Information For Free: Can We Trust?

Afternoon Voice

Some days ago, I had read news with headline “Shilpa Shetty visits Ajmer Sharif in Burkha”. After reading the inside content of the news she visited Ajmer Sharif to pray for her IPL team Rajasthan Royals with clearly mentioned that she wore burkha to escape media and public attention. Now with a close snapshot of the actress with covered face (only eyes were seen), which journalist covered that story? He must be a magician who knows a woman behind the burkha is a celebrity. Hats off to him! I read another interview of Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, a Congress CM of Haryana, who himself admitted that he approached the leading newspaper of his state with money for positive stories after learning that the newspaper had signed a “package deal” with his rivals to print negative stories. It can only mean that the selling of editorial space has become both barefaced and institutionalised, and that neither the print nor the electronic media are immune to the disease. It is the fact that people cannot escape the numerous amount of information coming to us from multiple sources. It is the time where markets are being evaluated by the reaction of people to the news. There is a growing consensus amongst journalists and media practitioners that this unethical practice of paid news is slowly killing the journalism. Instead of conveying the message of truth, media are now used by partisan interests to deceive, show falsehood, speculation, and provoke misunderstanding, hatred and even violence. This manipulation is because of irresponsible role of the persons who have power to express themselves freely but do not aim on truth.

Indian newspapers from the last so many years are flooded with scandals, sports and celebrities coverage with bold, bigger and colored fonts with reliability on unnamed sources. It only mentioned from our source, but which source who even know which soap does the actress use in her bathroom? Journalists do not seem to be interested anymore in source accuracy and reliability in news reporting, but in ratings. They even accept bribes and fabricate the stories. From where does this kind of practice come from? There has been a considerable amount of change in working style of Indian media after liberalisation in 1990’s. This wind of liberalisation brought with them the elements of the market economy that have changed the structure of media organisation. Those media houses had turned into a large business sector with huge financial assets. The professional duties towards country were diluted by the commercial logic of catering the interest of big companies, celebrities and politicians. This increasingly commercialisation of mass media has adversely affected the journalists practice. When a viewership of a particular news sector is increased, there is likelihood that journalists use indiscreet news gathering method which is approved by an editor without verifying its facts and figure. Today, media enterprise is seen as a necessary subsidiary for growing business enterprise, celebrities for publicity seeking to increased public interest for private gain. India is one of the few countries in the world where newspaper are available at very low price. Newspaper that cost approx Rs. 20 is being sold at Rs. 4 (an average of price) which sounds almost free. I want to ask 120 billion people of India, how reliable the information is if the source is willing to share it for their own personal gains? If the selling cost of newspaper is lesser than their publishing cost, how do they run their organisation? They do not make profit by circulating the newspaper in the city and printing, but through advertisement. All these factors force them to write what corporate giants need. Paid news provides a complete package including news stories, advertisements and negative items of a company or individual rival. These kinds of practice have discredited the entire media of the country which once has glorious tradition of exploring all kinds of injustice, inequalities and safeguarding democratic rights. But now, this ugly phenomenon of paid news is a stain on country’s democratic fabric.

Journalists are now working by selling their faith on good package. Editors are being marginalised devaluating the dignity of the respected offices where they sit. Those days when newspapers were known by the name of their editors have converted into permanent nights. Paid news scares me very much as it is a virus, if allowed to grow will change the perspective of looking rights things in a wrong way and wrong things in a right way. This crisis is a monumental embarrassment for all politicians, journalists, media houses and every citizen of the country. The proprietor has now fixed special columns for the coverage of their friendly politicians in the newspapers. To entertain their growing demands, many media groups have even gone for arranging extra space. Assembly election in Maharashtra and elsewhere revealed the spread of this destructive practice of accepting money for giving editorial space to contestants. There are different rates for positive news coverage, interviews, editorials and also publishing out damaging reports against opponents. It is amazing to see how some newspaper change their points of views towards a politicians or a party suddenly after getting an enveloped gift.

There is an urgency to protect public rights to correct and unbiased information. Our media holds a responsibility for conveying correct and true information to the people. Paid information presented as news content misleads people thereby hampering their judgement form of a correct opinion. It is an unlawful purpose which has nothing to do with the freedom of speech. It is practice in which money is used to acquire unethically media space by some beneficiaries. One cannot identify the fact whether influential media persons or organisations that have concern regarding this ill practice of journalism is again a media trial or a true protest against this act? But there are still many journalists, who are honest, devoted to their calling and are concerned about that paid news will kill the media’s credibility forever. The annual journal meeting of Editor Guild of India in December 2009 expressed concern at this growing tendency of media group pledging not to carry out any practice of paid news.

This movement of active journalism initiated by father of Indian nation, Mahatma Gandhi, which has resulted in nearly 70,000 registered newspapers and over 450 television channels, are under serious threat. As compared to US and EU, Indian media is growing stronger and increase in readership with huge circulation figure and market avenues. Considering media as the fourth important pillar (I doubt media being fourth, it is surely on top now) after judiciary, parliament and bureaucratic setup, a concern of paid news is being diagnosed currently. All media organisations have made this practice as a rule now. When journalism is inaccurate, marginalises important issues, denies reaching towards true voices, carry out manipulation to serve some narrow interests, it damages nation’s democracy. Unfortunately, commercial interests of media organisations, technological advancement of news delivery and most importantly dominance of institutions and corporate giants have eroded the truth telling in the media. I plead to responsible organisations of country for carrying out their duties responsibly, I plead to journalists to treat the people of this country as human beings and I plead them to respect at the position where they are, at a position where they have power to spread truth.

The return towards the ethical practice of journalism is a war which journalists have waged by themselves. They must make efforts to protect and nourish the value which they have committed to people and country, ethical journalism. But as for now with a hope to see some sensible news, every morning with a sip of tea what I read again in headlines is SRK endorsing some watch brand, an unknown politician had opened an eye testing hospital in some village, a private organisation had signed a deal with some film stars for a charity event and Rakhi Sawant is patching up with her boyfriend again!. These thins has to be marginalised and real issues has to be discussed or we will crumble as an outspoken authority.