Times Now and journalists working for the Times Group on Monday began to fervently tweet about their latest editorial offering, an exclusive interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The editorial in question is no doubt a scoop, but it’s the subsequent claims by the employees of Times Group that prompted many to issue corrections on social media.
The Time Now billed the interview as Modi’s first ever interview to any media house since becoming the prime minister in 2014. However, it took few eagle-eyed social media users to point out the inaccuracy in the much-publicised claims.
https://twitter.com/ModiMission2019/status/747355213271543808
Newslaundry website wrote sarcastically, “Big scoop for Times Now Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami. He’s got an interview with PM Modi just today, becoming the first Indian TV journo to get an interview with Modi after 2014. Hindustan Times Editor-in-Chief Sanjoy Narayan and Shishir Gupta had got an interview in April 2015. Following which Dainik Jagran also got an interview in May 2015.”
Similar sentiments were expressed on social media too prompting a Times of India journalist, Bharti Jain, to issue a clarification.
Biggest @TimesNow Scoop: Modi's interview, first ever to an Indian media house since he became PM
— Bharti Jain (@bhartijainTOI) June 27, 2016
The interview is expected to be broadcast at 6 PM on Monday. Many have already begun indulging in guessing game on whether the channel’s editor-in-chief, Arnab Goswami, will be as jugular against Modi as he was during his interview with the Congress Vice President, Rahul Gandhi or he usually is against other interviewees except allegedly Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
Some wondered if Arnab will once again have a dedicated Newshour debate after the interview as he had done so after his famous interview with Rahul Gandhi.
We will know answers to all these speculations shortly.
Here are some reactions on social media, where some users are clearly having fun at the cost of channel rivalry in Indian media.
Since PM Modi gave his first interview to Arnab…NDTV will run a blank screen again to protest against rising intolerance. #PMSpeaksToArnab
— Paresh Rawal fan (@Babu_Bhaiyaa) June 27, 2016
AAPtards whose @ArvindKejriwal gives scripted interview with Barkha are lecturing Arnab. Dont worry he asked tough qsns. #PMSpeaksToArnab
— Harshit Kaul (@WandererSS6) June 27, 2016
Will Arnab ask Modi about Rajan? NSG? Probably yes. Swamy? Maybe. Dadri, Kairana and Gulberg? Don't think so. #PMSpeakstoArnab
— Rohan Venkat (@RohanV) June 27, 2016
#PMSpeaksToArnab this better be good, for Arnab time n again questioned for being BJPish. Big 4 him, for PM, for us. https://t.co/ANrEGubkKs
— No (@itsmihir1993) June 27, 2016
Even #Doordarshan can't dopublicity &propaganda like @timesnow.So Modi chose jaitely channel 4easy qs.#PMSpeaksToArnab.#WorstInterviewOf2016
— Dhruv Patel (@PD_DhruvPatel) June 27, 2016
PM speaks with @TimesNow . @ndtv @indiatvnews watch on helplessly #PMSpeaksToArnab ?
— Niladri Bose (@Neel_2014) June 27, 2016
