Sakshi (media group) explained

Sakshi
Type:Private
Industry:Mass media
Founder:Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy
Location:Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Subsid:

Sakshi [1] is an Indian Telugu-language media group. The group owns the daily newspaper Sakshi, 24-hour news channel Sakshi TV, and associated digital ventures. Its first asset, Sakshi newspaper, was launched on 23 March 2008 by Jagati Publications Ltd. owned by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.[2] Sakshi TV was launched on 1 March 2009, by Indira Television Ltd., also owned by Reddy. The group is currently run under the chairmanship of Y. S. Bharathi Reddy, wife of Jagan Mohan Reddy.[3]

As of 2019, Sakshi newspaper had an average daily circulation of 10.64 lakh, ranking second in circulation among Telugu daily newspapers behind Eenadu and sixteenth in India across languages.[4] [5]

The newspaper and TV channel are widely regarded as propaganda outlets for Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party YSR Congress Party (YCP).[6] [7] [8] [9] [10] They are criticized for their biased coverage of the political rivals of Reddy and YCP.[11] [12] Sakshi TV has been found to be in breach of the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) code of ethics on various occasions.[13] [14]

Sakshi newspaper

See main article: article and Sakshi (newspaper). Sakshi newspaper is promoted by Jagati Publications Ltd. The newspaper was launched on 23 March 2008[15] [16] with 23 editions nineteen editions from Andhra Pradesh, and four from New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai.[17] At a price of 60 per month, Sakshi was marketed as a less expensive alternative to all other prominent Telugu dailies at the time which were priced at 96100 per month. To stand out from its competition, Sakshi adopted high-quality production values. It had 30-pages, all of them in colour broadsheet format. The paper's layouts were designed by Mario Garcia.[18]

Of the total Andhra Pradesh Government budget of about 200 crore for print media commercials for the years 2008-11, Sakshi newspaper was allotted over 50% amounting to 101.63 crore. This was attributed to the undue preferential treatment Sakshi newspaper received during the chief ministership of Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy.[19]

Circulation

According to the Audit Bureau of Circulation, from July to December 2019, Sakshi had an average daily circulation of 10.64 lakh. It ranks second in circulation among Telugu daily newspapers behind Eenadu and sixteenth in India across languages.

Sakshi TV

See main article: article and Sakshi TV. Sakshi TV started airing on 1 March 2009.[20] It is promoted by Indira Television Ltd., with Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, son of then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Rajashekhara Reddy, as the Chairman.[21] [22]

The channel was initially named Indira Priyadarsini. According to Ramakrishna Reddy, the first Editor-in-Chief of the channel, it was renamed to cash in on the popularity of the Sakshi newspaper which was launched a year before the channel by Jagan Mohan Reddy. At its launch, the channel claimed to be the first HDTV channel in the country. It was marketed as being primarily targeted at the youth.

Of the nearly 40 crore that Government of Andhra Pradesh spent on ads in electronic media for the years 2009-12, Sakshi TV got advertisements worth over 17 crore. This was attributed to the undue preferential treatment Sakshi TV received during the chief ministership of Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

Sakshi TV has been found to be in breach of the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) code of ethics on various occasions.

Digital assets

Sakshi Excellence Awards

Sakshi Excellence Awards is an annual awards ceremony organized by Sakshi media group to honour and recognize the individuals and institutions of various fields.[25] Launched in 2015, it primarily rewards the people from the Telugu-speaking community across the world.

Criticism

The newspaper and TV channel are widely regarded as propaganda outlets for Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party YSR Congress Party (YCP). They are criticized for their biased coverage of the political rivals of Reddy and YCP. Sakshi TV has been found to be in breach of the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) code of ethics on various occasions. According to a CBI chargesheet filed against Jagan Mohan Reddy, most of the investments in the media group were quid pro quo bribes by those people who had benefited from their unfair deals with his father Y. S. Rajashekhara Reddy's government.[26] [27] [28]

Sakshi group is part of a recent trend, wherein businesspersons-turned-politicians across India launched their own media organisations as a political strategy to influence public opinion to further their political interests.[29]

Rajasekhara Reddy's death and conspiracy theory

On 2 September 2009, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, father of Sakshi TV promoter Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy, died in a helicopter crash. In January 2010, Sakshi TV broadcast a conspiracy theory advanced by the American journalist Mark Ames in the Russian online tabloid, The eXile. It alleged that the Ambani brothers of Reliance group of companies orchestrated the death of Rajasekhara Reddy.[30] [31] TV5 channel broke the story while Sakshi TV and NTV relayed the report aired by TV5.[32]

The report led to massive attacks against the business establishments owned by the two Ambani brothers in Andhra Pradesh.[33] [34] [35] On 8 January 2010, criminal cases were filed against Sakshi TV and NTV while two senior journalists of TV5 were arrested.[36] Editors Guild of India asked the channels to desist from "irresponsible reporting" and condemned the reporting as sensational and against the principles of journalism.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Ngwainmbi, Emmanuel K. . Citizenship, Democracies, and Media Engagement among Emerging Economies and Marginalized Communities . 2017-09-18 . Springer . 978-3-319-56215-5 . 134 . en.
  2. News: Tata . Madhavi . 7 April 2008 . We Are The News . . 22 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181003222440/https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/we-are-the-news/237149 . 3 October 2018.
  3. Web site: 15 January 2019 . Sakshi Media Group appoints Vinay Maheshwari as Executive Director & CEO . 2022-10-25 . Exchange4media . en.
  4. Web site: 2019 Highest Circulated Dailies, Weeklies & Magazines (across languages) . 25 October 2022 . Audit Bureau of Circulations.
  5. Web site: 2019 Highest Circulated Daily Newspapers (languages wise) . 26 October 2022 . Audit Bureau of Circulations.
  6. Web site: 2015-02-25 . All you wanted to know about who owns the South Indian news channels you watch . 2022-10-25 . . en . The channel is actively used by Jagan Mohan Reddy for political propaganda, especially against his political rivals. When he was arrested the channel ran consistent campaign claiming Jagan was innocent..
  7. Book: Jeffrey . Robin . Media at Work in China and India: Discovering and Dissecting . Sen . Ronojoy . 2015-09-29 . SAGE Publications India . 978-93-5150-545-7 . en.
  8. Book: Rodrigues . Usha M. . Indian News Media: From Observer to Participant . Ranganathan . Maya . 2014-11-26 . SAGE Publications India . 978-93-5150-464-1 . en.
  9. Web site: 2011-04-28 . YSR gets a much-needed "off" on Sakshi TV . 2022-10-25 . Indian Journalism Review . en.
  10. Web site: Shaw . Padmaja . 13 April 2017 . Who wants to own Telugu news channels? . 2022-10-27 . The Hoot . The channel has clearly been an instrument in promoting the political interests of Jaganmohan Reddy and the YSRCP..
  11. Web site: A . Srinivasa Rao . 27 July 2012 . Congress in Andhra Pradesh mulls its own TV channel, newspaper . 2022-10-25 . India Today . en . In the last one year, Jagan launched an offensive against the Congress government and the party through his media house - Sakshi television channel and Telugu daily..
  12. Book: Oskarsson, Patrik . Landlock: Paralysing Dispute over Minerals on Adivasi Land in India . 2018-09-19 . ANU Press . 978-1-76046-251-2 . 141, 179 . en.
  13. Web site: News Broadcasters Association - Fifth Annual Report 2011-12 . 25 October 2022 . NBSA therefore held that Sakshi TV was in breach of NBA Code of Ethics and Guidelines particularly the provisions relating to accuracy, impartiality, objectivity, neutrality and privacy in reporting..
  14. Web site: 7 January 2014 . NBSA hauls up CNN-IBN, Aaj Tak and Sakshi TV for breach of guidelines . 25 October 2022 . Indiantelevision.com.
  15. Web site: 11 May 2012 . After CBI squeeze, govt stops ads to Sakshi . 2022-10-26 . . en.
  16. Web site: 23 March 2008 . Sakshi Newspaper Launch . 26 October 2022 . The Hindu Images . The Hindu.
  17. Web site: Surender Kumar . Dhaleta . 7 November 2008 . IRS 2008 R2: Andhra Jyothi top gainer in readership . 2022-10-26 . afaqs!.
  18. Web site: R. García . Mario . 1 August 2008 . More than twelve million read the new Sakshi daily of Hyderabad, India . 2022-10-26 . García Media . en.
  19. News: Nag . Kingshuk . 28 May 2012 . Jaganmohan Reddy: Understanding his tale of dynasty and megabucks . The Economic Times . 2022-10-25.
  20. Web site: 24 March 2009 . Sakshi TV aims to break clutter in the Telugu news space . 2022-10-25 . afaqs!.
  21. Web site: Behl . Vinod . 20 March 2009 . India's first HDTV channel Sakshi launched . 2022-10-25 . Exchange4media . en.
  22. Web site: Lakshman . Ganesh . 9 May 2012 . Owner of Sakshi TV and newspaper Y S Jaganmohan Reddy files case challenging the freezing of the Sakshi accounts. The CBI is directed to file its counter and the matter posted to Thursday. . 2022-10-25 . . en.
  23. Web site: About us మా గురించి . 2022-10-26 . Sakshi.com .
  24. Web site: 8 October 2012 . Sakshi in English . 2022-10-27 . The Hoot.
  25. Web site: 2021-09-18 . Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo: Allu Arjun, Pooja Hegde & Trivikram Srinivas score big at Sakshi Awards . 2022-08-01 . . en.
  26. Web site: A . Srinivasa Rao . 4 July 2012 . CBI files supplementary chargesheet against Jagan in disproportionate assets case . 2022-10-25 . . en.
  27. Web site: 27 May 2012 . A timeline of the Jaganmohan Reddy case . 2022-10-26 . India Today . en.
  28. Book: Knieper . Thomas . The Visual Politics of Wars . Saleh . Ibrahim . 2017-05-11 . Cambridge Scholars Publishing . 978-1-4438-9381-7 . 19 . en.
  29. Web site: 2018 . A Delicate Handshake . Media Ownership Monitor India.
  30. Web site: Sukumar . C. R. . 2010-01-09 . RIL to file criminal complaint against Telugu TV channel . 2022-10-24 . . en.
  31. Web site: 9 January 2010 . TV5 Journalists Arrest Sparks Furore . 24 October 2022 . fullhyderabad.
  32. Web site: 9 January 2010 . Reliance attack: Cases slapped against three TV channels . 2022-10-24 . The Times of India . en.
  33. News: 2010-01-08 . Two editors of TV 5 arrested in Hyderabad . en-IN . The Hindu . 2022-10-24 . 0971-751X.
  34. Web site: Das . Ashok . 2010-01-08 . AP channel booked over YSR report . 2022-10-24 . . en.
  35. Web site: 9 January 2010 . Police arrests TV5 editors, Editors Guild condemns irresponsible reporting . 24 October 2022 . Indiantelevision.com.
  36. News: 2010-01-10 . Journalists protest TV5 editors' arrest . . 2022-10-24.

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