The state of Indian media houses isn’t exactly pristine. Often referred to as Godi Media or Lutyens Media, depending on whom you’re speaking to, there is a clear lack of objectivity, nuance, common sense, and sometimes, even basic decency.

© BCCL

Remember the entire fiasco over the coverage of a Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide? 

Well, it turns out, that wasn’t the lowest point for some media outlets.

© BCCL

Anand Bazar Patrika’s television news outlet, or ABP news as it is popularly called, recently aired a special graphics package that they had prepared to cover the results of the Bengal State Elections.

Insensitivity at it’s peak @ABPNews pic.twitter.com/Vbdt4J4jbZ

— Saloni Gaur (@salonayyy) May 2, 2021

As per the narrative that ABP News’ anchor, was trying to create, the seats in Bengal would be equivalent to “Oxygen.” They even referred to it as “Seaton Ki Oxygen.” If that wasn’t tasteless enough, given the current situation across India, wherein we are facing one of the worst medical crises ever, the graphics package pushed things over the edge.

As per the package, the “oxygen” or seats were being delivered using a C-17 Globemaster aircraft, from which descended a tanker truck, transporting the oxygen. 

The reason why this comes across as insensitive and tasteless is manifold, but more than anything else, it is a mockery of the situation that thousands, if not millions of families in India, are going through, right now. It is also an insensitive mockery of the aids that we are being given by other countries.

And trust us, we aren’t alone in saying this. Several people on Twitter agree.

People don't care about your Globemaster and oxygen tanks. You should deregister as a news channel and reregister as a comedy channel for this atrocity @TRAI please take legal action against @ABPNews for hijacking a national tragedy for entertainment purposes.

— AskHemu (@AskHemu) May 2, 2021

@LiveLawIndia @Lawctopus @UN @WHO @milindrunning @SonuSood @KumariRukshmani @pbhushan1 @BDUTT supreme of india must take suo moto action on this anchor and @ABPNews for making fun of the deaths in the country and playing with the sentiments of people on this sensitive issue.

— Shivpreet Warring (@shivpreet81) May 2, 2021

Can we just call it tasteless?

Unbelievable ! Sorry @ABPNews, this is not creative. This is highly insensitive.

महामारी के दर्द की कोई उपयोगिता नहीं हो सकती. ये तो बिल्कुल नहीं कि उससे जुड़े डरावने शब्द और उपमाएं राजनीतिक रिपोर्टिंग के काम आएं.

— Kuldeep Mishra (@kuldeepmishra) May 2, 2021

Seriously, what were they thinking?

I wonder what kind of people are getting paid to create this stupid content
Fire them.
Hire better people.

— The Night King (@Apocalyptosis) May 2, 2021

The most reprehensible news channel. Please fire the producer, director and the newscaster for their insensitive coverage. While the country is battling to breathe, they trivialise this issue in this manner. #epicfail #FacePalm

— Ryan Alan Marshall (@sportkrzyprdude) May 2, 2021

When you learn from the best PR agency which is ruling this country now, these things are normal. They'd do anything to use for their TRPs

— Broombastic (@broombastiq) May 2, 2021

True...

A brain full of filth, blinded by the greed for TRP

— Andrabi Syed Midhat #maskupplz (@AndrabiMidhat) May 2, 2021

This is actually a good plan...

Instead of just liking or retweeting your tweet can't we in large numbers report these third-class journalism to a relevant authority? @PressCouncil_IN - as a citizen of India I would like to raise my complaint against this insensitive and inhuman journalism

— Ashish (@wasp_asd) May 2, 2021

What do you guys think, did this graphics package cross a certain line that shouldn’t have been crossed? Can you think of other instances where Media Outlets went too far? Let us know in the comments below.

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