Newslaundry Interviews

These are some of the biggest trends – and challenges – facing the news ecosystem today, impacting India in new and unique ways. And this was the focus of a discussion organised around the launch of the Reuters Institute Digital News Report for 2025, a comprehensive study of news consumption worldwide. Moderated by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism’s director Mitali Mukherjee, the panel comprised Nic Newman, senior research associate at the institute; Sannuta Raghu, journalism fellow at the institute and head of the AI Lab at Scroll; Ritvvij Parrikh, head of AI product at Times Internet; and Akash Banerjee, founder and host of The Deshbhakt. According to the report, 55 percent of Indian users now consume news on YouTube, and 44 percent share news via social, messaging or email often via WhatsApp. Akash says there’s a clear indication towards television “taking a bit of a beating” while social media sees a “steady uptick”. “You’ve got to be real and raw,” he says, and explains how consumption patterns are moving towards “snackable, biteable content”, where a shorter format is “much, much more prevalent than the longer format”. Ritvvij talks about the challenges in using large language models that can sometimes “miss the news peg” of a story and therefore the need to deal with “detecting hallucinations”. He adds, “Trust in news is eroding and not just because of bad actors, but also because of opaque algorithms.” Sannuta breaks down how AI can help news organisations “stay relevant” in some ways, converting text articles into videos that can be shared on Instagram. “The idea was…there are over 600 million smartphone users in India with access to cheap internet,” she says. She also explains the logistics of dealing with producing news in different languages in a country as diverse as India. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It is not only democracy that is on the ballot... but the realisation that we have a dictator in the making if we were to give Trump a second presidency,” says Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar in an exclusive conversation with Sreenivasan Jain. On the high stakes in the elections, the prominent Muslim politician says that rights and liberties, “bodily autonomy,” policies like student debt cancellation, and the progress made us over the years will “under threat” if Trump comes to power. Speaking about Kamala Harris’s candidacy, Omar says Gaza is a “huge blindspot” of the Biden government. “I have called on the president to impose an arms emargo… I do believe US laws and international laws are being violated. There is an ongoing genocide.” On the challenges facing Kamala Harris, Omar says “most people don’t know who the Vice President is”. She also talks about Harris’s policies, challenges, and the consequences of the media’s “lost journalistic ethos”. Watch our mini-series on the US polls Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Another Election Show, Manisha Pande and Atul Chaurasia reached Jammu to understand the issues of the locals, particularly the youth, ahead of the third phase of polling in Jammu and Kashmir. Following the recent delimitation process, the region has a total of 90 electoral seats – 43 in Jammu and 47 in Kashmir. the voting in three phases, with the final phase set to cover 40 seats simultaneously. At Jammu University, we spoke to the students about their key issues, the region’s politics, and campus life. For most of them, employment, development and reservation were the main poll issues and not the abrogation of Article 370. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The politics of Jammu have been distinct from that of Kashmir. To grasp the nuances of this difference and the issues in Jammu, Manisha Pande and Atul Chaurasia spoke to the region’s senior journalists – Mohit Kandhari of The Pioneer and Nishikant Khajuria of Daily Excelsio. In this episode of Another Election Show, the conversations shed light on the influence of the various political parties in Jammu and the people’s views on the abrogation of Article 370 and statehood. On Article 370, Kandhari said, “People have voted in large numbers in the valley, which shows that democracy is taking its place here.” The journalists also delved into the BJP’s election strategy and the other parties’ initiatives to win electoral support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

जम्मू कश्मीर में करीब 10 साल बाद चुनाव होने जा रहे हैं. यहां मुख्यधारा की लगभग सारी पार्टियां जैसे-नेशनल कॉन्फ्रेन्स, पीडीपी, कांग्रेस और बीजेपी चुनावी मैदान में हैं. इसके अलावा ऐसी पार्टियां भी चुनावी मैदान में हैं जिनपर अलगाववाद और ‘आज़ादी’ के नारे लगाने का आरोप है. इन्हीं पार्टियों में से एक पार्टी है शेख राशिद इंजीनियर की आवामी इत्तेहाद पार्टी और दूसरी है जमात-ए-इस्लामी.जमात -ए-इस्लामी अतीत में हथियार के बल पर ‘आजादी की वकालत’ करती रही है. जिसके चलते जमात-ए-इस्लामी पर भारत सरकार ने प्रतिबंध लगा रखा है. वहीं, इस पार्टी के कई नेता जेल में बंद हैं और उनके सारे उम्मीदवार निर्दलीय चुनाव लड़ रहे हैं. उन्हीं में से एक हैं तलत मजीद, जो पुलवामा से निर्दलीय चुनाव लड़ रहे हैं. उन्हें चुनाव आयोग की ओर से टॉर्च का चुनाव निशान मिला है. जमात-ए-इस्लामी ने अतीत में अलगाववाद की बात की है और अब वह भारतीय संविधान के तहत चुनाव लड़ रही है. ऐसे में हथियारों के बल पर आजादी से जम्हूरियत के रास्ते राजनीति का यह सफर कैसे हुआ? और कश्मीरी आवाम को वह अब क्या कहकर अपने पक्ष में जुटाते हैं? इन्हीं सब मुद्दों पर हमने तलत मजीद से बात की. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, Manisha Pande and Anand Vardhan are joined by The News Minute’s Dhanya Rajendran and digital creator Akash Banerjee aka TheDeshbhakt. On sustainable and profitable revenue models for news, Anand says that the subscription model might be prone to the problem of becoming “a groupspeak”, where “financial influences have been insulated, but the editorial leadership has a view” that becomes the identity of the platform. Abhinandan responds to this, saying, “This is not the limitation unique to the subscription model, but a limitation of the human condition.” Dhanya adds to the subject, saying the paywall adds a lot of pressure on reporters, who judge the value of their work based on whether it goes behind paywall or not. On the difference between journalists and digital content creators, Akash says creators are appropriating information available through journalistic platforms. Dhanya says that the line between commentators and journalists is already blurring. This and more, tune in! Fill this form to recommend NL Hafta to a friend. We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Timecodes 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:05:50 - Headlines 00:18:41 - Models of news 01:00:50 - Abhinandan on why NL doesn’t take ads 01:08:15 - Journalists and digital commentators 01:40:09 - Final thoughts and recommendations Check out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced and recorded by Aryan Mahtta, edited by Hassan Bilal and Umrav Singh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The census has been postponed five times over the past four years – initially due to the Covid-19 pandemic and later even without citing any reason. Last year, the home ministry deferred it to October 2024. But skepticism persists as the allocated budget of Rs 1,300 crore is significantly lower than the Rs 12,600 crore promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019. In this conversation with Newslaundry, former registrar general and census commissioner AR Nanda sheds light on the impact of the delay in the census, the linkage of the National Population Register with the census, past practices, and the government’s alleged interference in the exercise. Nanda says, “We have brilliant officers [in charge of census] and they have technical support, but, unfortunately, none of them, including the present one, have field experience in conducting the census on the field…Field experience is important because it is a massive exercise” involving elaborate government machinery. He says that the census is a “valuable” exercise and the delay has particularly impacted the beneficiaries of the government welfare schemes because of the lack of data for over 14 years. “The coverage is not known. It is all tentatively being calculated, which cannot match the census data.” Watch. It will soon be a year since Hamas’ October 7 attack. Contribute to our new NL Sena project to help us bring an exclusive mini-series that examines the multiple dimensions of the Israel-Gaza war from ground zero. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What started as a mass student protest against job quotas escalated into a deadly uprising in Bangladesh, with over 150 people killed so far. Muktadir Rashid, a journalist in Bangladesh who has been reporting on the clashes from the ground, speaks to Newslaundry about the challenges to reporting in such circumstances, the incident in which he was shot at, how two journalists were killed, and the struggle for media in Bangladesh to be independent. Rashid also discusses the triggers behind the protests, and how it’s become one of the biggest challenges Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has faced in her two-decade tenure. Tune in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the spate of allegations against IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, last week the UPSC said she had misused the disability quota and filed a case against her. But this changed the course of the conversation, with several bureaucrats raising questions on the need for the quota. Arman Ali, executive director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People, spoke to Newslaundry about why putting the blame on people with disability is a harmful narrative and would result in pushing back people of disability by decades. Ali also spoke about a case he recently filed against prominent cricketers for allegedly mocking people of disability and the need to include disability in mainstream conversations. Tune in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nearly a year after violence broke out during the Brij Mandal religious yatra in Haryana’s Nuh, killing at least six people, preparations are underway for another yatra on July 22. And Bittu Bajrangi, cow vigilante and key accused of last year’s violence, has claimed to lead the procession this year. Bajrangi, who was arrested by the Haryana police last year and subsequently granted bail, told Newslaundry that he is set to lead the yatra. He has also been urging people to participate in the yatra in huge numbers. Tune in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bihar is now the first state in India to simultaneously recruit three transgender persons as sub-inspectors in the state police. Among the 1,275 candidates who cracked the sub-inspector recruitment examination held by the Bihar Police Subordinate Services Commission, three of them broke several stereotypes – Manvi Madhu Kashyap, who identifies as a transwoman, and two transmen, Ronit Jha and Bunty Kumar. The three of them prepared for the exam at the coaching centre of Guru Rehman, alias Motiur Rehman Khan in Patna, after they were refused training by several coaching centres. Rehman, who is also popular as “Daroga Guru” in Bihar, spoke to Newslaundry about the many challenges faced by his transgender students and breaking stereotypes. Tune in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The cancellation of the FCRA licence “has nothing to do with technicalities. It [the government] is weaponising FCRA and using it as a political tool against organisations that are critical of the government,” said Joe Athialy, executive director of the Centre for Financial Accountability. Last week, the FCRA licence of the CFA’s parent entity, India Institute for Critical Action Centre, was cancelled citing “errors” in tax filings. In a conversation with Newslaundry, Athialy alleged that the government has “double standards” for civil society groups and India Inc. “Consider that a company had some erroneous filings. This doesn’t mean that tomorrow the company will shut down.” Tune in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manickam Tagore, a three-time Congress MP from Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar, is one of the fierce opposition voices in the Parliament. In the 18th session of the Lok Sabha, Tagore raised the issue of the restricted media access to the parliament. In a conversation with Newslaundry, the Congress leader spoke about the changes in parliamentary proceedings, INDIA bloc’s strategy for the next five years, Rahul Gandhi’s stance on media, and the NEET controversy. Tune in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Samajwadi Party leader Pushpendra Saroj had turned 25 years old just two weeks before the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls. He managed to win UP’s Kaushambi seat by defeating the BJP’s Vinod Sonkar, a two-time MP, with a margin of over 1 lakh votes. In a conversation with Newslaundry, he spoke about his decision to contest the elections, his political agenda, and the role played by youth in the country’s politics. Tune in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Ram Janmabhoomi and Babri mosque dispute in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya dominated Indian politics for three decades, culminating in the grand inauguration of the Ram temple by Prime Minister Narendra Modi months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. It also became the main poll plank of the BJP. But the Faizabad constituency, which comprises Ayodhya, was won by Samajwadi Party’s veteran leader Awadhesh Prasad. The Dalit leader defeated two-time BJP MP Lallu Singh with a margin of 54,000 votes. In a setback to the saffron party, the SP won a total of 37 Lok Sabha seats in UP. In this conversation with Newslaundry, Prasad spoke about his victory in Ayodhya, the “real Ram bhakts”, BJP’s politics vs Samajwadi Party’s PDA, and the problems of the people of Ayodhya. Tune in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amra Ram, 69, is a first-time MP from Rajasthan’s Sikar constituency and prominent face among farmers across India, especially Rajasthan. On the first day of the 18th Lok Sabha session, the lone CPIM MP from the desert state rode a tractor to the parliament in Delhi. In this conversation with Newslaundry, Ram spoke about why he rode a tractor to the parliament, Modi government, INDIA bloc “halting Modi’s dictatorship”, laws that need to be revoked, and the Left front’s dwindling electoral fortunes and dismal influence in Rajasthan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Once barred from the national capital for four weeks over his protest against the CAA-NRC, Chandrashekhar Azad has returned to Delhi as the MP elect from Nagina in Uttar Pradesh. The Bhim Army chief and leader of Azad Samaj Party - Kanshi Ram secured the Lok Sabha seat with a victory margin of more than 1.5 lakh votes. In a conversation with Newslaundry, the first-time MP spoke about his future strategy, Mayawati, alliances, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On his political trajectory, Azad said, “Society keeps changing from time to time. At one time, I was with Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. After him, I was with the Congress under the leadership of Babu Jagjivan Ram. Then Kashiram ji, and then with behanji for a long time… Behanji is our leader and we have always received her blessings.” Tune in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the past decade, the BJP has been fighting tooth and nail to make inroads in southern politics. The Congress, meanwhile, has pushed the narrative of an “iron wall” between the north and south. The grand old party has a stronger grassroot presence and nuanced pitch, while the BJP’s approach in the region is decentralised, with “voices from the ground being heard” from each constituency. The electoral pitch, however, is focused on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In Bengaluru, Manisha Pande and Pooja Prasanna speak to author Sugata Srinivasaraju, senior journalist Maya Sharma and BJP spokesperson Surabhi Hodigere on the politics of north and south, the strategies of the two prominent national parties, and the BJP’s accommodative politics in the south. Tune in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Another Election Show caravan has reached Uttarakhand. In this episode, Atul Chaurasia sits down with the leaders of political parties’ youth wing, journalists and students of DAV College in Dehradun to understand the undercurrents in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. We particularly gauge the mood in the Haridwar Lok Sabha constituency, which earlier recorded volatile political scenarios, and has mostly been held by the BJP. In the current polls, BJP’s former chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and Congress’s ex-CM Harish Rawat’s son Virendra Rawat are in the fray in Haridwar. Also contesting are Umesh Kumar, a journalist-turned-politician standing as an independent candidate, and BSP’s Jalil Ahmed Qasmi. Notably, the constituency has significant Muslim and Dalit voters. Atul is also joined by senior journalist Jai Singh Rawat, Baramasa editor Rahul Kotiyal, and senior journalist Pradeep Sati. From the Uniform Civil Code to unemployment, Ram Mandir, migration for jobs, and the infamous Ankita Bhandari murder case that rocked the state – what are the major issues plaguing Haridwar and Uttarakhand? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.