New Delhi: English news channel Times Now has decided to suspend its live election results coverage of four states and a union territory Sunday, citing its emphasis on Covid-19 coverage as the reason.
The move is unprecedented and a first for a national news channel.
Industry sources told ThePrint that other major news channels such as Republic TV, India Today, TV9 Bharatvarsh would continue their live coverage of the election results.
Sonia Singh, NDTV’s editorial director, told ThePrint that while the channel will be covering the election results, its main and primary focus will remain the “corona situation and latest numbers as always”.
“For us this is the biggest health and humanitarian crisis in India and our coverage tomorrow, like every day since this began, will reflect that,” she said.
‘Will carry flash news updates on the counting’
In a statement issued Saturday, Times Now said that while the channel acknowledges that the five state elections results are of interest to their homebound viewers, it has decided to suspend their “usual special election coverage” Sunday.
“We will refrain from covering poll-related celebrations as a symbolic gesture of our disagreement with the untimeliness of this activity,” the statement said.
It added the channel will keep Covid-19 as its main priority and focus on Covid-related news reports, the progress of the universalised vaccination drive, information on helplines and interaction with healthcare and mental wellness experts.
“To keep viewers informed on the election results, and with due respect for the democratic process wherein 20 per cent of our population has participated in the sacred ritual of voting in the last month, we will carry flash news updates on the counting and results,” the statement added.
It also said that as the Covid wave keeps climbing and claiming more lives, it is clear that there has been serious lapse in leadership at all levels — across the political spectrum.
“It is unfortunate that our institutions have also failed us leading to the current state of disarray, anguish and all round panic,” it said, adding that Times Now has been vocal against these lapses and has questioned holding the Kumbh Mela in March 2021 as much as it had highlighted the Tablighi Jamaat fiasco in May 2020.
Live coverage of the election results — and exit polls coverage — are a major news event for the media and traditionally news channels provide extended all-day coverage that consists of the counting and results, analysis and debates with much pomp.
The election special shows are also believed to earn significant revenues for news channels with several advertisers advertising during the high-visibility coverage.
Leading news channels had hosted live exit opinion polls Thursday.
Other channels
English news channel India Ahead said it will keep its coverage on Sunday focused on Covid. In a statement, the channel said the only victory that matters right now is over Covid, and not election.
Editor-in-chief of the channel Bhupendra Chaubey in a tweet said, “#CovidEmergency vs #AssemblyPolls. Pick your choice. We have already done that.”
@IndiaAheadNews #CovidEmergency vs #AssemblyPolls. Pick your choice. We have already done that. #May2nd pic.twitter.com/krUa5okMq3
— bhupendra chaubey (@bhupendrachaube) May 1, 2021
Brajesh Mishra, editor-in-chief of Hindi news channel Bharat Samachar has also tweeted that they will not cover the poll results, adding that the channel’s focus will be on saving lives.
भारत समाचार मे हम 2 मई की मतगणना की कवरेज नहीं करेंगे। इसी दिन यूपी मे पंचायत चुनाव के भी नतीजे आने हैं। लेकिन हम स्वयं को इससे अलग करते है। हमारी प्राथमिकता अपनो को बचाना है। उन्हें ऑक्सीजन, बेड और जीवन रक्षक दवाएं कैसे मिले ये खबर दिखाएंगे। मतगणना के अंतिम नतीजे बता दिए जायेंगे
— Brajesh Misra (@brajeshlive) April 30, 2021
At @themojostory we will not be doing any shows on the state election results . The rallies have been immoral & criminal , an affront to health workers and to all our families who have lost loved ones to COVID. Way more egregious than the tone deaf IPL. Does not deserve air time
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) April 29, 2021
(Edited by Debalina Dey)
This report has been updated to add that India Ahead news channel will keep its coverage on Sunday focused on Covid.
Also read: If you claim India’s Covid death toll is 2x govt figure, it’s understandable. But not 10x
Who watches TV these days? After crass Arnab Giswami yelling everyday at 9 pm and setting up an example of bad behavior which mother would allow her children to see this bull shit. I immediately disconnected Tata Sky from my house. We are at peace now, going back to Times of India newspaper where facts are reported and one can form his or her own opinion.
There is nothing much about BJP in the South, hope you have other thing’s to cover about Modi Ji..
Kudos to Times Now for taking the initiative. Our Democratic leader’s has failed
We atr on the brink of death, misery and dissatisfaction. The right to vote , we ourselves have faltered in exercising ot our choices were wrong so the democratic institutions have been defied by our leadership that has failed to strategize the situation and we stand as a failed country in the wake of pandemic.The kumbhs were important the rallies had to be conducted at the cost of Indian life
See how cheap is the INDIAN LIFE
ANY LEADER can buy it ,any religious custom can flaunt it any political institution can break it
All of news agency are modi slaves and there bread and butter is comming from politics ,no where human life is important ,all of these patrakar are highly paid ,and this is all shame ,see how young people Sardana died.all credit for Sardana death goes to Modi government and Kejriwal govt.
Another Ravish in the making.
What was Padmaja Joshi doing checking the mood of Bengal ? Why were there no debates on Covid 19? All of a sudden a holier than cow attitude by Times Now
.
Appreciate the Times now symbolic gesture and continued focus on biggest health and humanitarian crisis in India
Stop commenting in a comments column, instead of blaming other lets try to retrospect ourselves, for everything dont blame a PM,he is not God Almighty to shower you what you wish, Help others if not pray for others ,if not keep silence India will overcome. ( this is especially for a gentleman who decries pm)
Media is a pillar of democracy. Responsible Media is needed in this country.
Saving lives is of utmost importance. If government and institutions fail us then it’s media which has been the voice of public. We should support all such acts at various levels.
Genuine journalism had been bought by the politicians, businessmen,power machineries since so called Independence of this hapless country & it’s a game globally prevailing since modern civilisation by visualisation of the fact of easy propagation of one’s intention to enjoy the supreme contentions by palatable stories made from even indoors with a few animations. It’s quite difficult for a spineless mass of 135+crores, to rejuvenate this platform in this country,ruled mostly by the illiterate, headless creatures supported by the age-old constitution,made by the political persons of dual/multicolored characters in a devastating situation,left over by the Britishers.
They made it official not to cover elections but at the same time they are not covering hospitals, people dying and being cremated, the real figures, oxygen and vaccine scarcity, not asking real questions and many more.
Too little too late…should have woken up when every tom dick and harry was holding rallies
Keep licking modi,s feet, he’ll keep showering fire from above. At last u will find urself in the middle of SHAMSAN&KABARASTAN
Highly Appreciated.Human lives are more important than election.Mask of this government is revealed.
Lol. BJP is out of South completely this time . Better not to cover the failure.
Times Now without Arnab Goswami, is collapsing. Their Exit Poll Survey is so poor that they will have difficulty to defend their numbers. For example,. Times Now’s Poll shows that BJP will lose in Bengal when actually BJP will win Bengal. This is the real reason that the Editors decided not to show up on TV. This is the behind scenes reason for their sudden love for Covid19 coverage.
Thank you Times! You proved again my choice to be a ToI reader is correct and I’m enlightened by you with the news matters most. Kudos to your decision…this shows change!!
It’s an apt response towards a power hungry State!