Series like Scoop, The Broken News & Pataal Lok highlight the missing ethical filter of current Indian journalism

In the opening episode of Pataal Lok (2020), a fine social drama from India, respected and popular English TV journalist Sanjeev Mehra (Neeraj Kabi), observes a horde of photographers and videographers chasing him down and replies to his friend asking who these people are. “They are us”, he says. His reaction mirrors that of many that worked in broadcast news in its formative years. A presence of plenty in reporting and bringing the news to people was a sudden phenomenon that blossomed exponentially. And survival became key to success.

Journalism has lent itself to enduring stories in Hindi cinema like New Delhi Times (1986), Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983) and Peepli Live (2010). Off late, the media’s breathlessly competitive nature has made for engaging stories on OTT. What doesn’t make it to the news bulletin anymore- the ethical question- makes it to long-form storytelling. It is not unusual for news to be manufactured on desktops and deafening debates by popular news anchors shape opinion into fact. In a polarised news atmosphere, anything that drives viewership or hits online, takes centerstage. As the space for objective news reportage keeps getting squeezed, OTT shows have reflected this transition of the Indian journalist effectively.

Scoop on Netflix is the latest addition to a sordid and painful chapter from recent Indian journalism. Based on the travails of Jigna Vora, the Asian Age deputy bureau chief and crime reporter who was arrested on charges of conspiring to murder fellow journalist J Dey, this fictionalised account turns the lens on trials by media. With a layered approach to this story, its biggest victory is in showing the insensitive and hungry nature of Indian media when it chases a juicy story. No one pauses to consider the implications of such a story on the life of another, a fellow media person, because the job doesn’t require one to keep ethical judgement in place. Based on Vora’s book, Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison (2019), this series has taken a non-judgmental approach with subtle socio-political commentary on the treatment that news networks gave her. Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, who plays the editor Imran Siddiqui. defending his imprisoned reporter to near- perfection explains his character’s part. Siddiqui acts as the moral backbone who resigns as competitive news cultures take over but continues to fight for the truth. “ Hansal Mehta’s simple point (for my character) is that he should look human. I developed the character as he had written it… The show’s political standpoint is communicated through Imran Siddiqui. His point of view in the series is actually basic because those are the general principles of journalism. I personally don’t agree that being ethically flexible works, say in business, or in any other profession. In the series, Imran says that if a doctor becomes unethical you could lose lives. If journalism becomes unethical then you can lose an entire populace.”

Mehta has shown the crucial role that a conscientious journalist plays in his previous super hit show, Scam 1992 (2020). His research includes talking to reporters, photo journalists and editors across beats and cities, and capturing those experiences in the middle of a big news cycle. The manipulative role of broadcast news has provided material for different filmmaking approaches. Vinay Waikul has directed The Broken News (2022) on Zee5. Drawing from the loud, nation-wants-to-know rallying cry of a popular and controversial broadcast news editor, this show adapts Press (2018) by Mike Bartlett to an Indian context. Sonali Bendre and Jaideep Ahlawat play star broadcast editors and anchors on two ends of the spectrum here, as the space for facts-based reporting shrinks. Waikul, an avid news watcher, explains his process of creating this series. “I’d say we drew largely from the general shift in Indian TV news..a multitude of influences merged, present context being just one of them. Anyone who follows news is aware of this extremely visible shift. Our characters are a composite of many people- past and present, mixed with our own ideas of what it should be and what it has become… We met a lot of people (in the media) to understand how they think and operate. “

All that goes into making news sensational, or the sheer need for journalism to survive has inspired filmmakers to draw from contemporary reality. In the Malayalam film Naradan (2022), a self-obsessed and over-ambitious news editor crosses over to criminal territory to get high ratings. In the upcoming series Crime Beat by Sudhir Mishra, starring Saqib Saleem and Rahul Bhatt, the mind-boggling corruption around CommonWealth Games (2010) drives the plot.

The hyper-competitive and inhuman side of Indian media has found myriad representations on OTT. If the media continues to pander to rapid popularity driving measures, its moral responsibility might remain just a line in a media school textbook. The popularity of these shows should serve as a wake-up call.

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