News 18 Urdu on sacking spree in J&K, asks dozens of Journalists to resign

News 18 Urdu Jammu Kashmir Journalist : At a time when India’s GDP is shrinking and economy is at its lowest ebb due to Covid-19 pandemic, some media houses have started sacking Journalists. News 18 Urdu is the latest media company to feel the heat with management forcibly asking some 20 journalists from its Jammu Kashmir Bureau to resign. News 18 Urdu is television network that broadcasts in Urdu and is owned by Network 18 which is owned and operated by Reliance Industries. It was launched on 15 August 2001 by Media Baron Ramoji Rao. It is the first Urdu Language channel of India.

On 16 March 2018 ETV Urdu was re-branded News18 Urdu. Dozens of Journalists are associated with this media group in Jammu and Kashmir. Some are very senior who had affiliation with this group since its inception. Many Journalists working for News 18 Urdu in Jammu and Kashmir told News Agency KNT that they received phone calls from the headquarter and were asked to tender their resignations. Most of these Journalists have tendered their resignation and are looking for other options.

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“Journalists part of this media group working in Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipora, Kulgam, Anantnag and Pulwama have been asked to resign,” said a victim Journalist wishing anonymity. “No written communication was made,” said another journalist.

HR Head News 18 Urdu, Madhusudhan Manda, he feigned ignorance and said that: “he is not aware about the matter.” Earlier Jammu and Kashmir edition of the Tribune, the oldest English daily in North India, shutdown it's bureau office to cope with the economic hit from the Covid pandemic.

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The tribune started it's Srinagar edition in 2012, was shuttered at the end of September, resulting in at least 23 employees losing their jobs, 13 reporters, a couple of photojournalists, eight marketing executives and other non-journalist staff. The decision to close the edition was taken by the paper’s board of trustees on July 22.

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