The recent controversy with the media publication Newslaundry has once more opened a can of worms: the toxic work culture still prevalent in Indian newsrooms.
The sequence of events is interesting: a 2014 article victim-shaming the accuser of Tarun Tejpal, then Tejpal returning to the headlines with the Bombay High Court’s recent verdict, a decision by Newslaundry in the aftermath, and finally, former employees coming forward to question the company’s stance, particularly how it handled complaints of sexual harassment within its own workplace, and concerns of a ‘toxic’ culture.
What Is The Newslaundry Controversy?
The controversy with Newslaundry actually started when the website took down a 2014 article titled “Letter To Ms Tehelka-Assault Victim,” written by Nirupama Sekhri, sister of Newslaundry co-founder Abhinandan Sekhri. The piece had been published in the wake of the sexual assault allegations made against former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal.
The Newslaundry article, even at the time of publication, was criticised for victim-shaming and for its use of the term “bubblegum feminist.” However, chatter started once more when, in August 2026, the website took it down after the Bombay High Court convicted Tejpal earlier in the month, overturning his earlier acquittal.
Although the article has been taken down, an Editor’s Note on the article’s original URL states, “This opinion piece was originally published in 2014. In the years since, we have reflected deeply on workplace sexual harassment, consent, trauma, and the responsibility of those in positions of power.
In light of legal developments, evolving public understanding, the #MeToo movement, and the experiences of countless survivors who have come forward, we believe this piece does not meet the values that guide our journalism today, and we have decided to take the piece down.”
Sumedha Mittal, Newslaundry’s former senior correspondent, responding to a tweet about the withdrawal, wrote on August 7, 2026, “Really appreciate it. I also hope the day comes when they reflect just as seriously on the sexual harassment complaints within their own newsrooms.”
This kickstarted a wave of former employees and associates coming forward with their own comments on the company’s work culture.
Another former employee, Priya, called out Newslaundry’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) for not informing employees about changes in its operations. She wrote, “The ICC committee is taken so lightly. 2 people from the ICC committee left, but we were never informed about its reshuffling process, and who replaced these people.”
Former employee Nikita Singh also raised questions about POSH compliance and gender sensitivity in the newsroom, becoming the third ex-staffer to bring up the issue. Mittal wrote, “Third former employee has raised questions about implementation of the POSH at Newslaundry. It says a lot about their work culture.”
Priyanka Ishwari, another former employee, wrote, “Also hope they train senior journos not to scream at women editors and threaten them, saying ‘Kabse dekha raha hun mein tereko’ over work calls. Training male reporters to behave professionally around female colleagues and not make the office a boys’ locker room maybe too much to ask?”
Read More: ResearchED: Menial Chores, Stolen Thesis, Sexual Advances: Toxic Life Of PhD Scholars
What Are Other Media Professionals Revealing?
Deepansh Duggal, a journalist who has worked with Hindustan Times, NDTV and Firstpost, among others, wrote about his own experience of just how toxic these media houses can get.
In a LinkedIn post, he wrote, “The Newslaundry fiasco has once again brought the toxic work culture inside Indian newsrooms into focus. My own experience is a reminder that this problem extends far beyond one newsroom.
Circa 2021. I was working with a media house considered the ‘last bastion of independent media’ before a hostile takeover in 2022. I was on their SM desk. The environment was so toxic it made me suicidal. I started with anti-depressants.
Employees were humiliated on WA groups routinely. The pressure was so insane that we had to plan our bathroom breaks so no major news update was missed. It was like working in a sweatshop.
The CEO routinely messaged the shift heads group and berated employees who made errors, which are bound to happen when there is insane pressure to break news before the competition and be as accurate as possible. My boss at that time would message me on my off days, forcing me to pitch in at odd hours when I wasn’t marked on the roster. She would then throw a tantrum if I rightfully refused.
It was an INSANE experience working at this media house, which is supposedly liberal and meant to hold the Modi government accountable. Took me months to recover from this trauma, and ultimately, I decided to go independent. Liberal newsrooms should really practice what they preach.
They run campaigns asking for fair pay but treat their own employees like shit. I hope the esteemed filmmaker Vinay Shukla – whose documentary WHILE WE WATCHED earned the appreciation of liberals – reflects on the work culture at this place.
Perhaps take a look at Glassdoor reviews that former employees have left. What I have shared in this thread is only the tip of the iceberg. I am saving the rest for my book, if I ever get to write one. So much chatter around Newslaundry, but literally every other liberal newsroom is toxic. There are ZERO EXCEPTIONS.”
Another journalist, Hannah Abraham, in a LinkedIn post of her own, wrote, “I am simultaneously encouraged, disappointed, and unsurprised by the emerging conversations about toxic newsrooms in India.
Many people have asked me why I choose to stay freelance and not join an established Indian newsroom. Other than the obvious censorship many of these newsrooms face, the truth is this. While I dearly miss having experienced oversight and mentor relationships, it’s an easy no from me, considering what I have seen my Indian journalist colleagues go through.
One of my closest friends used to work for a prominent Bangalore-based outlet, and I watched her go through midnight edit rounds (she wasn’t on the night shift), work calls at the randomest times, and unwarranted verbal abuse and blame-shifting.
All this for measly pay and little to no work-life balance. And while this isn’t a problem unique to journalism, it is harder in journalism than most because most newsrooms carry higher risk for minimal pay and benefits.”
This is not the first time that the toxicity of Indian newsrooms has been called out. Over the years, professionals have repeatedly used social media to reveal just how bad the work culture is.
In December 2025, Reddit user @LiteratureAdept9600 wrote a post titled “Toxic bosses in Indian journalism”.
The user wrote, “There is a God-like complex that is prevalent in Indian newsrooms where they report about injustices of all kinds but are rarely kind to their own employees. It’s a toxic industry to be in overall. The Indian Express, which is known for its reportage critical of injustices of all kinds, is one of the most exploitative places.
Its health insurance for its employees is a mere Rs 50,000, which in today’s day and time is peanuts. Of course, there is the top-up option where you can opt for an extra premium amount, but that will be deducted from your own money. If you leave the company for another place and want to again come back and work for Express, you will have to come back at the same package you were originally hired for.
Within the Express group, there is The Financial Express, which has one of the most arrogant, stubborn, and moody editors-in-chief. As soon as taking over as editor, he ended the work-from-home option for staffers. This person in his previous company mandated work from office even during Covid, I have heard, and because of it a staffer actually contracted COVID.
He is moody and has a split personality. One day he wants things done a certain way. Within 6 hours (no joking), he takes a complete U-turn. Ravi Joshi, ex-editor of the Bangalore Mirror, who is known to the world outside for his quirky headlines and a maverick, bullied me when I was working under him some years ago. He hinted always that he hired me out of pity.
The ones with plum paychecks in this industry are advertisement executives, not journalists.”
Under the same thread, user @uncouths agreed with the sentiment, writing, “It’s the same in all newsrooms. I was itching to be in one, so took a shitty pay when I got the opportunity. It killed my drive, my love for journalism, my integrity, and fucked up my health in 6 months. I’m still suffering the issues that started with that experience years later.
My experience legit fucked me over so badly I still get nightmares. I don’t think we even had great insurance. Much less than yours, but it may different for on-field people.
My only saving grace was that I got out right as COVID hit. Literally, my last working day was the first week of lockdown. I soldiered on in a news-adjacent field for years before I got the opportunity to pivot to marketing.
Never going back. Journalism died in India years ago.
It’s been propaganda and hiring out content farm agencies to scrape the web and produce SEO articles. I tell any kid I see who’s bright-minded about journalism to avoid it unless they have, like, a pipeline to Reuters.”
Another user commented, “I’ve worked with one of the biggest news channels, and the rot runs from the bottom to the top. Inhumane hours, the most toxic environment where reporters are shouted at on WA chats and insulted, saying “YOU ARE USELESS”, called me 50 times when I was on way to an interview, and the desk head abused you if you quit the chat. I went through so much that I feel like crying as I type this out.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Wire, The South First, LinkedIn
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
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