Zee Takes Aim at Major Media Proprietors Head-on, Attacking them from India Today to India TV

The departure surveys were almost entirely inaccurate. The markets collapsed. The surveyors sobbed. The papers also emphasized the necessity for more stringent disclosure guidelines. While the patterns became more apparent on Tuesday, Zee News decided to take aim at least four media competitors and their owners, allegedly because of losses that investors in the market had suffered as a result of the projections. 

By all accounts, it was an unprecedented attack. It was filled with outrageous accusations directed at these influential media entrepreneurs as well as suggestions on the BJP's purported connections to India's media landscape. Strangely, the network ignored a number of other networks that had carried forecasts from the same survey. 

"We would like to know why the owners of all those news channels projected less than 200 for India and why they gave the NDA more than 400." questioned Tuesday at 4:37 p.m. anchor Pratyush Khare, who cohosts a show with Shobhna Yadav. 

Rajat Sharma, the proprietor of India TV, was first questioned. 

Was a major stock market investor's direction the subject of an exit poll? If lakhs are unable to provide for their families, who is to blame? Did you conduct this type of exit poll because you were financially supported by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi when you left Zee News to start India TV? There is a rumor that a few years back, PM Modi was furious with you, and on the late Arun Jaitley's orders, a businessman in Mumbai helped you heal your relationship with him. 

Next up was Anuradha Prasad, the owner of News24. 

Did you follow your spouse Rajeev Shukla's instructions and conduct such an exit poll? The BCCI vice-president is Rajeev Shukla, while the secretary is Jay Shah, the son of home minister Amit Shah. Was the incorrect exit poll displayed due to the affinity between BCCI and the public? 

Next followed the accusations made against Atideb Sarkar, the owner of ABP. 

“Some days ago, an editor who you had sacked was recruited by your organisation. Was the exit poll run on his direction? Advertisers were told by the system not to give you ads. Did you do this to bring back those advertisers? Who will compensate for the loss of crores of hard-earned money?”

Aroon Purie, the proprietor of the India Today organization, was accused after this. 

"Did he not realize that the public will be impacted by the exit polls?" 

Is Purie "unaware" that the exit poll would affect the share market? was the question posed by the ticker. "Kallie Purie, executive editor of India Today, was unaware of this?" 

On June 2, Zee News conducted its own exit poll with the use of artificial intelligence. It had forecasted 305 NDA seats. Its INDIA count was far less than the alliance's, at about 195. Wednesday saw Zee advertisements advertising that survey appear in a number of publications. 

The network appears to be attempting to veer away from its previous reputation as a "godi channel," which was attributed to shows hosted by hosts like Sudhir Chaudhary, Amish Devgan, and Aman Chopra. Its owner, Subhash Chandra, recently made a video about the importance of press freedom in India and restated some of his points in a news conference held in Delhi last week. 

All four of the networks mentioned on the Zee News program were contacted by Newslaundry. 

“It's all rubbish. They ought to have adhered to some principles, if only for the benefit of journalism. Since 2009, we have worked with Chanakya to conduct exit surveys. They have, for the most part, been right. We had no excuse not to work with them on it. We regret the one time we made a mistake. This is not a survey that we run. Additionally, we apologize to our channel's viewers," Anuradha Prasad stated.