KATHMANDU, MAY 3: On May 3rd every year, World Press Freedom Day is celebrated globally in order to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press. But this year in Nepal, the day is being celebrated to actually remind the press about their freedom and more importantly their responsibilities.
Indian mainstream media, especially TV news channels, is hardly known for nuances, and they appear to miss it even during tragedies. Media coverage of 2008 Mumbai Terror Attacks is the biggest example of their insensitive, irresponsible, and sensationalist reporting, which made a lot of people take to social media to register their protest.
And it seems, Indian media has not learnt its lessons ever since. Now they have been able to irritate and anger even non-Indians.
Hundreds of India media personnel are currently in various parts of Nepal to cover the stories after the massive earthquake hit the Himalayan nation last Saturday. However the Nepalese people don’t look very satisfied by their work and reporting styles here. On Sunday, many Nepalese Twitter users started hashtag #GoHomeIndianMedia to protest against such brand of reporting. Not only in Nepal, but this hashtag trended even in India and abroad.
From their tweets, it was obvious that the anger was against the sensationalist approach by media, and not against India. Apart from insensitive questions asked to the injured and people who have lost their family about how do they feel and sensationalist reporting, some users claimed that Indian media even ended up blocking relief operations and rescue work.
Take a look at some of the tweets below and do comment your take on it.
#GoHomeIndianMedia Nepalese are getting beaten, brutalized & raped by Indian Army but Indian Media will never show pic.twitter.com/T66gtvxksX
— Shoaib Akhtar (@ShoaibAkhtar42) May 3, 2015
Nepal is dealing with disasters-A natural disaster called the Earthquake,a man made disaster called the Indian Media. #GoHomeIndianMedia
— $ir $ri $ri Magal (@jhunjhunwala) May 3, 2015
#SorryNepal. We apologise on behalf of our Indian media which acted in an irresponsible manner while you faced an unprecedented tragedy.
— Friends of Congress (@friendscongress) May 3, 2015
This is how Indian Media faked things to generate NEWS!
TRUST A SNAKE BUT NOT INDIAN MEDIA
#GoHomeIndianMedia pic.twitter.com/IRQ0pmzZBb
— Markandey Katju (@katjuPCI) May 3, 2015
'Your media is acting like they're shooting a family serial': Nepalis trend #GoHomeIndianMedia http://t.co/AlE70pTTKj pic.twitter.com/tB8YPfhVnJ
— scroll.in (@scroll_in) May 3, 2015
I feel for Indians. We couldn't bear Indian media for 6 days and Indians have to deal with them everyday.
#GoHomeIndianMedia
— Kanchan Shrestha (@mekanchan) May 3, 2015
We don't have any problem wid indian govt thanks for helping us in this worst,we have problem wid those indian media
#GoHomeIndianMedia
— गरिमा (@iGarima1) May 3, 2015
Dear Nepalese, the only media that is true in india is #OnlyDDNews. We hate everyone else because of the same thing that u now understand
— prajeesh kumar (@prajeeshkumarp) May 3, 2015
Worst the tragedy, happier the Indian media..!!!
#GoHomeIndianMedia
— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@imsujitagrawal) May 3, 2015
