Flag of India (Credit: via Wikipedia)
Nearly a decade later, there’s some news related to the Indian media controversy known as Radiagate.
As iMediaEthics wrote back in November 2010, two Indian journalists, Hindustan Times Vir Sanghvi and NDTV editor Barkha Dutt, were accused of breaking journalism ethics guidelines by offering to help a lobbyist named Niira Radia. The cited evidence was leaked phone transcripts published by Open and Outlook magazines. Then in 2012, there were allegations that the phone tapes were doctored.
Sanghvi sued Outlook saying its 2010 publication included doctored transcripts. This month, he and Outlook settled, with the magazine publishing a “clarification,” the Times of India reported. Outlook, however, denied to iMediaEthics that the statement was an apology.
On Twitter, Sanghvi wrote, “Thanks Outlook for this note of regret in this week’s issue and earlier, for carrying the reports of the labs that said the tapes were doctored. This should end the controversy caused by that cover story. Nice to end the year on a happy note and not facing each other in Court! “
He included an image of the print statement, which read, “In the issue dated November 29, 2010, Outlook had carried a cover story titled The 2G Scam Tapes. It was never the intention of the article to suggest that Mr Vir Sanghvi had any role in the 2G scam or the events surrounding it. Any impression to the contrary in the article is regretted.”
In an e-mail to iMediaEthics, Outlook general manager Sasidharan Kollery denied its statement amounted to an apology and said it didn’t have any financial settlement with Sanghvi.
“Mr Vir Sanghvi and Outlook settled a long pending legal dispute through mediation,” Kollery wrote. “Outlook did not print an ‘apology.’ What Outlook printed in its edition of 31.12.2018 was a ‘clarification’ and the Complainant withdrew his complaint in accordance with the terms of the settlement. The Outlook clarification is self-explanatory. The articles and the tapes continue to be available on Outlook’s website for its readers.”
iMediaEthics has written to Sanghvi.
