National
Sheena Bora case: Irresponsible coverage by TV channels, says study
New Delhi: Media coverage of the Sheena Bora murder case reflects the “irresponsible and unethical” reporting behaviour of Indian TV news channels as it consumed one-third of the prime time coverage on six TV news channels, a study says.
Six TV channels, including two English news channels, featured 113 stories and 61 special programmes on the murder case in a fortnight, the study by CMS Media Lab found.
“The coverage reflected irresponsible and unethical reporting behaviour of Indian TV news channels. Most channels did not even follow the fundamentals of fact-driven reporting or coverage. The coverage had more elements of fiction than fact. It reminds us that even after seven years of irresponsible coverage of Aarushi murder case, the channels have hardly learnt anything from their mistakes,” it said.
CMS Media Lab analysed coverage of six national TV news channels – Aaj Tak, ABP News, Zee News, DD News, CNN IBN and Times Now – for a fortnight from August 25 to September 8, it said in a statement.
“The channels carried 113 stories and 61 special programmes on the Sheena Bora murder case. These six TV channels broadcasted 2,282 minutes (38 hours) of special programmes and stories during this period. Among the monitored news channels, two English News channels – Times Now and CNN IBN – together contributed 60 percent of the total coverage minutes. Interestingly, Times Now alone devoted 40 percent of the total coverage time.”
“Times Now topped the coverage by devoting 948 minutes, followed by CNN IBN at 424 minutes. Among Hindi News Channels, Aaj Tak led the coverage by devoting 341 minutes, closely followed by ABP News and Zee News with 268 minutes and 263 minutes of coverage respectively,” the statement said.
It said DD News gave the least time to the case by allotting only 36 minutes during the entire study period.
The study found that “surprisingly, English news channels gave more coverage to the murder case compared to Hindi news channels,” which it said, “dispelled the myth that Hindi news channels are more sensational compared to English ones”.
The CMS Media Lab study said the news channels gave low priority to important issues like farmer suicides, floods and drought in different states during the same period.
“The editorial priorities of news channels show how they manufacture a crime story into a national concern, and it also highlights their level of seriousness towards mass reality”, it said.
The murder of Sheena Bora, allegedly by her mother and prominent media personality Indrani Mukherjea, attracted a lot of media interest in India.
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.