52%) featured anti-opposition themes. Surprisingly, only five segments (approximately 1%) were dedicated to employment and education. About 116 segments (27% of the total) were dedicated to lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government. Communal themes were present in 24 segments (5.6%), with only six segments (1.4%) involving anchors questioning the government on these issues. The remaining 54 segments (12.5%) fell under the ‘others’ category, encompassing miscellaneous topics including opinion polls.
Segments categorized as anti-opposition often involved attacks on opposition leaders regarding issues such as internal conflicts within political alliances, the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a liquor scam case, and comments made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. These segments also included questioning of the opposition’s role without holding the government accountable for key issues such as electoral bonds. Broadcasts accusing the opposition of appeasement policies towards Muslims were part of this category.
Examples include Navika Kumar’s show on Times Now on April 9, where she explored the question “Appeasement guiding Cong ka Haath?” Similarly, Arnab Goswami of Republic TV targeted Rahul Gandhi with hashtags like #RahulStrangeness and #RahulAttackingShakti, questioning his credibility and telling him to “get a life.”
In segments categorized as pro-government, anchors praised PM Modi’s speeches, his global stature, and the policies of BJP-governed states.
For instance, when Modi inaugurated the BAPS temple in Abu Dhabi, news anchors portrayed him as an ambassador for Sanatan Dharma. Sushant Sinha of Times Now Navbharat claimed, “Har koi kehta hai ki Narendra Modi ne yaha Ayodhya bana diya hai” on February 13. Shows where anchors praised BJP’s election strategies or its leaders were also included in this category.
During this period, anchors discussed communal issues such as the Gyanvapi mosque dispute, where they celebrated the legal victory of the Hindu side; opposition comments on Sanatan Dharma, often quoted without context; and the death of Mukhtar Ansari, with praise for UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s actions against a gangster while blaming opposition parties for “appeasement.”
The ‘others’ category encompassed episodes not falling under the primary classifications, such as Amish Devgan’s special Holi episode, discussions on opinion polls, hearings on the Patanjali misleading ads case, reports of ‘anti-Brahmin’ slogans at Ashoka University, and Republic TV’s victory in the TRP case.
Amish Devgan’s show “Aar Paar” on News18 India featured 49 debates, with 25 anti-opposition, 15 pro-government, and four on communal issues.
Arnab Goswami, hosting “The Debate” on Republic World, conducted 137 debates, primarily anti-opposition (73) and pro-government (32). 12 segments on his show focused on Pakistan, where Arnab raised questions about their election processes, army, and even casually suggesting to “bomb them off the face of the Earth”. Five shows were on communal issues.
Arnab’s two shows were also placed in the ‘questions government’ category. In one of these segments, he criticised a Kolkata High Court judge quitting to join the BJP, and questioned the BJP since the role of a judge is supposed to be above politics. The ticker asked “Shouldn’t there be a cool off period?”
In the other segment, he criticised Maharashtra leader Ashok Chavan’s shift to the BJP from Congress after the PM had declared him corrupt, with tickers like “Has BJP forgotten charges against Chavan?”
Rahul Shivshankar presented 90 segments of his show “Hard Facts” on CNN News18, with 37 focused on anti-opposition narratives, 27 on pro-government stances, 12 on Hindu-Muslim issues, and 12 falling under the ‘others’ category. He critiqued the BJP government in only one episode, acknowledging the setback caused by the electoral bonds decision. He mentioned the opposition in a non-negative context only once, when discussing the seat-sharing deal between the Congress and Samajwadi Party in UP.
Meanwhile, Navika Kumar’s “The Newshour” on Times Now comprised 51 segments, with 33 criticizing the opposition, posing questions like “Is INDIA alliance finally Ram Bharose?” In 12 segments, she lauded the government, especially Prime Minister Modi, such as one episode where she praised the Prime Minister for “roaring against those who slander Sanatan.” Six segments were classified under the ‘others’ category.
Sushant Sinha presented 50 segments on his Times Now Navbharat show “News ki Paathshala,” attacking the opposition in 29, such as describing Vijendar Singh’s exit from Congress as a “Mukka-maar jhatka.” In 15 segments, he praised the Modi government or the BJP, exemplified by one where he stated, “Puri janata ek swar mein bol rahi hai ki jo kaam saalon tak nahi ho paaya, woh Modi ne kar dikhaya” while discussing the Ram Mandir. Two segments focused on communal issues, and four covered other topics.
Sudhir Chaudhary, on his Aaj Tak show “Black and White,” presented 27 segments against the opposition, 15 in support of the Modi government, two on communal issues, one on Pakistan, and eight on miscellaneous topics. When discussing issues like employment and education, he often framed them as isolated topics without considering the government’s role. Notably, Sudhir also covered diverse topics such as the World Happiness Index, Rose Day, and AI girlfriends.