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Big B of TV, Pak Hater or Modi Bhakt? Decoding My Friend Arnab 

AAP leader Ashutosh writes about his friend Arnab Goswami and his journey with Times Now.

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It is often very difficult to write about your friends. The task becomes even more challenging when you are writing about a friend whose political views differ from your own. Arnab Goswami is one such friend.

Way before the Aam Aadmi Party came to power in Delhi, Arnab and his TV channel spared no effort in rubbishing it.

He didn’t let go of any opportunity to criticise the party and sometimes slammed it after getting the facts wrong. In the past one year, we have even stopped interacting with his channel. Once in a while, we would take part in phone-ins, but I have stopped doing even that.

However, on Tuesday, when the news of his resignation broke, I could not stop myself from calling him. I got no reply, but he called back the next morning. The usual hot-headedness, the same ferocity. Suddenly, it didn’t feel like we were standing on opposite poles of a political ideology.

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I even burst out laughing when he mocked me saying, “Whenever we got a phone call from you, I used to rush to the PCR waiting for you to abuse me. Within 45 seconds, you would invariably start badmouthing me.” Then we started talking about how we had started our careers as reporters together.

The Delhi from two decades ago flashed before my eyes. We decided to meet. If we do meet, a lot of the differences will be resolved. We will abuse each other a bit and also share some laughs.

So much has changed in the past 20 years. I recalled how the two of us would spend over 10 hours outside the Election Commission office. It was the time when TN Seshan headed the poll panel. It was also the time when, on TV, news finally escaped the government monopoly and came straight to professional journalists.

Back then, only news was delivered to TV viewers, not opinions. Some facts, a nice backgrounder and a glimpse of what can be expected in the future. There were no debates. It was only the English channels that featured weekly debates.

Today, 20 years on, news channels air more debates than news. The Hindi channels, which believed that there are no TRPs in debates seven-eight years back, now only slot debates at prime time.

During the early years, TV anchors tried to remain unbiased during these debates. However, people like me began to take a stand based on an opinion we truly believed in. But we also tried hard to make sure that no one could accuse us of being biased. There also used to be less chaos during the debates back then.

However, a belief started to build that more noise brought in more ratings. The English channels remained relatively staid. Arnab’s 8:30 pm show on NDTV was very serious, with almost no yelling. Only good topics were discussed. His approach remained the same even after he moved to Times Now. For the next two years, though, the channel went largely unnoticed.

AAP leader Ashutosh writes about his friend Arnab Goswami and his journey with Times Now.
Arnab Goswami. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@thenewshour)
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Post 26/11, Arnab's Reign Began

In 2008, after the 26/11 terror attack, things began to change. For three consecutive days, Arnab served as anchor without a break. I was astounded by his energy.

But Ajmal Kasab had changed my friend.

We now saw a new Arnab, who was aggressive and spoke loudly. Someone who would interrupt his guests without any hesitation. He wouldn't even let them speak. Pakistan was his sworn enemy. If he could have his way, he would hang Pakistan to death.

Then came one more transformation. Until then, Arnab would have four or five guests on his show. But suddenly, the number swelled to 10-12 guests at a time. The show turned into Arnab Goswami’s durbar where he would pass judgements like a monarch.

AAP leader Ashutosh writes about his friend Arnab Goswami and his journey with Times Now.
(Photo: The Quint)
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Then Came the CWG Scandal

The CWG scam came to light in 2010. Suresh Kalmadi became the first prey of this new aggressive Arnab. He tore into Kalmadi every day and the former MP soon became a symbol of corruption. Arnab was the sole reason why Kalmadi’s political career came to a swift end.

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The Big B of Television

Soon, the IPL and the Lalit Modi row erupted. The tiger had tasted blood and hungered for more. Arnab had begun enjoying all of this. His TV channel had started gaining popularity and soon become the undisputed leader. Later, it gave its unconditional support to Anna Hazare’s movement. And Times Now continued to grow by leaps and bounds.

Arnab soon became the Amitabh Bachchan of television, its ‘angry young man’. Screaming, pronouncing the accused guilty, and doing it so often that viewers soon started hating the accused. The corruption in the Congress-led government provided him fresh ammo daily. In fact, then PM Manmohan Singh answered one of his questions by saying that he isn’t really as bad as Arnab thinks. This, in my view, is the high point of his career.

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AAP leader Ashutosh writes about his friend Arnab Goswami and his journey with Times Now.
(Photo: The Quint)

Talking About ‘Modi Raj’

The ‘coronation’ of Narendra Modi has given birth to a new form of journalism. Prior to Modi’s tenure, journalism was secular and left of centre. Neither did it refuse to give space to rightist ideology nor did it respect the RSS worldview much. Even during Vajpayee’s tenure, the media largely remained liberal. Social media did not exist at that time. However, the BJP-RSS supporters were neither this violent nor so abusive back then. People were willing to listen to others.

Today, differences of ideologies translate into mortal enmity. Expletives of the worst kind and even death threats are all part for the course. Insulting political leaders has become commonplace. Declaring people guilty is a trend. News has vanished and news channels now pass verdicts against people and decide the quantum of punishment.

Arnab started all of this. His aggressive approach soon influenced others. All TV anchors began imitating his style. Soon, there were Arnab clones on every channel. Arnab is well-read and usually gets his facts right. But sadly, the impersonators are not as well-informed and merely imitate his anchoring style.

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Times Now’s War With Pakistan

After 26/11, Pakistan came under severe attack on Indian news channels. But Times Now took this to a new level: Pakistan was to be associated only with war. There was no question of reaching a compromise with it. Dialogue with Islamabad was a sign of weakness. And if words were to be exchanged, they had to be harsh.

In India, Pakistan has long been painted as a villain. But Arnab turned our neighbour into a monster, one with whom no talks could be held.

This mindset soon became imbued with the Modi brand of nationalism. Soon enough, people were being certified nationalists or anti-nationalists. 

A differing view on Kashmir was deemed criminal, and every Kashmiri became an anti-national. The JNU row and the controversy involving Kanhaiya Kumar made it amply clear that this was not the Arnab that I once knew.

In this style of journalism, there is no room for alternative thinking, opinions or beliefs. The idea of an evolving nation has become a thing of the past. India can only be moulded in one way: As the RSS wants it to be. The nation cannot be questioned. The Army can do no wrong and cannot be put under the scanner.

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In this India, there is no space for leftist journalism. Freedom of thought is being strangled. TV anchors have forgotten that journalism is the platform for freedom of thought and clashing opinions. If this platform has shrunk today, Arnab Goswami is solely to blame for it.

This rightist form of journalism has also harmed us in one other way. It doesn’t believe in questioning Modi and his government. The Times Now that once demanded answers from everyone doesn’t question Modi or Amit Shah. I don’t know what compulsions have led to this.

Journalists Must Question the Government


Journalism is supposed to stay unbiased and question the government at every point. Otherwise, nothing will stop the government from turning into a dictator. Freedom of press will hold no meaning. When I get the opportunity, I will ask my friend why he is doing this.

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However, I will not hesitate to say that Arnab has completely changed the face of journalism. It has become ferocious and extremely judgmental. This brand of journalism wears the garb of nationalism. It believes that the nation is paramount and so, there is no room for any differing opinions. All this is a counter-attack against a left-of-centre system. And Arnab is both the protagonist and the villain of this fightback.

Twenty years have passed, but Arnab has been a friend and will always be one, despite our differences. If we do meet, I will abuse him for sure. And also make sure to praise him.

(The writer is an author and spokesperson of AAP. He can be reached at @ashutosh83B. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)

(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)

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Topics:  Journalism   Times Now   Arnab Goswami 

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