Barkha Dutt
Encyclopedia
Barkha Dutt is an India
n TV journalist and columnist. She is currently the Group Editor, English News at New Delhi Television.
Dutt gained prominence for her reportage of the Kargil War
. She has won many national and international awards, including the Padma Shri
, India's fourth highest civilian honour. She writes a column for The Hindustan Times, called "Third Eye." In 2010 she was one of the journalists taped in the 2G
lobbying Radia tapes controversy
. This scandal has also been called Barkhagate
and Prabha Dutt who was a well-known journalist with the Hindustan Times
. Barkha credits her journalism skills to her mother, Prabha, a pioneer among women journalists in India. Prabha Dutt passed away in 1984, when she was in her prime, due to a brain haemorrhage. Barkha's younger sister, Bahar Dutt, is also a television journalist working for CNN IBN
.
with a degree in English literature
. She received a Master's in Mass Communications from Jamia Millia Islamia
Mass Communication Research Center, New Delhi. She started her journalism career with NDTV
and later rose to head the English news wing of the organization. She also obtained a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University
's Graduate School of Journalism
, New York
assisted by an Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation scholarship.
Barkha also received the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association
award for Journalist of the Year, 2007. Her Sunday talk show has won the most awards out of any show on Indian television, winning the Indian Television Academy award for Best Talk Show five years in a row. In 2008, Dutt received the Indian News Broadcasting Award for the Most Intelligent News Show Host. She has been awarded the Global Leader of Tomorrow Award twice by the World Economic Forum (2001, 2008). She has also received Society's Young Achievers Award.
She has been nominated as a member of India's National Integration Council by Congress Government. She was also Asia Society Fellow in 2006 and serves on the International Advisory Council of the Asia Society.
, directed by Farhan Akhtar
. The script was written by Javed Akhtar
and the role of Romilla Dutta played by Preity Zinta
. She was the model for the principal protagonist in the The Peddler of Soaps, a political novel by writer-activist Anand Kurian
. In recent times, the role played by Rani Mukherjee in the film No One Killed Jessica
is loosely based on her.
in 1999, including an interview with Captain Vikram Batra
, brought her to prominence in India
. Indian Navy
Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta
insinuated that she may have compromised the security of the troops by giving away troop locations. Barkha disagreed, claiming that the then Chief of Indian Army
, Gen VP Malik, indicated otherwise in his personal memoirs. She has since covered conflicts in Kashmir
, Pakistan
, Afghanistan
and Iraq
. Newswatch, a media watchdog, observed that her style of reporting was full of theatrics and had the merit to reduce complex issues to sound bytes. She responded to such studies by remarking that the medium (of Television) lent itself to such shrillness. Amita Malik
, a prominent film and television critic, described her to be intrusive into the private lives of people with a long list of trite questions. Sevanti Ninan, a media critic, thought of her as being a representative of the popular malaise afflicting the news media.
Barkha, according to many publications, was the journalist who came in for the most criticism for sensationalist coverage after the Mumbai Terrorist Attacks
. Vanity Fair Magazine
carried a report citing that her broadcasts were used by terrorist handlers in Pakistan to relay orders back to those in Mumbai.
." through one of his blog posts titled "Shoddy Journalism". Many Indian Bloggers have expressed their sharp dissatisfaction towards her and her employer, NDTV
for attempting to censor their right to Freedom of speech
by way of such legal actions. Barkha's reports on Naxalite
Violence in Dantewada have been found to be factually incorrect and naive by some observers.
, Congress general secretary to talk to Karunanidhi to get the portfolios in the Union cabinet fixed. Barkha has denied acting on any promise to pass on messages to the Congress. In a subsequent tape, Nira Radia is heard saying ‘Barkha has got Congress(political party) to issue a statement’. This scandal has also been called Barkhagate Dutt denies the allegations.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n TV journalist and columnist. She is currently the Group Editor, English News at New Delhi Television.
Dutt gained prominence for her reportage of the Kargil War
Kargil War
The Kargil War ,, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control...
. She has won many national and international awards, including the Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
, India's fourth highest civilian honour. She writes a column for The Hindustan Times, called "Third Eye." In 2010 she was one of the journalists taped in the 2G
2G
2G is short for second-generation wireless telephone technology. Second generation 2G cellular telecom networks were commercially launched on the GSM standard in Finland by Radiolinja in 1991...
lobbying Radia tapes controversy
Radia tapes controversy
The Radia tapes controversy relates to the telephonic conversations between Nira Radia, a political lobbyist and an acquaintance of the Indian telecom minister A. Raja, and with senior journalists, politicians, and corporate houses, taped by the Indian Income Tax Department in 2008-09. The tapes...
. This scandal has also been called Barkhagate
Early life
Barkha Dutt was born in New Delhi to S.P.Dutt, an official in Air IndiaAir India
Air India is the flag carrier airline of India. It is part of the government of India owned Air India Limited . The airline operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft serving Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Its corporate office is located at the Air India Building at Nariman...
and Prabha Dutt who was a well-known journalist with the Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
. Barkha credits her journalism skills to her mother, Prabha, a pioneer among women journalists in India. Prabha Dutt passed away in 1984, when she was in her prime, due to a brain haemorrhage. Barkha's younger sister, Bahar Dutt, is also a television journalist working for CNN IBN
CNN IBN
Cable News Network-Indian Broadcasting Network is an English-language Indian television news channel. The network is a partnership between Global Broadcast News and Turner International in India . Rajdeep Sardesai is the Editor-in-Chief of the network...
.
Career
Barkha studied in Modern School, New Delhi and graduated from St. Stephen's College, DelhiSt. Stephen's College, Delhi
St. Stephen's College is a constituent college of the University of Delhi located in Delhi, India. The college admits both undergraduates and post-graduates, and awards degrees under the purview of the University. Famous for its rich history and many traditions, St...
with a degree in English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
. She received a Master's in Mass Communications from Jamia Millia Islamia
Jamia Millia Islamia
Jamia Millia Islamia is an Indian Central University located in Delhi. It was established at Aligarh in United Provinces, India in 1920. It became a Central University by an act of the Indian Parliament in 1988...
Mass Communication Research Center, New Delhi. She started her journalism career with NDTV
NDTV
NDTV is an Indian commercial broadcasting television network founded in 1988. It was founded by Prannoy Roy, an eminent journalist and current chairman and director of NDTV Group. NDTV currently has more than 1,000 employees producing news from over twenty locations in India...
and later rose to head the English news wing of the organization. She also obtained a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
's Graduate School of Journalism
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is one of Columbia's graduate and professional schools. It offers three degree programs: Master of Science in journalism , Master of Arts in journalism and a Ph.D. in communications...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
assisted by an Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation scholarship.
Awards and accolades
Dutt was conferred the Padma Shri, a civilian honor in India by Congress government in 2008, for her coverage of the 2004 TsunamiTsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
Barkha also received the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association
Commonwealth Broadcasting Association
Founded in 1945, the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association is a representative body for public service broadcasters throughout the Commonwealth. A not-for-profit non-government organisation, the CBA is funded by subscriptions from 102 members and affiliates from 53 countries...
award for Journalist of the Year, 2007. Her Sunday talk show has won the most awards out of any show on Indian television, winning the Indian Television Academy award for Best Talk Show five years in a row. In 2008, Dutt received the Indian News Broadcasting Award for the Most Intelligent News Show Host. She has been awarded the Global Leader of Tomorrow Award twice by the World Economic Forum (2001, 2008). She has also received Society's Young Achievers Award.
She has been nominated as a member of India's National Integration Council by Congress Government. She was also Asia Society Fellow in 2006 and serves on the International Advisory Council of the Asia Society.
Portrayal in Popular Culture
Barkha Dutt has been portrayed in the film LakshyaLakshya
Lakshya is a Hindi word for "target".Lakshya may refer to:* Lakshya Institute, an institute that focus on Ez Vidya pronounced as easy vidya...
, directed by Farhan Akhtar
Farhan Akhtar
Farhan Akhtar is an Indian filmmaker, script writer, actor, playback singer, lyricist, film producer in Hindi cinema and a television host.His directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai won a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi...
. The script was written by Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar is a poet, lyricist and scriptwriter from India. Some of his most successful work was done in the late 1970s and 1980s with Salim Khan as half of the script-writing duo credited as Salim-Javed...
and the role of Romilla Dutta played by Preity Zinta
Preity Zinta
Preity Zinta is an Indian film actress. She has appeared in Hindi films of Bollywood, as well as Telugu, Punjabi and English language films. After graduating with a degree in criminal psychology, Zinta made her acting debut in Dil Se in 1998 followed by a role in Soldier the same year...
. She was the model for the principal protagonist in the The Peddler of Soaps, a political novel by writer-activist Anand Kurian
Anand Kurian
Anand Kurian , is a marketing communications theorist, writer and activist in Mumbai, India. He has written a best-selling political novel against religious fundamentalism. He has conceived and developed the twin marketing management concepts of Reality Plus and Neo People, other allied concepts...
. In recent times, the role played by Rani Mukherjee in the film No One Killed Jessica
No One Killed Jessica
No One Killed Jessica is a 2011 Bollywood film starring Rani Mukerji and Vidya Balan, produced by UTV Spotboy and directed by Raj Kumar Gupta, who directed the acclaimed film Aamir ....
is loosely based on her.
Kargil War and Mumbai Attacks
Her reporting of the Kargil conflictKargil War
The Kargil War ,, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control...
in 1999, including an interview with Captain Vikram Batra
Vikram Batra
Captain Vikram Batra, PVC , was an officer of the Indian Army, posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest award for valour, for his actions during the 1999 Kargil War in Kashmir between India and Pakistan....
, brought her to prominence in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta
Sureesh Mehta
Admiral Sureesh Mehta served as Chief of the Indian Navy from 31 October 2006 until 31 August 2009. He was succeeded by Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma. He is the first service chief from India's armed forces to be born post Indian Independence. He is married to Maria Teresa Mehta and they have two...
insinuated that she may have compromised the security of the troops by giving away troop locations. Barkha disagreed, claiming that the then Chief of Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
, Gen VP Malik, indicated otherwise in his personal memoirs. She has since covered conflicts in Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. Newswatch, a media watchdog, observed that her style of reporting was full of theatrics and had the merit to reduce complex issues to sound bytes. She responded to such studies by remarking that the medium (of Television) lent itself to such shrillness. Amita Malik
Amita Malik
Amita Malik was described by Time magazine as India's "most prominent film and television critic", dubbed the "first lady of Indian media" and "India's best known cinema commentator"...
, a prominent film and television critic, described her to be intrusive into the private lives of people with a long list of trite questions. Sevanti Ninan, a media critic, thought of her as being a representative of the popular malaise afflicting the news media.
Barkha, according to many publications, was the journalist who came in for the most criticism for sensationalist coverage after the Mumbai Terrorist Attacks
2008 Mumbai attacks
The 2008 Mumbai attacks were more than 10 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across Mumbai, India's largest city, by Islamist attackers who came from Pakistan...
. Vanity Fair Magazine
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
carried a report citing that her broadcasts were used by terrorist handlers in Pakistan to relay orders back to those in Mumbai.
Legal notices against bloggers
Ms. Dutt served legal notices to a number of bloggers, notably Chyetanya Kunte, who allegedly had criticized her for "breaking every rule of ethical journalism in reporting the Mumbai mayhem2008 Mumbai attacks
The 2008 Mumbai attacks were more than 10 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across Mumbai, India's largest city, by Islamist attackers who came from Pakistan...
." through one of his blog posts titled "Shoddy Journalism". Many Indian Bloggers have expressed their sharp dissatisfaction towards her and her employer, NDTV
NDTV
NDTV is an Indian commercial broadcasting television network founded in 1988. It was founded by Prannoy Roy, an eminent journalist and current chairman and director of NDTV Group. NDTV currently has more than 1,000 employees producing news from over twenty locations in India...
for attempting to censor their right to Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
by way of such legal actions. Barkha's reports on Naxalite
Naxalite
The word Naxal, Naxalite or Naksalvadi is a generic term used to refer to various militant Communist groups operating in different parts of India under different organizational envelopes...
Violence in Dantewada have been found to be factually incorrect and naive by some observers.
Radia tapes controversy
In November 2010, OPEN magazine carried a story which reported transcripts of some of the telephone conversations of Nira Radia with senior journalists, politicians, and corporate houses, many of whom have denied the allegations. The Central Bureau of Investigation has announced that they have 5,851 recordings of phone conversations by Radia, some of which outline Radia's attempts to broker deals in relation to the 2G spectrum sale. In one of the tapes Barkha, assures Radia of getting Ghulam Nabi AzadGhulam Nabi Azad
Ghulam Nabi Azad is an Indian politician from the Indian National Congress and the current Minister of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India....
, Congress general secretary to talk to Karunanidhi to get the portfolios in the Union cabinet fixed. Barkha has denied acting on any promise to pass on messages to the Congress. In a subsequent tape, Nira Radia is heard saying ‘Barkha has got Congress(political party) to issue a statement’. This scandal has also been called Barkhagate Dutt denies the allegations.