A horrific video emerged from Manipur this week. And, finally, our star anchors and prime minister Narendra Modi broke their silence on the unrest that has gripped the northeastern state for more than two months. It took the ghastly visuals of two women being paraded naked and assaulted by a mob for people to stir out of oblivion. 

The stories of violence against women in Manipur first came to light because of the efforts of digital media outlets like the Print and Scroll. But what about TV media? We looked at how big news networks failed public interest yet again by shifting their focus on Seema Haider and her ‘love story’.  

As the prime minister made his first comment on Manipur and the issue became too big to ignore for our prime-time anchors – we saw them follow the same trope of comparing the violence in Manipur to the situation in Bengal, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. When not doing that, they appealed to their viewers and the opposition to not politicise the issue for vested interest. 

Watch.