Chennai: Journalists belonging to various News channels in Chennai decided to boycott then press conference by politician Jignesh Mevani Yesterday and walked out of the press meet expressing their solidarity to fellow reporter, when the newly elected Gujarat MLA tried to single out Republic TV’s reporter by asking him to remove the mic and vacate his media-briefing venue.
Jignesh Mevani participated in an interaction with academics, activists and students in Qaid-E-millat International Academy of Media Studies in Chennai.
After the interaction, When journalists from television channels placed their microphones on the table for a press meet, Jignesh asked the Republic TV reporter to remove the mic stating that as a policy, he will not speak to Arnab Goswami’s Republic TV.
Journalists from the other News channels attempted to pacify the political leader, stating that it was not an exclusive interview and just a general interaction.
However, when Jignesh insisted on removal of Republic TV’s mic stating “I won’t answer questions. Remove the mic,” Shabbir Ahmed, a reporter from Times Now replied, “You can’t demand that (which mic should be there and which should not). We don’t want this press conference, you can go.”
Later it became a trending topic of discussion in Social Media with many Journalists expressing happiness over the unity and solidarity among them, while few could be seen spewing venom against Republic TV in support of Jignesh.
Chief Bureau of South ET NOW, Chandra R. Srikanth (@chandrarsrikant) tweeted, “Dear Chennai media, thanks for standing united against Jignesh Mevani. High time that activists and politicians stop dictating terms at press conferences, selectively humiliating field reporters for the supposed sins of their masters”.
TN Bureau Chief, Times NOW Shabbir Ahmed (@Ahmedshabbir20) tweeted, “Standing up for a fellow journalist is my responsibility & we just helped a colleague who we interact with daily. Do appreciate this gesture but Arnab. But branding journalists as ‘Lutyens Media’ and creating a wedge between journalists is also not right”.
