Insiders reveal class & caste bias of English news media against likes of Ram Nath Kovind

The nomination of Shri Ram Nath Kovind as NDA’s presidential nominee has set the Lutyens’ crowd chattering about the ‘little heard or known name.’ One has long suspected that the garden variety left-liberal & media elite residing in Lutyens’ Delhi judge people not on the basis of their achievements, but on the basis of their pedigree and class status.

Hence it does not come as a surprise to see snarky comments from this jet-setting crowd, who are asking ‘Kovind who?’ But disclosures by media insiders have revealed that the Lutyens’ mindset is far more prejudiced than even its worst detractor had assumed.

The first disclosure is from Bilal Zaidi, who has worked in the past with NDTV 24×7, NewsX and Times Now. This is what he had to say in a Facebook post –

So ‘people with dark complexion, poor English, and belonging to lower-caste’ are not preferred by TV editors and anchors, even if those people are appointed spokespersons by a political party! And the same media charlatans act as the greatest advocates of social justice and merit. For them, a Renuka Chaudhary who cannot string 4 coherent sentences together, or a Manish Tewari who mistakes grandiloquence for insight, are celebrated studio guests, but a Ram Nath Kovind or Jitan Ram Manjhi who might be subject matter experts on the issue being    discussed are rejected.

Mrityunjoy Kumar Jha, a veteran TV journalist who has worked with networks like Network 18, TV Today and AajTak, revealed how Narendra Modi was censored by TV editors when he had a BJP national-level role (1998-2001 period).

That’s true.. I remember when Narendra Modi used to stay in BJP HQ, everyone used to take his bite but editors don’t allow to put on air https://t.co/DkvfWWmV5y

— Mrityunjoy Kumar Jha (@Mrityunjoykjha) June 21, 2017

Nitin Gokhale, one of the foremost national security analysts who has worked in the past with NDTV, revealed that the bias extends to even the choice of defense representatives for views on operational matters –

2/2 So, for instance there was a fire in ammunition depot and I suggested an Army Ordnance Corps Col, the Q would be: can’t we get a Chief?

— Nitin A. Gokhale (@nitingokhale) June 21, 2017

Another media professional revealed how media houses discriminate against their own reporters due to ‘appearance’ issues  –

I know of some very fine reporters who were not allowed on air time because they did not look ‘presentable’ according to the editors. https://t.co/d0IS1TYB2y

— Toral Varia (@toralvaria) June 21, 2017

A journalist who apparently has the job of arranging panel guests for TV debates had this to say –

pls also add complexion and accent.. Its really sad. the unwritten racism

— Pinaki (@pinakishillong) June 21, 2017

This tweet by a Dalit scholar from JNU sums up the double standards & hidden casteism of our mainstream media –

Liberal progressive Casteist media boycotted these two…2day one is PM of India & the other one will be President of India. #RamNathKovind pic.twitter.com/z8mrSY8fPV

— Abhinav Prakash (@Abhina_Prakash) June 21, 2017

The much derided political class has come a long way since Independence as far as representation to all sections of society goes. Today, we have a PM from the backward OBC group and will soon have our second Dalit President. But institutions like media, who play the social justice card to further their own agendas, have a lot to answer for.

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