Zoo story

The spectre of paid news never seems to disappear and a recent event involving the Kanpur zoo showed why. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav held a video-conference from his 5, Kalidas Marg residence in Lucknow to announce the inauguration of a toy train in the zoo. During his address, he invited journalists to visit the zoo to ride the toy train, and even asked his officials to arrange passes for them. No sooner had the conference ended than some journalists could be seen haggling with the media co-ordinator of the ruling Samajwadi Party for passes. Journalists, it seems, still love their freebies.