The traditional media should thank the World Wide Web for being there. There are only so many pages in a newspaper and only so many slots in a television bulletin; it’s hardly possible to fit in every story, every angle, every idea, every opinion, least of all introspection that emerges. Indeed, what’s more important - breaking news or talking heads deliberating yet again on ‘Morality and Media... Will the twain ever meet?’
But that’s not a problem with dotcoms. Write reams on how the media is getting snared by societal corruption and you will see almost all making it to the Net. I came across a blog by no less than a Bidar-based principal correspondent in a known and respected South-based English national daily... I don’t want to name the blogspot nor the gentlemen. My column is not to malign anyone, but to highlight issues at hand. His entry dated March 25, 2011 -- apparently this was his speech at a symposium on ‘Deepening Moral Crisis and Solutions’ in Bangalore -- says media houses can understand their duty to explain events and phenomena simply by:
• Deliberate use of plain language.
• Reducing pressure of the advertiser on media houses and attracting talent to the industry
• Preventing obsession with medicine and engineering among middle class parents
• Allowing intelligent, research-minded young men and women to improve the quality of writing
• Media houses should be made resource centres by encouraging research and reducing the pressure of the deadline and letting writers chase stories in the fields of their passion
Are you joking, mister? Were you dreaming when Indian journalism saw a sea-change around the Eighties? Don’t you know that simple language has been so simplified that even the vernacular Press uses some form of Hinglish, Binglish, Tinglish, Kinglish or other, for their audiences’ sake? Haven’t you realized that reports are now concise, precise, glib and plainly written? Haven’t you heard of editors such as MJ Akbar and Shekhar Gupta, and how they beautifully craft simple but impactful sentences? Haven’t you heard of the likes of Raghav Bahl and Raj Kamal Jha, who are engineers-turned-journalists or of Sandipan Deb, the journalist from IIM-A? I guess I sound miffed. I am. Not by the journalist baselessly opiniating, but because the profession is losing its sheen because of such ridiculousness and misdirected energy. Indeed, journalism is a victim of itself. Once, parents wanted their kids to be doctors and engineers. Then they wanted them to become business administrators, chartered accountants and IT professionals. Today, in a freer world, where kids have a say in their choice of career, most want to become journalists because of the unbridled power – and under-table money – the profession can give.
I guess I am going to invite brickbats from the fraternity for daring to malign the Fourth Estate. But decide for yourselves. The 2G Scam and the Coalgate Scam put noted journalists under the scanner; and allegations of unholy nexuses against members of the Press are not new. It is known that Dhirubhai Ambani tried to influence the media. Hamish McDonald, author of the book Ambani and Sons, writes that the ‘Polyester Prince’ cultivated the “metropolitan Press with envelopes containing vouchers for his Vimal brand of polyester materials”, while senior journalists, including Girilal Jain, then editor of the Times of India, were ‘won over’ with Reliance shares or debentures at par.
Today, Ambani’s son Mukesh takes the corporate-hand-in-media factor a step further. After rumours of Reliance money either having helped this national TV channel survive or that national newspaper weather the global financial slowdown, it was no surprise that in January, Reliance Industries announced a major investment in the TV18 group, which funded a consolidation with the Eenadu TV media group.
One can understand such forays. But in a media landscape where there are 700 TV channels and 72,000 publications, the fraternity is sceptic about the question mark put on objective, transparent and unbiased reporting. According to an article in the Business Standard, “More than a third of news channels are owned by politicians or politically-affiliated builders. An estimated 60% of cable distribution systems are owned by local politicians. These have influenced and funded several local elections. There are dozens of small and big newspapers owned by politicians or their family members that influence polls. Many newspaper chains with political affiliations also own broadcast networks. Most now have Internet portals.”
One can understand the leanings of mouthpieces like the CPM’s Ganashakti, Shiv Sena’s Saamna, BJP’s Kamal Sandesh, Congress’ Sandesh and RSS’s Panchajanya. One can also understand it if individual journalists have their own leanings. There is some degree of transparency there. Such journalists would be coloured in their views, sometimes misleading too, but then the source of information is identified. To authenticate that information is our responsibility.
But as R. Jagannathan says in firstpost. com, “Given the poor profitability of many genuine media groups, it is crooks, smugglers, politicians and moneylaunderers who have turned out to be the biggest owners of media houses”. They are to be feared.
the solution in a situation where the traditional media increasingly feels the competitive heat from new entrants and New Media, rising infrastructural and newsprint costs, and an over-populated industry? Whatever it is, it certainly cannot be -- as Jagannathan says -- at the cost of allowing crony capitalism and tainted money in the media. Ethics is about initiating good journalism, rather than giving up and joining the flock.
Not enough that the Indian Print media survived the global financial crunch while the Chicago Tribunes of the world packed up. One needs to innovate, not merely jump on to the Net bandwagon, as most are doing. The CSR industry did not die with slowdown. There’s a learning there. How about newspaper and magazine apps, for one?
Good that the likes of Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal came along. At least, we have a will to fight corruption. And, media friends, hope you, as conduits for news, will instill that will in your industry too.
Feedback: abatra@exchange4media.com
