Indian media houses up for sale: A cobrapost investigation

Cobrapost released their second series of videos under "Operation 136" which revealed the darker side of the media houses who are working for the government and promoting "Hindutva". The recordings show the involvement of 17 most renowned media houses in India.

The sting operation was carried out by a reporter of Cobrapost Pushp Sharma who introduced himself as Acharya Atal a person from the "sangh". In the course of this investigation,Sharma met owners or personnel of more than two dozen media houses, many marquee names, who are in decision-making positions. In return, he offered to pay them anything between Rs. 6 crore and Rs. 50 crore if they agreed to provide a platform to his media campaign. (Cobrapost)

According to a report by "The Wire": Cobrapost said that the recordings it made showed how some two dozen news organisations were willing to "not only cause communal disharmony among the citizens but also tilt the electoral outcome in favour of a particular party" for a price.

Cobrapost said while such open confessions could be brushed aside as "personal opinions", given the position they held in the organisation, they "cannot be taken lightly".

It said "all these on-camera confessions make it clear that the malaise of paid news has set in deep as it is no longer confined to a few individuals who would show no scruples while publishing paid content, camouflaging it as news stories or reports".( The Wire)

Beside the media organisations, the series of video also include clips of top notch management of PayTm was seen promoting "Hindutva" by conducting quiz and E-book. They have claimed to be in good terms with the "sangh" and are alleged to have been sharing personal data.

These series of videos by Cobrapost has set a benchmark in investigative journalism by showing how the various media organisations that have working since decades are now under the influence of political parties.