It's difficult to predict results of elections, says Barkha Dutt

Hyderabad: Senior journalist Barkha Dutt on Tuesday said that it was very difficult to predict the results of elections in India.

Speaking to media persons, she said one thing she learnt with over 20 years of experience in journalism that is never to predict elections.

Barkha Dutt was in the city on the invitation of FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO),Hyderabad Chapter. She was invited to address 200 plus members of FLO Hyderabad Chapter on "Changing Nature of Indian Media".

When asked about elections in Delhi and what are predictions, she said, "It looks like Kejriwal has an advantage. People vote differently in State and General elections. On these lines also, Kejriwal seems to have an advantage, she said.

Giving her views on CAA and NRC, the veteran journalist said, "I am against putting religious filters. NRC is actually weaponising the CAA", she said 'I was on a peak of a mountain in my broadcast journalism career. Now I shifted to online space. As an online media venture, I am now building a new mountain. Many broadcast veteran journalists Karan Thapar, Vikram Chandra have shifted to this space.'

Time has come to pay to read articles on online space. Washington Post and New York Times are already doing this, Barkha shared while describing how media houses on going through financial crisis.

Speaking about electronic media in India, Barkha said, it is going through the darkest phase. The space for reporting has shrunk. Media houses are exhausted on ideas on making money to survive.

Nobody is willing to pay to watch news, she added. There is no money in the news media. The news media is in crisis now, she said.