Epiosde no.9
This interview was conducted on 29 April 2022 with journalist Mandeep Punia. At the beginning of the interview, Punia was asked by the journalist about the role of Punjab media in the elections, then Mandeep Punia said that today’s new media, which was developed during the farmers’ protest, is imitating the main stream media. This new media has turned journalism into a business. He said that issue-based journalism is not being done nowadays. Some channels even take money from the leaders to conduct interviews. The journalist asked Punia that today’s journalism or web channel is only focused on circulating views and money, so what he thinks about it? Mandeep Punia said that the thumbnails or banners of these channels are provocative while they share nothing sensible in the news. Poonia said that for today’s media, the story or the issue does not matter. Punia said that today’s media is busy taking money from leaders and making them look great, while Punjab has many other issues related to agriculture, syl and hospitals.He said that he also received offers from leaders in Haryana to open channels by paying money, except for the BJP party. He said that Aam Aadmi Party is going to open those media houses of Punjab which had supported Aam Aadmi Party during the elections in Haryana and Himachal. Journalist asked Mandeep Punian what will be the agenda of Aam Aadmi Party after victory, then Punian said that only when Bhagwant Mann takes a political decision, his stand will be clear. In the next question, the journalist asked about the conversation made by the Rajya Sabha member about the issue of Chandigarh, then he said that there is no point of talking about the issue of Chandigarh because this issue will never be resolved. Punia talked about the tribes or villages which were destroyed in order to buid the city and about its master plan or cultural politics, in detail. Punia said that the language of Haryana is also the same as that of Punjabis, but they are forced to speak Hindi by the government. The journalist questioned him about the Akali Dal and Chautalia’s party, and he said that these two had not been loyal to their parties.Finally, Pooni said that independent journalism in India has declined while some media channels work for leaders and corporate sectors for money.
-kulwinder kaur bajwa