After firing Shobha, Republic Network bans airing PR content for its Kannada vertical

Bengaluru

After firing Republic Kannada Editor Shobha Malavalli, the Republic Media Network (RMN) has issued fresh guidelines for its Kannada channel, including a ban on Public Relations (PR) content of all kinds. This development comes after Malavalli interviewed MLA Gali Janardhan Reddy, former minister Sri Ramulu, and Reddy’s wife.

The internal communication outlining fresh guidelines places a strong emphasis on editorial integrity, with a complete ban on political public relations content. The communication explicitly prohibits any form of PR coverage, whether packaged as wraps, speed segments, or standalone stories. This message was circulated among all all the employees. The blrpost.com has seen this message.

Additionally, the channel will no longer cover employees or their family members in social or conflict-related situations, drawing a firm line between personal and professional boundaries. Editorial meetings are to be held only within the newsroom and must include all departments, reinforcing transparency and collective accountability.

The editorial and operational directives are aimed at tightening control, restoring discipline, and reinforcing ethical standards within Republic Kannada, now under the editorial oversight of Niranjan. The instructions make it clear that key editorial decisions, particularly those related to the Fixed Point Chart (FPC), including daily planning, will no longer be made independently.

Any changes to the FPC will require prior approval from senior leadership, with Taiba’s clearance being mandatory and oversight ensured by keeping the leadership looped in at all times. The role of the Editor on air has also been restricted, with explicit approval required before any on-air appearance, signalling a recalibration of authority and visibility.

The reshuffle of responsibilities is another major aspect of the directive. Nagendra has been asked to immediately return from his ongoing shoot and assume charge of the Input desk, a decision that had been made earlier but is now being enforced. Nikhil will report directly to him.

On the Output side, Sadashiv has been appointed Acting Output Head for the second shift, while Balakrishna has been moved to the morning shift with immediate effect. These changes indicate an effort to stabilise newsroom operations and clearly define reporting structures.

The message also centralises administrative control, stating that all hiring and firing decisions will require approval from the Delhi HR team, with consultation at the highest level. Personal visitors from outside the organisation are barred without prior approval. The communication concludes by underlining that adherence to the highest standards of integrity is non-negotiable, setting a clear tone for the newsroom’s functioning going forward.

How Arnab Goswamy fired Malavalli

Top sources in RMN said on Thursday night Arnab phoned Malavalli and asked why she interviewed Reddy’s wife Aruna Lakshmi. He specifically questioned, “what was the message you (Shobha) wanted to convey by interviewing Lakshmi.”

Besides, he said while it falls well within journalistic standards to interview Reddy and Ramulu, their opponent MLA Nara Bharath Reddy was not given an opportunity to speak. Sources said Malavalli barely had answers. Arnab also took a conference call with the editorial team before directing Malavalli to move out of the network.