Zee News

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Zee News
Public company
Industry Mass media
Founded 1999
Headquarters Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India[1]
Key people
Subash Chandra (Chairman)
Sudhir Chaudhary (CEO)
RK Arora (COO)[2]
Products Broadcasting, cable
Revenue
  • Increase 551 crore (US$82 million) (2015)
[3]
  • Decrease -43.15 crore (US$−6.4 million) (2015)
[4]
Parent Essel Group
Slogan सोच बदलो,देश बदलो
Website zeenews.india.com

Zee News is an Indian news and current affairs channel founded in 1999 and is the flagship property of Zee Media Corporation company and a subsidiary of Essel Group.[5] The channel is allegedly tried to extort 100 crores from the Jindal Group[6][7][8] and allegedly fabricated video of Kanhaiya Kumar over 2016 JNU sedition controversy.[9]

Channels[edit]

It currently operates the following news and regional entertainment channels:[10]

Allegations of Fabrications[edit]

Zee News reported that some of the students from Democratic Students' Union (DSU) raised slogans such as "Bharat Ki Barbadi" ("Destruction of India") and " Pakistan Zindabad" ("long live Pakistan") [14] In a letter Vishwa Deepak, who later resigned from the channel after expressing reservations over its 'biased coverage' alleged that "Our biases made us hear Bhartiya Court Zindabad as Pakistan Zindabad." ("long live Indian courts" as "long live Pakistan.").[9][note 1] In response, Zee News Editor Sudhir Chaudhary said "Our channel only showed what was happening there, whatever we have shown is 100 per cent authentic.[15] Later, the Zee News showed the raw footage of JNU campus to prove it was not a doctored tape and reiterated that the students indeed chanted Pakistan Zindabad slogans.[17]

Another video, which showed a speech by JNU Students' Union President Kanhaiya Kumar making anti-national slogans, appears to be doctored. According to India Today, "In the original video, Kanhaiya is asking to end social ills such as caste and communalism not anti national slogans."[18][19] A judicial enquiry into the matters revealed that 5 out of 7 videos were genuine.[20]

On 14 February 2016, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh alleged that the JNU incident has the support of the LeT chief Hafiz Saeed.[21] Doubts were soon expressed if this was tied to the discredited alert by Delhi Police that used a tweet from a fake/parody account.[22]

Controversy[edit]

The channel is tried for allegedly extorting 100 crores from the Jindal Group[6] and two senior journalist have been arrested so far.[7][8] Naveen Jindal accused Zee News of trying to extort 100 crores from him for not airing stories against his company in Coal Scam. Zee News refuted the charges and made counter charges of Jindal offering them 25 crores to halt their investigations against Jindal Steel in the coal scam.[23]

In December 2013, Arvind Kejriwal accused Zee News of showing the wrong information about his and Anna Hazare's relationship. Zee media banned Sonu Nigam after he shared a video that proved Dr. Kumar Vishwas voice about the farmer's suicide in Aam Aadmi Party had Voice edited By Zee News to humiliated Dr. Kumar Vishwas image in public.[24][25][26]

References[edit]

  1. ^ According to Vishwa Deepak, there is a pro-Modi bias at Zee News, and that Zee News "has abetted a riot-like situation."[15] The misinterpretation was disclosed when the Aam Aadmi Party filed a complaint, alleging that ABVP-students raised "Pakistan Zindabad" slogans. The ABVP admitted that members of their organisation had been present, but shouted "Bharatiya Court Zindabad" and "Indian Army Zindabad," and filed a counter complaint.[9] The police then declared that "the footage had been tampered with."[16] In response, Zee News Editor Sudhir Chaudhary said "Our channel only showed what was happening there, whatever we have shown is 100 per cent authentic. How far will you push freedom of speech?"[15]

External links[edit]

  1. ^ "Contact Us". zeenews.india.com. Retrieved 22 March 2014. 
  2. ^ Abid, Hasan (25 May 2015). "R K Arora joins Zee Media Corporation as COO". E4M bureau. Exchange4Media. Retrieved 19 December 2015. 
  3. ^ "Zee Media Corporation Ltd profit and loss statement". The Times Group. The Economic Times. Retrieved 13 January 2016. 
  4. ^ "Zee Media Corporation Ltd balance sheet". The Times Group. The Economic Times. Retrieved 13 January 2016. 
  5. ^ "Zee News takes punch line". afaqs news bureau. afaqs. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2015. 
  6. ^ a b "Jindal plays CD, claims Zee editors demanded Rs. 100 crore". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 December 2014. 
  7. ^ a b "Naveen Jindal vs Zee: Senior journalists arrested over alleged extortion". NDTV India. Retrieved 4 December 2014. 
  8. ^ a b "Jindal Group and Zee television in extortion scandal". The Australian. Retrieved 4 December 2014. 
  9. ^ a b c "Zee News producer quits: Video we shot had no Pakistan Zindabad slogan". The Indian Express. 22 February 2016. 
  10. ^ "Zee News turns global; embraces new tagline as Zee Media Corporation". afaqs news bureau. afaqs. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2015. 
  11. ^ "Zee to Launch Zee Kalinga". Delhi, India: The Media Info, 13 December 2013. 2013-12-13. Retrieved 2013-12-13. 
  12. ^ "Zee Media woos Rajasthan with Zee Rajasthan Plus". afaqs news bureau. afaqs. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2015. 
  13. ^ Dhaleta, Surendra Kumar (12 December 2008). "Zee News to launch Telugu channel in January". afaqs news bureau. afaqs. Retrieved 19 December 2015. 
  14. ^ "From 'Pakistan Zindabad' to 'Bharat ki barbaadi' - Slogans that were raised by 'anti-nationals' in JNU". Zee News. 14 February 2016. 
  15. ^ a b c "We speak with the Zee News journalist who resigned over the channel’s coverage of #JNURow". Newslaundry. 21 February 2016. 
  16. ^ "Zee News producer quits: Video we shot had no Pakistan Zindabad slogan". The Indian Express. 22 February 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016. 
  17. ^ Zee News shows the raw footage of jnu campus to prove it was not a doctored tape.
  18. ^ "Forensic experts say Kanhaiya video was doctored". India Today. 19 February 2016. 
  19. ^ "JNU row: Did a fake video fuel the anti-national fire?". India Today. 18 February 2016. 
  20. ^ "2 Videos Of JNU Event 'Manipulated,' Finds Forensic Probe: Sources". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2016-03-06. 
  21. ^ "Understand the reality... Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed backed JNU incident: Home Minister Rajnath Singh". The Indian Express. 2016-02-15. 
  22. ^ "JNU row: Behind govt claim, a fake ‘Hafeez’ Saeed tweet". The Indian Express. 15 February 2016. 
  23. ^ "Naveen Jindal accuses Zee News of extortion, channel hits back - The Times of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 2012-10-25. Retrieved 2012-11-03. 
  24. ^ http://www.abplive.in/movies/2015/04/29/article571728.ece/Zee-Network-bans-Sonu-Nigam-Twitter-stands-by-him
  25. ^ http://ibnlive.in.com/news/sonu-nigam-earns-the-wrath-of-a-media-channel-after-he-tweets-in-support-of-aap-leader-kumar-vishwas/542728-45-75.html
  26. ^ http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sonu-nigam-zee-music-company-ban-singer-bollywood-new-films/1/432814.html