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At the June 9, 2024, Peabody ceremony, journalist Ravish Kumar used his acceptance remarks for While We Watched to argue that journalism’s conduct matters to democracy. He condemned news that spreads hate and lies, incites mob violence, or cheers on government—and closed by asking people to support journalism.
What Ravish Kumar said in his Peabody speech
The Wire reported Kumar’s warning this way: “When a journalist becomes spreader of hate and lies, instigator of mob lynching, a cheerleader for the government, [they] become an instrument to kill democracy.”
His point was not simply that individual journalists can make mistakes. He argued that when news channels repeatedly spread hatred and falsehoods, encourage violence, or act as government cheerleaders, their conduct can damage both democratic life and humanity.
Kumar ended with a direct appeal: “Whenever you get the chance, please do support journalism. You will get a good democracy. Thank you.” The quoted wording is reproduced by The Wire’s account of the ceremony. Peabody’s award profile links to the acceptance speech video; its reviewed text does not provide a full transcript.
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Why Kumar connected journalism with democracy
Kumar’s appeal rests on a simple relationship: journalism helps people understand public events, while hate, lies, and incitement can undermine that role. In his view, media that serves as a government cheerleader does not merely fail to scrutinize power; it can become an instrument that harms democracy.
His closing request to support journalism follows from that argument. He presents support for journalism as one way to sustain the conditions for a “good democracy,” rather than as a request to endorse a particular news outlet or political position.
The documentary behind the award
The speech accompanied recognition for While We Watched, directed by Vinay Shukla and focused on Kumar. Peabody lists the film as a 2023 winner. Its profile describes a two-year period in which Kumar tries to preserve journalistic integrity and fact-based reporting amid personal threats, falling NDTV ratings, funding cuts, staff losses, and declining public confidence.
Peabody characterizes the film as a defense of independent journalism and a portrait of everyday courage. The speech’s wider argument about journalism and democracy is related to that film, but it is distinct from the documentary’s account of Kumar’s professional circumstances.
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2023 award, 2024 ceremony
The award year and the date of Kumar’s remarks are different: While We Watched is listed as a 2023 Peabody winner, while Kumar delivered his acceptance remarks at the ceremony on June 9, 2024. Scroll’s June 21, 2024, report also identifies the film as the 2023 Peabody best documentary film winner. The Wire reports that Kumar spoke at the ceremony in Los Angeles.
This is not Kumar’s 2019 Ramon Magsaysay acceptance speech. Peabody’s ceremony archive separately dates its 78th annual ceremony to May 18, 2019.
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Sources and quotation context
- Peabody Awards: POV: While We Watched — award profile and acceptance-speech video entry.
- Scroll.in, June 21, 2024 — report on the speech and award.
- The Wire, June 21, 2024 — report reproducing the quoted remarks.
- Peabody ceremony archive — ceremony history.
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