Is the media losing credibility?
Before asking for a clean chit, let the media do some loud thinking, says BHARATI PAWASKAR
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Sadly, it is the talk of the town. Serious allegations have been cast on the media – Goan and global. A continuous fall in the public perception of the integrity of the media is distorting its earlier clean image, and there’s a question mark on its role in society as a whole. But do all journalists play puppets at the hands of autocrats, bureaucrats or political masterminds? Do they get sold so easily or are they so cheaply available? Who could and should be blamed? I sincerely feel, not all but a few should be blamed for what is presently happening in the media, not only in Goa but all over the world. Let’s ponder a little.
The word is mightier than the sword, to some extent. But not always do words seem powerful weapons, because their voice is often weakened by overpowering circumstances. Not always do the Wikis and Mickkys get along, or the leaks make hay all day. If one tries to speak in a lighter vein, all of us save for that rainy day, you see! And, of course, how unpredictable the weather is these days. Extended monsoons are as common as the traffic jams and road accidents. Doesn’t it rain most of the year? Why, in Goa we have just witnessed a rainy December. That the prices of onions bring tears to the eyes of the ‘aam admi’ is yet another story.
Let’s be little serious now. Things get more complicated when a finger is pointed towards the media, blaming it to be the root cause of the rot in the society. But how far or how close are these allegations from truth? Are they baseless or do they hold any substance? If true, what would be their implications in the long run? And if hollow, why are they being projected so precariously and why is so much hype made about it? One needs to find answers. And, to find the correct ones, there is a need for introspection.
No one will disagree that as the fourth pillar of democracy, the media has an important role to play in informing and shaping public opinion in an objective manner, free from the influence of power or avarice. And, as the need of the hour, the ‘bold and beautiful’ face of the media should at times turn ‘cold and dutiful’, to point out the naked truth. Do we turn a blind eye to the bare facts? Fearing a punch to the face, do we let go the pinch at the back?
What has happened to this noble profession so proudly called the fourth estate? In our democratic setup, is this pillar shaking for any particular reason? What has contributed to the decline in the media’s credibility – particularly the print media – over the years? How can one stop further damage? Are there any corrective steps that may help in restoring this blurred vision?
Having spent more than half my life in mainstream journalism, today I pause and look back. Seen with a neutral mindset, the whole set up shows flaws. Yes, the picture has changed over the years and I dare not say it has changed for the better. We, as journalists, share the same planet and are a part of the same society that points its fingers at our blunders. As members of society, shouldn’t we accept our duties, liabilities and responsibilities? Should unwanted obligations and favours come in the way of a lawful life? Is there a way to save our identities in this chaos? How can news and views remain as two separate entities? Can one survive only by respecting ethics in journalism? Does joining hands either with the opposition or the ruling majority help in cleaning the corroded system? Let us see what’s happening around us.
I feel the ‘journalism of courage’ is losing its sting in a marriage of crime and politics. A handshake with wrong persons gives way to ‘paid’ news. The virus of ‘planted’ news raises its head. Leaks by vested interests become ‘investigative journalism’. Are we projecting ourselves as products and marketing our saleability?
Editors add to the credibility of the media, but ever since some reputed newspapers in the metros started marketing news as a product, the importance of editors has diminished. Page Managers have taken over. Result: a strategy that puts revenue first, if necessary, by catering to the lowest common denominator – sensationalism replacing lofty journalism.
The quality of full-time media staff has dropped considerably. Many have ‘other sources’ of income, and use media clout to promote their personal interests. Homework is given little importance. No special training is imparted to trainees. This negligence leads to serious factual errors. Glamour in the electronic media allows for mushrooming of ‘instant journalists’. Absence of job security can be blamed for lack of a professional attitude and a general apathy towards knowledge.
Tolerance of readers’ criticism is another pointer to media’s trustworthiness. We find most media houses nowadays give little space to readers’ views and avoid publishing critical letters. Those who stand by their news and views stand tall. Let us ponder over it and try to change our mindsets. If there is a will, there will surely be a way!
Newton’s Law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. As the wind pushes us to the wall, we must retaliate and stand up with our hallmarks of morality and conscience. The nexus between politicians and journalists has blemished and tarred the media’s clean image. If this relationship could be kept to the minimum and at purely official levels, no hand-in-glove situation would come up. But to get late night developments in volatile political scenarios, reporters often wine and dine with politicos. This affinity gives rise to vested interests, with both trying to take advantage of each other.
Imagine a journo turning into a politician, as has happened with my good friends Sanjay Nirupam and Sanjay Raut. In the early ’90s, both were my fellow journalists in the ‘Indian Express’ group, Mumbai – Nirupam was a reporter in ‘Jansatta’(Hindi) and Raut a reporter in ‘Loksatta’ (Marathi). Both fell in love with politics. After they became bedfellows with the Shiv Sena, both got instant promotions as editors of ‘Saamna’ (Hindi and Marathi), the Sena mouthpieces. Soon both emerged with larger-than-life figures as aggressive editors. Now, we all are familiar with their avatars as MPs. The rest is history… Let us take care not repeat it, at least in Goa.
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The one that got away
By Anthony Simoes
About 50 metres down the road from where I live is a huge mansion that belongs to a bigtime builder. The perimeter wall is 14 feet high, as opposed to the permitted height of 5 feet for us lesser mortals. The place looks like a fortress and I’m sure the high perimeter wall is not the only illegality in the construction. It probably violates roofline height, FAR, setbacks, zoning regulations…
When the house was first built, the roof tiles were painted a bright golden colour. Soon, the Airports Authority came down on the owner like a tonne of bricks. Airline pilots coming in to land at Dabolim airport in the daytime were getting blinded by the sunlight reflecting off the roof. So the roof tiles are now painted in an environment-friendly green. It is a case of outward show and inward woe – like an American car.
The lack of environment-friendliness is on the inside. The entire place is air-conditioned. When there is a power failure, there is no ventilation. So a huge, ‘silent generator’ kicks-in. On the outside, at one corner, is a spiral staircase enclosed in a translucent glass cylinder. It’s good for absorbing and trapping the sun’s heat, so the air-conditioners are made to work harder and consume more electricity; one more ‘tiny’ contribution to global warming.
Then there are the mandatory one dozen expensive cars inside the compound. Two of them are the cheaper 7-to-8 lakh rupee variety that are used for marketing, transporting dogs, exchanging LPG cylinders and other mundane household tasks. The huge gate, covered by translucent glass sheets, is manned 24/7 by uniformed security guards. The water ‘usage’ must be seen to be believed.
They have a guard dog which is chained during the day and on-the-loose at night. He attacks anything that moves and tears it to pieces. They also have a huge, excitable, friendly bitch called ‘Frisky’, who had an encounter with the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at a very early age.
Some years ago, the builder’s family was holidaying with relatives in the US of A. The youngest member of the family, aged all of 5 years, fell in love with a 5-week-old puppy, which then became a ‘must-have’. There was not enough time to do the paperwork to bring the dog to India. So the 5-year old simply tucked the puppy inside his baggy T-shirt and brazenly walked through ticketing, emigration, and health. But that’s as far as he got. He was frisked by the DHS and the pup was out of the T-shirt, like a cat out of the bag.
Seeing the comical situation and the tears in the little boy’s eyes, the DHS simply waved him through with his pup. The red-faced parents received a verbal wrap on the knuckles and were given a little booklet by the DHS supervisor. This was a small manual on airport security in the USA and how passengers are expected to behave to make everybody’s job quick and easy, along with enhanced security.
For example, during ‘Frisking’ and ‘Pat-Down’, passengers should stay calm, relax and enjoy it. In short, they should treat the episode like the old saying about what one should do when rape becomes inevitable. Charm the rapist, get his name, address, telephone number and social-security number. Then file a complaint at the nearest police station. The book talked about ‘Frisking’ as if it was a milder form of rape, albeit with less prejudice. At the other end of the spectrum, of course, we have ‘extreme prejudice’ which is American for ‘assassination’.
Similarly, there is no point in getting agitated during a ‘Pat-Down’ by Uncle Sam’s goons at the airport. Simply get all the details of the DHS personnel involved and hand it to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) if and when you arrive in Delhi. Then patiently wait 20 years for action. If you get to Goa instead, don’t forget to report to the Animal Rights groups like PFA, PAWS, GAWT, GSPCA, IAR and PETA.
In the meantime, if you need anonymity, change your name to ‘Frisky’, ‘Pat’ or ‘Patsy’.
