Ravish Kumar resigned from NDTV India with immediate effect on 30 November 2022. In his farewell speech, he warned that journalism was being damaged by its alignment with powerful interests, but he also thanked colleagues and argued that audiences have a role in keeping journalism and democracy alive. The resignation came amid a consequential change in NDTV’s ownership; that timing is important context, but it does not by itself establish Kumar’s motive.
What happened before Ravish Kumar’s resignation?
Kumar was NDTV India’s senior executive editor when he submitted his resignation on Wednesday, 30 November 2022, with immediate effect, according to The Indian Express. The departure followed a major ownership development: a day earlier, Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy had resigned as directors of NDTV promoter RRPR Holding. The Adani Group’s open offer for an additional 26% stake in NDTV had begun on 22 November and was scheduled to end on 5 December.
Reuters Institute described Kumar’s announcement as coming after news that Gautam Adani was on the verge of taking over NDTV. These events establish the setting and sequence, not a definitive explanation of Kumar’s personal reasons for leaving.
What did Kumar say in his farewell speech?
Kumar’s central argument was that journalism in India had entered what he called a “dark age.” He said there had never been a golden age, but that the condition of journalism had become exceptionally bad and ethical journalism was being rapidly destroyed. The Reuters Institute’s 1 December 2022 publication presents an English translation of his speech, abridged for brevity and clarity.
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In that translated text, Kumar says: “There was never a golden age in Indian journalism. But it was never as bad as it is today.” He also describes the media ecosystem as “gutted and destroyed.” These are Kumar’s judgments and rhetoric, not independently measured findings about every news outlet or journalist.
He warned viewers to be sceptical of people who claim to practise good journalism while aligning themselves with the powerful. Scroll’s report used the phrase “godi media” in its subheading and framed the speech as a call to fight what it described as the “slavery” of that media. The phrase appears in the reporting’s framing; it should not be treated as a neutral label or as a precise translation established by the sources.
Why did he connect journalism with its audience?
The speech was also a farewell to colleagues and an account of how Kumar’s journalism developed. He joined NDTV in 1996 as a translator. He recalled reading handwritten letters from viewers and turning them into reports for programme producers. His programmes included Ravish ki Report, Des Ki Baat, Prime Time with Ravish and, as The Indian Express also lists, Hum Log.
Kumar credited NDTV’s work to a team rather than to one presenter, and described conversations with viewers as an influence on his reporting. He said journalists should carry people’s voices to those in power. In the translated speech, he put it this way: “Journalists are meant to be the medium that takes your voice to the highest levels.”
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That idea shaped his appeal to the audience: viewers were not merely consumers of news, but participants whose questions and civic action could help sustain public-interest journalism. He credited citizen activism with keeping democracy alive.
What did Kumar ask viewers to do after he left NDTV?
In his post-resignation message, Kumar urged audiences to keep supporting journalists who question those in power. He said his work would continue through a new YouTube channel and Facebook page, and told viewers that their support had helped make him. The Indian Express reported that message on 1 December 2022: Kumar’s post-resignation message to viewers.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to read the surviving text of the speech
The Reuters Institute page is not a complete verbatim transcript: it identifies its text as a translation abridged for brevity and clarity. Its quotations therefore reflect the English translation, not necessarily the exact wording or cadence of the original-language speech. For longer quotations or wording in the original language, consult the linked speech rather than extending the translated excerpts. The Institute’s transcript and context are available at Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism; Scroll’s report is at Scroll.in.
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