{"id":9048,"date":"2018-02-14T18:24:47","date_gmt":"2018-02-14T12:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/?p=9048"},"modified":"2018-02-14T18:27:18","modified_gmt":"2018-02-14T12:57:18","slug":"gold-plated-journalism-india-today-fake-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/gold-plated-journalism-india-today-fake-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Gold plated journalism: India Today and fake news"},"content":{"rendered":"

India Today has responded to reports that one of its editors’ contract was terminated allegedly after she refused to delete a tweet. Angshukanta Chakravorty, Editor with DailyO was allegedly asked to put in her papers by the India Today group after she had tweeted on the need for legal action and social boycott against those news promoters who turn a blind eye in the face of violation of journalistic ethics and norms. Chakravorty says that she had tweeted in her personal capacity and had not targeted any journalist or media organisation.<\/p>\n

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Promoters turning a blind eye to hate-mongering, fake news spreading news anchors, editors, reporters and writers, or hiring them in the first place, must be tried in courts as hate speech enablers-profiteers. Must be boycotted socially by secular politicians & Industrialists.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Angiography (@angshukanta) February 4, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In its defence,\u00a0Prerna Kaul Mishra, Social Media Editor, India Today told The Wire<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Angshukanta Chakravorty\u2019s services were terminated due to breach of editorial conduct. The India Today Group prides itself in being the gold standard of credible journalism. Our Code of Conduct is sacrosanct across all our mediums, including social media. Actions contrary to our editorial ethos have no place in our organization.<\/em><\/p>\n

India Today claims to represent the\u00a0gold standard of credible journalism<\/em> with a code of conduct that is\u00a0sacrosanct across all our mediums, including social media.\u00a0<\/em>In this article, Alt News has reproduced instances where this\u00a0gold standard<\/em> was openly flouted by senior anchors and correspondents.<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0Rumour mongering over Paresh Mesta’s death<\/strong><\/p>\n

Paresh Mesta’s body was found floating on a lake in Uttara Kanada district in Karnataka in January 2018. India Today reported on the story claiming that Mesta had been brutally tortured, with his ‘head cut open’, ‘castrated’ and ‘boiling oil poured over face’.<\/p>\n

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However, a document from the Department of Forensic Medicine which was released by Karnataka police categorically stated that there were no signs of castration and mutilation, and that no boiling oil had been poured on his face. India Today conducted a prime time debate on a piece of information which was absolutely and maliciously false. After Alt News pointed out that the information is fake<\/a>, the story was quietly pulled down by India Today.<\/p>\n

2. Mail Today editor spreads fake news on Kasganj violence<\/strong><\/p>\n

After violence in Kasganj, U.P on Republic Day led to the killing of Chandan Gupta, reports began to spread that apart from Gupta, another youth, Rahul Upadhyay had been killed due to the violence after he succumbed to his injuries in a hospital.\u00a0Among those at the forefront of spreading this information was Abhijit Majumder, managing editor of Mail Today whose tweet was retweeted more than 1,700 times.<\/p>\n

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It turned out that the ‘deceased’ person, Rahul Upadhyay was alive<\/a>. He was not even at the scene of the violence on the said day. Majumder later issued a clarification and deleted his tweet but not before indulging in a fresh dose of whataboutery.<\/p>\n

3. Cow only animal to inhale and exhale oxygen<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sweta Singh, senior anchor with Aaj Tak said that cow is the only animal which both inhales and exhales oxygen. She also listed numerous other benefits- cow milk protects from radioactive radiation, stroking a cow’s back for 15-20 minutes daily can cure blood pressure etc.<\/p>\n