Journalist Palki Sharma Opens Up - UNPOPULAR Opinions Of India & The World | The Ranveer Show 290

Journalist Palki Sharma's perspective on media narratives

• Palki Sharma emphasizes that those who criticize and label journalists are just a small part of India

• She believes that these individuals should not receive undue attention or influence

"People do categorize you... but I also look at the audience that is watching me. I also look at the trend in which this country is voting and how they are not India. They are just a very, very small part of India, as I am. As you are. So they should not be, or in my mind, they should not be getting undue attention or influence."

Palki Sharma's preparation for challenging interviews

• Palki Sharma describes her interview with Pervez Musharraf, emphasizing the importance of being prepared with facts and counterarguments

• She shares that she would anticipate his responses and plan her counters accordingly

"So you don't want to be caught out on facts. You want to be prepared with everything. If he says this, this should be my counter. If he says this, then this is what I should come back to him with."

Palki Sharma's thoughts on media representation and responsibility

• Palki Sharma believes that journalists have a greater responsibility as the "fourth pillar" of democracy

• She acknowledges that storytelling is a common thread between journalists and content creators

• Palki Sharma suggests that the audience no longer distinguishes between different forms of content, such as news and entertainment

"But I think as journalists, we tend to think of ourselves as, I know, how should I put it? That we have more responsibility, I think, right? And we are scrutinized more because we are supposed to be serving a purpose... That weight of narrative creation."

Palki Sharma on being labeled by the audience

• Palki Sharma acknowledges that she has been labeled and categorized by the audience

• She recognizes that social media platforms like Twitter provide a platform for a handful of people to have a disproportionate representation

• Palki Sharma believes that the opinions of this small group do not reflect the views of the entire country

"But yes, people do categorize you. People do label you. We are in a world where people are always boxed into these different segments, whether or not they think they belong there... There's just a handful of people who get disproportionate representation in the opinion making space and think that what they are saying is what the country is thinking."

Trolls and Criticism

• Trolls often criticize content creators from a place of failure.

• Don't waste time and mental energy on negative voices.

• Constructive criticism is important, but be mindful of the kind of criticism you receive.

"A lot of the intense trolls are failed content creators."

Bias in Journalism

• Journalists have opinions and biases like any individual.

• Unbiased journalism doesn't necessarily mean credible journalism.

• The decision of what is important and what should be known is subjective and reflects bias.

• Honesty is necessary in journalism to build trust with the audience.

"Journalists, like all individuals, have opinions... only unbiased journalism is credible journalism is not exactly right."

Change from Bothsidism to Transparent Opinions

• Media used to practice bothsidism, where both sides of the story were presented equally.

• This approach aimed to not upset any side and attract a wide audience.

• Transparent opinions are now more honest and credible.

• Journalists lay out the facts and present their own perspectives.

"You lay the facts out on the table, and I think it's a more honest approach."

Relationships and Interviews

• Journalists have relationships with interviewees.

• Interviewees often want to have a say in the questions and the editing process.

• The decision to accept or reject these conditions is based on journalistic integrity.

• Maintaining a professional distance and asking tough questions is important.

"Relationships lead to interviews... I should be able to ask you the questions."

Challenges and Tense Interviews

• Interviewing Pervez Musharraf was one of the most challenging interviews.

• Extensive preparation was required due to his knowledge and experience in the subject.

• Being prepared with counterarguments and facts is necessary to avoid being caught off guard.

• Judgment and pressure are present in sensitive interviews like India-Pakistan relations.

"One of the most challenging interviews that I did was with Pervez Musharraf."

Interview Dynamics

• The dynamics at play during interviews can be difficult for viewers to understand.

"You have to think of a lot of things."

Preparation for Interviews

• Palki Sharma prepares extensively before interviews to ensure she is well-equipped to engage with the interviewee.

• She likes to have pen, numbers, data, and a solid comeback ready if necessary.

"I tend to prepare. I don't like going into anything unprepared... I want to have a credible, solid comeback."

Getting to Know the Interviewee

• Through interviews that last for about an hour, Palki Sharma gets to know the interviewee's energy and who they are as a person.

• This is one of the aspects that make podcasts interesting.

"When you interview someone over an hour or so, you get to know about the person's energy, who it is as a human being... And I think that's a trip of podcasts."

Pervez Musharraf's Personality

• Palki Sharma describes Pervez Musharraf as a man who is incredibly full of himself.

• Despite living in exile and facing legal cases, he maintained a strong belief in himself and his abilities.

"He was a man who was really full of himself, like, incredible... And I mean, really, what are you smoking?"

World Leaders and Their Bubbles

• Palki Sharma acknowledges that many world leaders are stuck in a bubble, where everything revolves around them.

• However, she also mentions that she has encountered humble leaders who have a sense of humor and are well-read.

"I've met some very humble leaders as well, who have self-deprecating humor... they don't think that the world revolves around them."

China's Geopolitical Situation

• Palki Sharma expresses concern about China's current political climate under Xi Jinping's leadership.

• She describes Xi Jinping as irrational, erratic, and unpredictable, with complete control over important bodies within the Chinese government.

"He controls every important body, political, military, or economic... and he's irrational, erratic, unpredictable."

China's Economic Dependence

• Palki Sharma highlights China's dependence on exporting to the world and how diversification of supplies could impact their future.

• She suggests that if countries significantly reduce their reliance on importing from China, it could put China in a precarious situation.

"And if countries consciously and in very large numbers stop buying from China and truly diversify their supplies, then how are they going to redeem themselves? So they are in a very, very precarious situation right now."

Palki Sharma's Experience in China

• Palki Sharma confirms that she has been to China, specifically Wuhan.

• She describes the city as beautiful and the people as friendly, but also notes the strict control and need for permits there.

"I saw the people, they were very friendly... We faced the struggles that we face in countries like China while reporting there."

Palki Sharma's Discovery of the Wuhan Virus

• Palki Sharma mentions that in December 2019, someone on her team informed her about a disease spreading in China.

• They initially found the story questionable, but upon deeper investigation, they uncovered issues that the world was not discussing.

• Palki Sharma emphasizes that she and her team did not have an anti-China agenda; they stumbled upon the story and felt the need to dig deeper.

"And because I had seen that city, and to see images of Wuhan locked up and people standing in queues in hazmat suits, students not getting what they wanted was a bit jarring for me... We investigated and went deeper and deeper, and we found that there's a lot of problem here that the world is not talking about."

Palki Sharma's Questions for China

• Palki Sharma raises several questions for China regarding the handling of the virus.

• She wonders why the Chinese government did not do enough to warn the world.

• Palki Sharma questions why China has not allowed an investigation and why they destroyed data samples.

"Why have you destroyed data samples? Why have you not given access to that laboratory? What are you hiding if you have nothing to hide?"

Palki Sharma's Lack of Proof

• Palki Sharma acknowledges that she does not have proof regarding China's actions.

• However, she believes that there should be transparency and a thorough investigation to understand why the world went through the pandemic.

"I don't know if it's a bioweapon. All I'm saying is that the virus spread and the Chinese government did not do enough to warn the world... But the least I deserve and you deserve, and everyone else in this room deserves is to know why we went through that horror for two years."

Palki Sharma's Criticism of Meeting with China

• Palki Sharma expresses her dissatisfaction with how world leaders have met with China and seemingly brushed aside the issues surrounding the virus.

• She believes it is not okay to let someone responsible for the pandemic off the hook without understanding the truth.

"How can we let someone get away with this and call him to meetings and shake hands with him and say everything is okay? It's not okay with me."

Palki Sharma's Perspective on Powerful People

• Palki Sharma admits that some powerful people may get angry with her for her opinions.

• She mentions that there have been complaints, but if no one is upset or offended, then she would just be doing public relations.

"I think if no one's upset and offended, then you're only doing PR."

Palki Sharma's Views on Complaints

• Palki Sharma explains that she and her team course correct if complaints have merit.

• However, many times the complaints are baseless, and they stand by their stories.

• She shares an example of receiving letters from the Palm Oil Association when she reported on the harmful effects of palm oil, but they remained firm in their stance.

"We may not like our story, but it's a story... But we stand by our story."

Palki Sharma's Concerns about China

• Palki Sharma believes there is a real risk of war with Taiwan, as China wants to replicate what they did with Hong Kong.

• She notes that China's expansionist agenda is continuing, albeit with changing diplomatic tactics.

• Palki Sharma finds the situation on the border with India unresolved and highlights the challenges of having China as the biggest trading partner.

"I think there's a real risk of war with Taiwan... I don't see the Chinese political thinking shifting significantly... Atmanirbhar Bharat is actually a strong geopolitical move... It'll take time."

Palki Sharma's Perspective on Pakistan

• Palki Sharma describes Pakistan as a perpetual nuisance.

"Pakistan is a perpetual nuisance is how I put it."

US-Pakistan Relationship

• The traditional support base of Pakistan has been the US

• Currently, Prime Minister Modi is going on a state visit to the US, indicating a strong partnership

• The US has promoted Pakistan in order to keep India in check

• However, the source of money for Pakistan is drying up, and they are now dependent on China

"For the longest time, the Americans kept India in play, but also kept India in check."

The Challenges for Pakistan

• Pakistan is facing a serious security challenge with the behavior of the Taliban and the unrest in various regions

• The economy is on the brink of collapse and the source of money is drying up

• Pakistan's support from countries in West Asia is diminishing due to India's strengthening relationships

"It's like the perfect storm that Pakistan is going through."

Future of Pakistan

• Pakistan is moving closer to China, which poses a challenge for the West

• The world wants to make sure Pakistan doesn't become another North Korea or Afghanistan

• The country may break up due to tensions and fault lines

"It may break up, for all we know. The country may break up. There's just too much tension and the fault lines are really beginning to show."

Geopolitical commentary on the USA

• The US is a fabulous country with great places to eat, lovely weather, and interesting people. However, there are obvious problems, such as the high rate of gun violence and the denial of women's rights to abortion.

• The US is taking a step backward by denying women the right to abort an unwanted baby, which is a basic right on their own bodies. This policy is regressive and reminiscent of the Stone Ages.

• The source of this anti-abortion sentiment in the US is primarily politics, driven by Republicans and pro-life advocates.

"A woman is already a life form, and by forcing a baby on her, you are ruining one life and potentially the life of the child who is going to be an unwanted child into this world."

US soft power and hard power

• The US has immense soft power due to its tech innovations, moral high ground posturing, and strong influence through institutions like NASA.

• However, the US also has a skewed understanding of the sensibilities of other parts of the world and tends to dictate how the world should be run. This double standard is eroding their superpower status.

"How can you lecture other people on rights of minorities when blacks are suffering in your country? Now the whole world is looking for an alternative narrative and for spaces where you can say these things and say them openly."

Americans' lack of awareness of the world

• Many Americans are focused on their own problems and politics, which prevents them from having a broader worldview. European counterparts tend to be more aware of global affairs.

• Cultural shifts are difficult to achieve, so it is unlikely that Americans will change their focus from domestic issues to international affairs.

"I think there's a clear trend that people in developed countries tend to look inwards and are not interested in what may be happening elsewhere. Whereas people in the developing world, like an average Indian, is any day more aware of not just the local and national politics, but also international affairs compared to an average American."

Trusting intuition and data

• Trusting a combination of intuition and data is more valuable than being completely data-driven.

• Making decisions based solely on data can lead to a robotic result lacking the creativity and human touch necessary for the best possible outcomes.

• Leaders who stand out are those who process data and trends while also incorporating their own intuition, gut feeling, conviction, and risk-taking appetite.

• This nuance is crucial and cannot be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI).

"I'm not saying that you can base your decisions on only intuition, but what makes a leader stand out is how he processes the data and the trends and the feedback, and what of himself or herself he puts into that."

Importance of taking risks

• Many students around the world study the same subjects and case studies, yet only a few become successful CEOs and industry leaders.

• This is because those few individuals are willing to take risks.

• Steve Jobs is a great example of someone who took a risk and changed the music consumption industry with the creation of the iPod.

• Without the willingness to take risks, nothing new can be created.

"If we don't take risks, if we don't say, okay, while all of this does not add up, let's give it a shot because we won't know what it will be, if we don't, then you're not making anything new. And this is what AI can never replace, this nuance."

Conclusion and future recommendations

• Ranveer expresses his gratitude for having journalist Palki Sharma Upadhyay on the show.

• He recognizes the need to learn more about the world and engage in high-level conversations with journalists.

• Ranveer asks for suggestions from his audience regarding other journalists they would like to see on The Ranveer Show and the topics they would like them to speak about.

"I'd like to know from you guys in the comment section, who else you'd like to see on The Ranveer Show? Please drop your comments. Tell us, especially from the world of journalism, whose opinions would you like to listen to and what topics would you like those journalists to speak about? We will listen to you folks about guest recommendations."

"There's another intensely good Geopolitics podcast that's coming up pretty soon. Make sure you look out for that one. It's Sanjeev Sanyal. Oops, did I say that? I guess I said that there's a lot of incredible guests that are coming up on The Ranveer Show."

Excitement for future episodes

• Ranveer expresses his excitement for upcoming episodes of The Ranveer Show.

• He mentions that there are incredible guests lined up and encourages listeners to download his meditation app, Level, to prepare their minds for absorbing knowledge.

• Ranveer also encourages listeners to follow the show on Spotify, where episodes are available 48 hours before they are released on other platforms.

"All I'll say is download my meditation app Level from the App Store, the Play Store, to get your mind ready to absorb some incredible knowledge. But also follow us on Spotify. Every episode of TRS is live on Spotify 48 hours before it's live on any other platform. We are just getting started, even though it's episode number 400. Maybe I don't understand mathematics or maybe I'm just a serial optimist."