By Arré Bench Oct. 09, 2020
The nation’s top TV channels have decided to turn on one another. As the TRP scam broke out, Republic TV received a taste of its own medicine, as a number of Arnab Goswami's peers “chased” his car. India Today anchor Rahul Kanwal was one of the first to lead the charge. ABP News said the scandal had given journalists a bad name.
After spending months focusing their attention on Rhea Chakraborty, and the thousands of fake claims raised on social media regarding her “involvement” in Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, the nation’s top TV channels have now decided to turn on one another.
Over the last two days, a controversy has erupted, as the Mumbai Police announced that they were investigating a few channels, including Republic TV, for manipulating TRPs. Republic TV, helmed by anchor Arnab Goswami, soon received a taste of its own medicine, as a number of his peers chased the story.
Today, Param Bir Singh, Mumbai's police commissioner, said that the police is probing the manipulation of TRPs by channels. He said that Arnab Goswami, the director of #RepublicTV—one of the three channels Bir identified—will be asked to appear before the investigating team.
— The Caravan (@thecaravanindia) October 8, 2020
Now showing on every channel: Arnab Goswami and Republic TV. He will sure get the TRPs if he didn’t have them.
— Harinder Baweja (@shammybaweja) October 8, 2020
India Today anchor Rahul Kanwal was one of the first to lead the charge, putting out both statements on his channel and on Twitter about the alleged TRP scam. Its social media handles ran the hashtag “RepublicCheatsBharat”, while the channel flashed headlines like “Cash for News TRP scandal” and “Republic Rigged Ratings”, ThePrint reported.
Republic TV named in mega news TRP scandal: Ratings "fixed" for propaganda? Watch #Newstrack with @rahulkanwal. #ITLivestream https://t.co/ptVAet4ch6
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) October 8, 2020
India Today’s sister channel, Aaj Tak, went for the more straightforward, “Republic ki Chori Pakdi Gayi”.
One of India Today’s reporters even went on to gain internet notoriety, after a video emerged of him crowding around Arnab Goswami’s car demanding answers, only to be restrained by a security guard. Goswami, whose own reporters are often the subject of parody videos on the internet, is seen smiling from his car and flashing a peace/victory sign.
Ye kya chal raha hai dihar 😂 pic.twitter.com/2GwZT89NX0
— Ãzy 🏹 (@AzyConTrolI) October 8, 2020
ABP news, meanwhile, according to a report in The Quint, said the apparent scandal had given news channels and journalists a bad name. In its show, headlined, “Republic TV ki TRP saazish ki pol khuli”, anchor Rubika Liyaquat said Republic TV had sidelined every principle of journalism, and called its star anchor a “villain”.
Goswami responded to the allegations by saying only 2-3 channels were “instigating” the backlash, and that he would file criminal defamation charges against those “participating in this lie”. He also called out the Mumbai police commissioner on air, asserting that he comes from a family of Army personnel and hence “knows how to fight”.
Arnab Goswamy On Fire 🔥❤️#RepublicNo1 #IndiaTodayTRPchor@republic @Republic_Bharat @ashutoshjourno pic.twitter.com/fYaVqD5Fdw
— Bharat Singh Chandrawat #BJYM (@B_S_Chandrawat) October 9, 2020
The controversy began after Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh announced on Thursday that his department was investigating allegations that Republic TV and two other channels had “fixed” television ratings to gain more advertisement revenue. The issue has only gotten murkier since.
But the fight between these news channels has been ongoing since much before Thursday. Recently, after Arnab Goswami had called out India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai for going soft on Rhea Chakraborty during an interview, Rahul Kanwal hit back at Republic TV for not being able to get an interview in the first place, and called Goswami “Goebbels”, a reference to Adolf Hitler’s propaganda chief, Joseph Goebbels.
Same #BananaRepublic channels that were questioning @IndiaToday for interviewing @Tweet2Rhea are hounding Rhea all over town desperately hoping she will speak to them. So why be a sore loser. @IndiaToday got an interview you wanted. Learn to lose with grace Goebbels.
— Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) September 8, 2020
Everyday, I receive anguished calls from Reporters working in Banana Republic desperate to get out of the madness. Feel bad for professionals who have to put up with the lunatic. Acting like a road side thug may be a lot of things but it’s not journalism. https://t.co/C1znCVLNlW
— Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) September 7, 2020
Sardesai, meanwhile, said on his show that Goswami “runs a banana republic channel”.
Well said @sardesairajdeep , whatever Arnab is doing for his Banana Republic is just for TRPs . Republic Tv journalists are just a bunch of jokers who should be in circus and not in a studio. #RepublicTv #ArnabGoswami pic.twitter.com/By9mVQQIwv
— Rahil Mohammed (@ImRahilMohammed) October 5, 2020
It’s not often that journalists turn into the subject of news, but as the investigation gains momentum, and old rivalries come out in the open, it seems unlikely that the personal barbs will stop any time soon.
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