Ice Cream Politics, Black TikTok and Dainik Bhaskar...
Stand up and be counted
Media in the largest democracy in the world is not so free.
Dainik Bhaskar’s harsh criticism of the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic has irked the Modi regime. A raid on the publishing house by the income tax department this week signifies a heavy political undertone. The government vehemently denies it has nothing to do with this. The global headlines are damning: CNN’s headline: sums it up” ‘Indian tax officials raid newspaper that took on Narendra Modi over the pandemic’. For more read on: BBC, The Guardian and Al Jazeera.
For the record, democratic India is ranked a poor no: 142 in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index. Authoritarian regimes, such as Russia ranked no: 150 and China ranked no: 177 - you can decide.
'Change the Whirled'
Brands taking a stand is definitely the new ‘in-thing’ in a good way (not being facetious at all). Ice cream maker Ben and Jerry has made it their business to ‘walk the talk’ and be a good corporate citizen. New York (CNN Business) writes that the company will no longer sell ice cream in occupied Palestinian territories as it is inconsistent with the values of the socially conscious brand.
In December 2020, Ben & Jerry's unveiled a Colin Kaepernick-inspired non dairy ice cream flavor called "Change the Whirled."
For more on the company’s ethics and social stance you should take a peek at Harvard Business Review’s recent January 2021 paper. Ben and Jerry is a Unilever owned company. Unilever has stated it is committed to Israel.
Black TikTokers
Black creators on TikTok are refusing to choreograph new dances and calling out what they see as a new form of cultural appropriation on the app, cites the BBC. The hashtag #BlackTikTokStrike is being used to voice objections. Black creators say non-black influencers use their work, reaping the financial and personal gains earned from views, but fail to acknowledge or give credit to originators. TikTok has since released a statement highlighting its commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Fast Brands (Olympics)
Get to know Sha’Carri Richardson, she’s fast and a rising athlete (brand).
Failing a drugs test can be catastrophic for any athlete but especially for the fastest woman on earth. Yahoo Sports reported: “Before her dreams of competing at the Tokyo Olympics went up in smoke last week, Sha’Carri Richardson stood on the precipice of a life-changing payday”. In spite of all this, she has attracted the attention of brand sponsors intrigued by her blend of speed, style and showmanship.
Enjoy Tokyo this weekend, it won’t be quite the same but nothing is the same right now!