“Essays on Media and Indian Muslims,” is ready for launch

 “Essays on Media and Indian Muslims” is ready for launch

Adam Rizvi from NYC 

Author Syed Ali Mujtaba has completed the first draft of his new book, “Essays on Media and Indian Muslims: Journalism, Nationalism, Sensationalism.”  This is his seventh book by the author and it is in the revision stage.

The book critically examines how Indian media has portrayed Muslims, especially since 2014.  Indian Muslims are at the receiving end of the media’s hyperbolic stories that make no sense to them. The stories that are told about Indian Muslims have little to do with journalism and more to promote Hindu nationalism with a slice of sensationalism.

The book underlines the fact that media bias and misinformation about Muslims have fueled Islamophobia and bolstered Hindu nationalist narratives, often at the cost of democracy and secularism.

The book argues that the Muslim stories that are told in the media have gone beyond the control of media professionals. The managers of the media house or the government’s public information bureau shape the spin of the news on Muslims.

An example is a headline: 'Tabligi Jmmat members were found dancing naked in front of female nurses with their pants on!'   Alt News reported that some viral videos circulating on social media alongside these claims were old, unrelated footage from outside India rather than authentic videos from the Ghaziabad hospital ward where Tabligi members were quarantined.

The book aims to expose ownership patterns, ideological leanings, and government influence shaping news on Muslims.  The book argues that a well-thought-out project to build negative public opinion against Muslims is clandestinely being operationalized in Hindutva laboratories that are messaged through the Indian media. The book exposes the vicious nexus between the government and the media proprietors that are hand in glove to rupture the pluralistic character of the Indian Civilization.

The effort of the book is to unmask the true face of the Indian media’s biases towards Indian Muslims under the benign protection of the BJP rule. The aim is to build public support for trustworthy media that can play a stellar role in protecting the constitutional guarantees given to India's minorities.

 Ultimately, the book seeks to build awareness and push for trustworthy journalism that safeguards minority rights and strengthens Indian democracy.

The book comprises twelve chapters, and each has more than five essays underneath. Each essay is short, swift, and an easy read. The titles of the chapters are as follows:

Chapter – 1: Understanding the Grammar of Indian Media

Chapter – 2: The Economics of the Indian Media Industry

Chapter 3: Media Laws and the Indian Constitution

Chapter 4- Health of Press Freedom in India

Chapter 5- News Coverage of Muslims in Indian Media

Chapter 6 – Media and Hindu Nationalism

Chapter -7 – Indian Media under the Modi Rule

Chapter -8- Indian Media is a Fake News Factory

Chapter – 9- Indian Media plagued by sensational news

Chapter 10– Agenda Setting, Hate Mongering and Indian Media

Chapter -11- How Bollywood Treats Indian Muslims

Chapter 12- Who will Bell the Media Cat in India

The highlight of the book is the Foreword written by Jawhar Sircar (IAS Rtd) titled “Media Playing Medieval Game with 21st Century Ammunition.” Sircar has served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Prasar Bharati - Doordarshan & Akashvani, from 2012 to 2016. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) in the Rajya Sabha from August 2021 to September 2024, representing the All India Trinamool Congress.  He is a prominent intellectual of India and writes for several prominent English publications. Sircar is based in Kolkata.

The Prologue is written by veteran journalist John Dayal, titled “The Argument of Silence.” Dr Dayal has been in the field of journalism for more than 57 years.  He calls himself a documenter of the people on the margins. He is a social activist seeking intervention in the narrative through the Supreme Court and the National Integration Council of ghettos, of which he was a Member from 2004-14.  He was National President of the 107-year-old All India Catholic Union from 2004-08. He is a member of “Karwan-e-Mohabbat”, founded by Harsh Mander (IAS) for a decade or more. Dr Dayal has travelled extensively “throughout the heart of a wounded India.” During the five decades as a journalist, Dayal has extensively written about life in India that seems not to have changed even with the passage of time. He is based in Delhi.

The title of the Epilogue is “Citizens Made Strangers,” penned by Anand Teltumbde, who is a leading public intellectual, author, and civil rights activist. He is an internationally renowned scholar and a leading public intellectual in India. He has written extensively on Dalit rights and the anti-caste movement in India. He is a regular contributor to many high-profile English publications. His essays are widely translated into many Indian regional languages.  He is currently the General Secretary of the Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR). He is also associated with the All India Forum for Rights to Education (AIFRTE).

The author Syed Ali Mujtaba is a Ph.D. holder based in Chennai. He is a recipient of the Jefferson Media Fellowship from the East- West Centre, Hawaii, in 2003. His career spans print, electronic, and web media. He started as a cub reporter and rose to the ranks of Assistant Editor. He was the Chennai correspondent for CVC Radio Australia and Mizzima TV, Bangkok. He currently does a weekly show on Media Star world with over 50,000 viewers. He has made two documentary films, 'Beyond Empires', an international project, and Making a Difference ' on street children of Chennai. He writes for several websites and print publications in India and abroad.

So far, Dr. Mujtaba has authored Six Books: Indian Muslims Tryst with Democracy – Challenges and Opportunities (2025), Changing Nature of Indian State ( 2023), Post Truth India – The Brand New Republic (2022), India’s Eastward Thrusts–Predicaments and Prospects (2019), “Soundings on South Asia” (2005), and “The Demand for Partition of India” (2002)

Syed Mujtaba has received MPhil and Ph.D. degrees from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. His Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees are from Aligarh Muslim University. He has a Master’s degree in Journalism from Alagappa University, Tamil Nadu.

Dr. Mujtaba currently teaches at the Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, Chennai. He is a member of several professional organizations. He has travelled to several Asian, US and European cities. During his days at Aligarh, he played for the AMU football team. He is based in Chennai.

In summary, the famous quote of Malcolm X comes to mind. He is reported to have said, “The media has immense power to shape public opinion- the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent". Malcolm X is often regarded as one of the most influential and powerful leaders in U.S. history

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 Adam Rizvi is the editor of "The Indian Observer," a web publication from New York City.