News Broadcasting
CNN suspends political analyst Martin for anti-gay tweets
MUMBAI: CNN has suspended its political analyst Roland Martin three days after he posted Twitter messages that were said to be anti-gay.
“Roland Martin’s tweets were regrettable and offensive,” the cable news channel said in a statement. “Language that demeans is inconsistent with the values and culture of our organization, and is not tolerated. We have been giving careful consideration to this matter, and Roland will not be appearing on our air for the time being,” it read.
In one of his many Tweets,Martin had said that if a “dude at your Super Bowl party is hyped about David Beckham’s H&M underwear ad, he should be smacked.” In another message he made a similar statement about a football fan wearing a “head to toe pink suit” on TV.
After angry comments from online readers about the Beckham remark started pouring in, he defended himself by saying that he was mocking soccer players and not gay people.“I was not referring to sexuality directly or indirectly regarding the David Beckham ad, and I’m sorry folks took it otherwise,” he wrote.
Later on Monday, Martin issued a longer statement late Monday night that Erik Wemple of The Washington Post said was “old hogwash.”
By then, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation had highlighted other comments by Martin and insisted that he be fired from CNN.
The next day, CNN indicated that no punishment was forthcoming as Martin had apologized in a statement and noted that the original comments were made on Twitter and not the television network. “For the moment we’re letting him apologize and we’re hoping that people will understand that he is sorry for what he said.”
Along with him regularly appearing on CNN, Martin is the host of “Washington Watch,” a weekly broadcast on cable channel TV One.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
