Let’s face it – sting operations are to news what nudity is to cinema. So it is hardly a surprise that in these times when television news is a fiercely frantic TRP battle, news channels sting with alarming frequency and unbridled zest. Many sting ops, expectedly, are plain ridiculous and serve no purpose other than for making primetime news seem more like entertainment. Some stings, however, over the last decade or so, have managed to be what sting operations are supposed to be – a powerful tool of investigative journalism. Here’s a low-down on stings – executed by various news channels in India in the last couple of years – which have succeeded in revealing truths and of course skyrocketing TRPs.
