The news about a couple of lady journalists being detained is nothing new. It keeps happening every other day. Much worse has been in store for such journalists who attempt to be true to their profession. There is absolutely no doubt that there are a large number of journalists who make us all proud, who do their job like true professionals despite extremely adverse set of circumstances. However, the perception about the media is perhaps determined by those that are “sold” out or have succumbed or both.
Credibility of the media has taken a severe beating in the recent past. In a survey carried out by me on the Twitter, I had a question, “According to you, which of the following institutions is carrying out its responsibilities in the best possible manner?”
1. Civil Servants
2. Judiciary
3. Politicians
4. Media
Of more than 3000 participants, 65% voted in favor of Civil Servants, 22% for Judiciary, Politicians 9% and Media was last with 5%. Most of the television channels had lost their credibility long ago. They are seen as aligned and/or promoting (some very aggressively) the agenda of a particular segment. There is hardly any news on these so called “news channels”. They are now seen and perceived as promoting particular views. Many treat them as entertainment channels. Perhaps rightly so. All objectivity has gone for a toss.
In another survey carried on Linkedin, as many as 62% voters felt that in comparison to TV news, social media and digital media, newspapers provided the most reliable news. The TV news channels were the worst in terms of reliability (4%). However, the most discussed are these channels and, perhaps for that reason they garner most of the advertisement revenue. However, newspapers are still considered most credible even though in some of the newspapers you have to wade through first few pages of advertisements to discover the page carrying news. Perhaps the huge dependence on advertisement revenue has impacted the quality of news reporting in the newspapers as well. I had personally given up watching television news channels long ago because it appeared that only decibels determined TRP ratings (though the TRP ratings have also been questioned). Soon thereafter, I gave up reading newspapers as well as it was becoming increasingly difficult to find news in newspapers.
The challenges faced by the journalists are enormous. Their job is a temporary one and, considering the number of aspirants available for each job, they aren’t many in the offing. It is easy for an outsider to criticize but it is not easy to get a job in the first place and if you lose the one you have, it is all the more difficult as you could be considered “inconvenient”.
Most of the TV Channels and Newspapers are owned by business houses. During the last century, owners of the publications did not meddle with the editorial part. Now they own the editorial content as well. The designation of “Managing Editor” says it all. This wasn’t heard of till a couple of decades ago. It has all changed now.
Governments have always been powerful on account of the advertisement muscle they had but there were rare instances of “directives” to the newspapers. There were newspapers that withstood pressure even during Emergency. However, it has all changed. There have been instances of Chief Editors of prominent national dailies being shown the door for not toeing the line. Governments have become increasingly powerful. Objectivity has gone for a toss. The attitude is simple, either you are with me or against me.
What are the choices then available with the hapless journalist? If she doesn’t toe the line, she could lose her job, as many have, and harassed. There could be criminal cases instituted against her. And, barring few mentions of protests from their associations, she has to fight her battle on her own. It is tough but she can still survive and keep her body and soul together provided she gives up her crusading spirit against all the wrongs perpetrated by those in power as they are extremely powerful and go to any extent to silence her.
The tragedy, however, is with regard to such journalists as have become loud crusaders for the ruling dispensation. They unabashedly and shamefully give up any semblance of objectivity. They take their crusading spirit to the other extreme. And, many of them benefit though bring a bad name to this laudable profession. In public perception, these are the ones that represent journalists. Hence, unfortunate terms like “presstitudes” are coined to describe them. All professions, including the civil service, have their share of the good, the bad and the ugly but impression about the profession gets determined by those that are visible. In the case of journalists, visible ones are those that are loud and “sold out”. Hence, the loss of credibility.
What can then be done by the consumers of what is dished out by journalists? In a market driven world, media also offers what we read or want to read. If the reader starts “demanding” objective reporting, even the “owners” will have no option to provide that. We have so far been demanding “masala”. Hence, TV channels have been converted into entertainment channels. It is ironical that despite poor credibility, they thrive. We can keep criticizing the hapless journalist but if we don’t change our own attitude towards news, we can’t expect journalists to be our conscience keepers. Can we?
Anil Swarup has served as the head of the Project Monitoring Group, which is currently under the Prime Minister’s Offic. He has also served as Secretary, Ministry of Coal and Secretary, Ministry of School Education.
The challenges faced by the journalists are enormous. Their job is a temporary one and, considering the number of aspirants available for each job, they aren’t many in the offing. It is easy for an outsider to criticize but it is not easy to get a job in the first place and if you lose the one you have, it is all the more difficult as you could be considered “inconvenient”.