Manorama News channel anchor Shani Prabhakar gets P Anandan memorial media award for peddling fake news against the central government. In a program named ‘Parayathe Vayya’ aired on Manorama news channel, she had made a claim that ‘the Union government gave Jio institute Rs 1000 crore and Institute of Eminence tag’. But this claim was refuted by the then MHRD minister Prakash Javdekar. The specific episode regarding ‘Jio institute’ has made her eligible for the award, the award committee announced. P Anandan Media Award, which carries Rs 10,000 as a cash prize, is given by a communist-backed foundation.
Prakash Javdekar had earlier clarified that the Rs 1000 cr financial assistance was only meant for public institutions and Jio being a private university was not eligible for the grand. But, a journalist being awarded for doing a fake story is itself a mockery of ethical journalism.
Earlier, Shani had made a controversial statement regarding the growth of Islamic fundamentalism in Kerala. She acknowledged the growth of SDPI, which is the political offshoot of Islamist PFI, but also added that the Kerala media were playing it down since such news could be beneficial to BJP.
Communists and Islamists have been using awards and financial assistance to journalists and writers to parrot their propaganda.
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