Pune, 17th March 2023
The ministry of information and broadcasting declared Hindustan Samachar will not be the "only source" for daily news feed of Prasar Bharti. It has been entitled as one of "multiple sources". This was clarified in the Rajya Sabha when responding to a question by John Brittas belonging to the CPIM. The ministry even mentioned that Hindusthan Samachar "was providing services to All India Radio and Doordarshan in the 1970s, even before the formation of Prasar Bharati".
Prasar Bharati had signed a two-year contract with Hindusthan Samachar to supply national and regional news items for its feed after cancelling its subscription to Press Trust of India. Hindusthan Samachar was set up by a RSS publicist in 1948 and is seen as an institution established on the ideology of the Sangh.
In the Rajya Sabha yesterday, the I&B ministry said Prasar Bharati's latest agreement with Hindusthan Samachar was signed on February 14, 2023 "for news feed for being utilised in the news bulletins and other programmes for TV, radio, digital and other modes of dissemination". This agreement is valid until March 31, 2025.
When Brittas asked why Prasar Bharati cancelled its subscriptions with PTI and UNI, the ministry vaguely said those services had been availed "based on an ad-hoc pro-rata agreement from the year 2006 onwards." Prasar Bharati's board informed PTI and UNI in October 2020 that it "had decided to end the ad-hoc arrangement".
Jawahar Sircar of the Trinamool Congress asked a similar question in the Rajya Sabha. Sircar asked why Hindusthan Samachar had been selected and whether the government was aware that it was"biased because of its close links with the RSS, BIP and VHP". Upon this I&B minister Anurag Thakur replied,"Prasar Bharati has informed that they get news feeds from multiple sources. Hindustan Samachar was providing services to All India Radio and Doordarshan in the 1970s, even before the formation of Prasar Bharati. Based on the requirement of All India Radio and Doordarshan Prasar Bharti engaged the services of Hindustan Samachar."
Prasar Bharti's decision to collaborate with an RSS-backed news service was widely criticised. The National Alliance of Journalists along with the Delhi Union of Journalists issued a joint statement expressing their serious concern at the virtual capture of Prasar Bharati by the RSS earlier this week. "It will saffronise news in india to suit the ruling party and kill neutral and independent journalism." the statement said.
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