Democratic Institutions

The frequency, reasons, and controversy over Internet suspensions by the government  by Rishika Singh July 3, 2022 https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-the-frequency-reasons-and-controversy-over-internet-suspensions-by-the-government-8005450/?utm_source=pocket-newtab-intl-en
According to the Software Freedom Law Center, since 2012 there have been 665 Internet shutdowns in India to date

Award-winning photojournalist Sanna Irshad Mattoo said she was barred by immigration authorities at Delhi international airport from travelling on Saturday in what is seen by many as part of continued crackdown on journalists in Kashmir. ..she was going to France to attend a book launch and photography  exhibition

In May, Kashmir-based Sanna, who contributes for Reuters news agency, won the prestigious Pulitzer prize in the Feature Photography category for her Covid crisis coverage in India becoming the first Kashmiri Muslim woman to achieve the feat in the region.

क्या है 2024 के लिए अडानी का 'सीक्रेट प्लान' ? Deepak Sharma
 May 18, 2022 गौतम अडानी भारते के नामचीन और धनी व्यक्तियों की लिस्ट में बहुत तेजी से आगे बढ़ते हुए अब ऐसा कदम उठाने जा रहे हैं जिससे भारत के चौथे स्तम्भ पर आँच आ सकती है | ऐसा क्या बड़ा खेल खेलने जा रहे हैं अडानी और उनका मकसद क्या है आज के इस वीडियो में विस्तार से जानिये अडानी का खेल |

KCR sponsors NDTV 'feature', Modi and Yogi enjoy free publicity on ABP | TV Newsance 173  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=attB2aVsurI 
28th May 2022  This week we shift gears to bring you a special episode breaking down what ad-funded programming looks like on TV news and what different forms this monster has taken in the Indian news ecosphere.

First up is an advertorial in Hindi from the Telugu-speaking state of #Telangana on #NDTV. Almost passed off as news, we look at how such ‘sponsored features’ are aired without any explicit disclaimers and what this implies for the role of the media in a democracy.  We then look at two weekly shows on #ABPNews called "Modi Tracker" and "Yogi Tracker" which are technically not advertorials, except they are functionally indistinguishable.

Speaking of ads on TV news, we can't not talk about the morning shop #Ramdev sets up on #IndiaTV, offering cures for every affliction under the sun, from prostate cancer to brain tumors!

How does this ad-funded programming work and what does it mean for you as a viewer but also, crucially, as the citizen of a democracy?