I feel ill,' journalist resigns after moral qualms on handling of JNU row

New Delhi: A producer working with Zee news has resigned from his position in the channel as 'a protest against the role played by the channel in kindling and promoting a campaign of blind nationalism.'

Citing moral objection over the channel's handling of the recent protest at JNU campus, Vishwa Deepak, in his resignation letter which was also put up on Facebook, maintained that he was sick of the agenda driven journalism that he was forced to be a part of, and that he has taken the step as his 'conscience has started to revolt.'

"It is like I am ill," Deepak ranted in his post, adding "Why were we made to be so immoral, unethical, and despicable? After having studied from the country’s top most media institute and having worked in esteemed institutions … my journalistic capital has now been reduced to people calling me a 'Yuck… news journalist'. Our integrity has been blown to bits. Who will take the responsibility for this?"

Deepak was the output editor of the team that compiled the news show on February 9, which alleged that the protesting students in JNU were raising pro-Pakistan slogans.

"We heard inaudible slogans from the grainy video. Editors at Zee News felt this sounded like ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ and that’s the caption we went with ... We began to produce the show and because the audio was not clear, we added a bubble or blurb with ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ written in it to guide our viewers on what we felt was being chanted," Deepak was reported by The Indian Express as saying.

Deepak lashed out at the management for the part it played in the controversy by airing the controversial clip, based on which the Delhi police have filed suo moto FIR on JNU Student's Union President Kanhaiya Kumar.

Wondering about who would own up to the negative repercussions of the frenzy, Deepak lamented “I have started to loathe my existence, my journalism and my helplessness. Is this why I left a number of careers to become a journalist? Maybe not.”