The Newshour Debate: Is invoking media rights justified? (Part 3 of 3)

Two senior editors of Zee News, Sudhir Chaudhary and Samir Ahluwalia, who were arrested for allegedly trying to extort Rs 100 crore from Congress MP Naveen Jindal's group for not broadcasting news reports on coal scam linking his firm, were on Wednesday (Nov 28) remanded in two-day police custody. The forensic labs authenticated the video proof produced by Jindal. Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) is among the companies named in the CAG report as one of the beneficiaries of the controversial coal block allocations. Jindal group in a statement said law was taking its own course and called it unfortunate that Zee TV has come out with a comment that the arrest of its editors in the case was a Black Day for the media. Delhi Police said that after the arrest of the two journalists, it has sent a notice to Zee Group promoter Subhash Chandra asking him to join investigations in connection with the case. Meanwhile, Zee News has denied all allegations levelled against the channel.

In a debate moderated by TIMES NOW's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, panelists -- Rajeev Bhadauria, Group Director, Human Resources, Jindal Steel & Power; Dr Chandan Mitra, Editor-in-Chief, The Pioneer & MP, Rajya Sabha, BJP; Pinaki Mishra, Senior Advocate; Dr Subramaniam Swamy, President, Janata Party; Alok Agarwal, CEO, Zee News; Hartosh Singh Bal, Political Editor, Open Magazine; Dibang, Senior Journalist -- discuss whether Zee News can invoke media rights in a case of alleged extortion.