‘Godi Media Haye Haye’ to heckling on the ground: Why TV reporters became a target during CJP protests

The anger was impossible to miss. As television reporters walked into Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and adjoining protest sites to cover the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, many were greeted with chants of ‘Godi Media Haye Haye’. Several journalists carrying microphones or wearing lanyards bearing the logos of prominent television channels — including NDTV, News X, ABP News, and Times Now — found themselves surrounded by protesters questioning their coverage of the movement. In some instances, reporters were heckled. In some instances, the confrontation turned physical: Times Now reporter Dev Kotak was roughed up by the crowd at Jantar Mantar, and…