Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s recent act of barring journalists from two TV channels – Kairali News and Media One – from covering his press meet, triggered a debate on whether journalists from other news outlets should have boycotted the event in protest. Many had voiced their disappointment on social media about the “lack of solidarity” shown by the media in Kerala and criticised them for not reacting to the Governor’s “undemocratic” action.
Among the many prominent voices from the media in Kerala to immediately come out in solidarity with the two media outlets that were asked to “get out” by the Governor was Nikesh Kumar, the editor-in-chief of Reporter Live channel. “I’m of the opinion that the journalists present there should have boycotted the press meet then and there. This is not the first time that such an action is being taken by the Governor,” says Nikesh, speaking to TNM.
Earlier, in October, the Governor had barred Kairali, Reporter, Media One and Jaihind television channels from attending his press meet at the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram. While Kairali is backed by Communist Party of India (Marxist), Media One is run by Jamaat-e-Islami.
However, several voices from within the journalistic fraternity point out that it’s a difficult call for a reporter on the ground to take since they are deployed by their management to come back with information. “I’m not actually surprised that the journalists present during the incident didn’t boycott the press meet,” remarks veteran journalist MG Radhakrishnan. Speaking to TNM, Radhakrishnan points out that reporters working for prominent media outlets cannot take such decisions on the spot, on their own, as they are answerable to their seniors, news editors or the media management.
“But organisations or journalist associations can take a decision that if such an episode repeats, then reporters should immediately resort to boycott. This is a decision that has to be made in consultation with the editors and management,” says Radhakrishnan, who holds the opinion that reporters should walk off from press conferences if Khan is going to continue this.
Radhakrishnan’s opinion was also reiterated by MV Vineetha, the state president of the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ). While condemning the action of the Kerala Governor and terming it as unbecoming of a person who holds a constitutional position, Vineetha said that a sudden boycott is however not easy for reporters. “They are assigned to collect news and more often than not, it’s difficult to return to the newsroom without collecting the news they’ve been sent for,” she says.
However, Nikesh Kumar points out various instances from the past where journalists have taken a stand when a particular media outlet was barred or targeted by politicians. “In 2021, when Union Minister V Muralidharan barred Asianet News from covering his press meet, other reporters had taken a stand that they would not cover his press meet. In the United States, journalists have boycotted former President Donald Trump’s press meet when he asked a particular journalist to stay away from his press briefing. So we have examples from history,” says Nikesh. He says that the Governor’s intention to avoid certain news outlets was made clear during his previous press meet at the Raj Bhavan itself.
“At least from now on, there should be standing instructions that if such an incident repeats, there will be an on the spot boycott. I feel this should be done even if Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan bans BJP-backed Janam TV from his press meets,” states Nikesh.
Arif Mohammed Khan, on Monday, while asking reporters from Kairali and Media One to leave, accused the channels of running a campaign against him and insisted that he would walk out of the press interaction if these channels were present. According to journalists from both these channels, they reached the venue after being invited by Raj Bhavan.
KUWJ had taken out protest marches across the state on November 8 against the Governor’s undemocratic actions. Speaking to TNM, Kiran Babu, general secretary, KUWJ called the discrimination shown by the Governor towards a section of the media undemocratic and a violation of the freedom of press. “Arif Mohammed Khan holds a constitutional position. His actions are degrading the position held by him. He should correct his anti-democratic stance,” says Kiran Babu.