ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the relationship between media and scandal in India—analyzes both the underlying imperatives and practices associated with this type of coverage and addresses the implications of this development for the country’s news landscape. It seeks to make the case that, although some initial as well as a few contemporary stings no doubt highlight issues relevant to the public interest, television stings in India have increasingly emerged as an innovation employed by outlets to present sensationalized information primarily aimed at attracting viewers. From a journalistic perspective however, Indian television’s focus on scandal is not only of comparatively recent vintage, but also represents a sharp disjuncture in terms of the practices that traditionally defined Indian television news. Compared to traditional investigative reporting, the majority of stings carried out by Indian news channels are relatively simple, typically involving little more than the placement of concealed cameras.
