The CSHF lamented that it is a sheer manipulation of public opinion that had severely breached the basic norms and ethics of media coverage. This is nothing more than a desperate attempt from the YSR Congress to drum up its tainted and sagging image through a paid up coverage with dressed up facts, it added.

It said that after making a hue and cry against his arrest, Jaganmohan Reddy, the son of the former Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, who invented many an innovative methods to loot public money, is now cooling his heels at the tranquil solitude of the special class accommodation, by virtue of his 'VIP’ status. It pointed out that he and his cohorts are still in the belief that 'we have done what we thought was correct', and they have the privilege of immunity from every system, that was safeguarding the basic tenets of our country.

CSHF also pointed out that the much-celebrated news channel NDTV and its business are facing an uncertain future. Its TV ratings are plummenting and financial performance is taking a beating. They were compelled to go through such a gimmick, to extract financial favours from Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy, to declare him as the future Chief Minister.

It alleged, that a consulting agreement was already existing with Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy’s Sakshi group and NDTV news channel. There is an allegation that the Sakshi group has paid a sum of Rs 30 crore to NDTV for its surveys and findings, that falsely elevated the YSRCP and its tainted leader to the number one slot. Surprisingly, NDTV is currently fighting a bitter legal battle in New York Supreme Court, against global marketing giant WPP and its associate companies. These firms had exposed the manipulative tactics and the current state of affairs that NDTV is facing.

CSHFcentral committee general secretary K Ravi Kumar expressed severe concern about these state of affairs in our media houses. The creeping corruption and cronyism has created an annoying situation, which has severely affected the credibility of Indian news channels, he added.

He requested the Editors Guild of India and the News Broadcasters Association of India, take urgent steps to control the erring news channels. He said that it is very important to safeguard one's public opinion and polity from such unscrupulous opinion makers by accepting huge moolahs and misleading the public with fabricated reports, through their cynical findings with modicum truth. Stating that such propaganda gimmicks are not serving any real political or social cause, he said “Freedom of Expression, like all other freedom, also has the need for reasonable restrictions.”