'Lapdog media': Indian reporters face youth protest anger and physical attacks

Indian television reporter Dev Kotak was physically assaulted by dozens of protesters during a large youth demonstration against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. Chants of "godi (lapdog) media" echoed as Kotak, who was covering the protest for Times Now, was heckled, slapped, kicked, and had water bottles thrown at him.

While the physical attack was unusual, protesters have been heckling and abusing crews from nearly all mainstream Indian television channels throughout the demonstrations. These channels are widely perceived by the public as being pro-government and biased, failing to report the protesters' side of the story. "The mob might have actually killed me. There was a seething anger among them because they felt the media hadn’t reported their side of the story," Kotak, 36, stated, expressing his fear for his life.

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The mob might have actually killed me. There was a seething anger among them because they felt the media hadn’t reported their side of the story.

The protests, which gained momentum last week, reflect a deep-seated public frustration with media coverage. This sentiment suggests a significant erosion of trust in established news organizations, with citizens feeling their narratives are being ignored or misrepresented by outlets seen as aligned with the ruling party.

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There were slaps, kicks, punches and water bottles being thrown. I was very scared and feared for my life; I just wanted