South Central 97: Why were journalists being detained and beaten by Delhi Police?

Were the police only trying to stop the protests, or also to stop journalists from creating a public record of what happened on the streets?

What happens when journalists covering protests are detained by the police, and what does it mean for press freedom and the right to dissent in India?

In this week’s South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Anisha Sheth examine the crackdown’s implications for independent media, press freedom and the right to protest. They are joined by Siddharth Varadarajan, founding editor of The Wire, and Abhinandan Sekhri of Newslaundry, to discuss allegations of police violence, the targeting of journalists documenting the protests, and the lack of a stronger collective response from mainstream media.

The discussion examines whether the police were not only trying to prevent protests but also attempting to stop journalists from creating a public record of what happened on the streets.

Siddharth Varadarajan argues that journalists documenting police action during earlier protests had brought evidence of violence and excessive force to public attention, and that reporters were targeted this time to prevent similar footage from reaching audiences. Independent media journalists, including younger and women reporters, were among those who faced rough treatment and detention.