Dear Mr. Karan Thapar, you do indeed hold a deep contempt for the viewers and readers. When you say that? “You, the reader or viewer, rarely miss what you cannot read or see. Not unless you're looking for it. Therefore a great way of manipulating the news is to simply leave something out i.e. not make the audience aware it happened or that it's worth deliberating upon.”
“it could be the legacy of Radia tapes." The fact is people like me have been observing and voicing it for a long time. I am amazed that you have ignored the crucification of an individual for 8years in the print and electronic media without an iota or shred of evidence. I could cite numerous other instances in support of my contention. What would you term that as?
Mainstream English media sold its soul a long time back and indulged in the most unethical professional practices ever seen in this country. The other point that you have overlooked is the Paid News that these so called News Channels have indulged in, compounded further when the report of experts was not published in its original and complete form.
Self regulation has miserably failed, unworthy individuals have found their way to head certain guilds of journalists(ostensibly) I have with complete responsibility put that word within parenthesis , since a lot do not qualify to be called journalists. Eloquent verbosity is not a substitute for intellect, which is woefully absent in majority of the inhabitants of field of journalism.
Lets revert to your opening statement. “want to share with you a question that's troubling me. Do the Radia revelations suggest an alarming degree of media manipulation, possibly to the point where you could have doubts about what you read or see? Or does the fact that there's no overwhelming proof of the media being manipulated — the odd example apart — suggest that our newspapers and TV channels have handled a tricky situation admirably?”
The judgment has already been delivered by the people. Our media is corrupt to the core.
“Radia appears to be influential, effective and ruthlessly thorough.” Well let me explain this by placing an example here. Pharmaceutical companies distribute FREE SAMPLES of Medicines to the Doctors now that is not unethical by itself, if the same medicines are sold by the Doctors then it becomes unethical. Ms Radia profession is well known and she charges a fee for rendering her services, it is her brief to influence any and everybody for the benefit of her clients that is not unethical. What is unethical is when others succumb to her influence and yet do not disclose the same or pretend to be performing their professional duties with complete honesty and integrity.
The extent of rot in the media can be gauged from the most recent incident of fake tweets generated by CNNIBN Twitter lobbying. Another scam in the making?” shocking . Time for introspection is over. Transgressions such as CNNIBN need to be dealt with severely and expeditiously, mere apologies for such action cut no ice with the public today. The tainted individuals must be removed from the profession, if the desire to win back the confidence of the readers and viewers is of paramount concern.
“Alas, this leaves a lingering doubt that's hard to resolve. The sort you can't prove — one way or the other — but will, inexorably, dent the image of the media. This, I suspect, could be the legacy of the Radia tapes — doubts we cannot cast aside but will always be uncomfortable with.” This may be a politically correct statement to make since you are part of the fraternity. We are under no such compulsion and most candidly state there are no lingering doubts in our minds, a large number of us have switched off those channel which are tainted, and our ranks will only swell with the time. What we suspected, Radia tapes have brought the murky dealings in the full public glare.
The latest article on this on 26/12/2010
The latest article on this on 26/12/2010
But, the real crime of the media has been the manner in which our private television channels have allowed themselves to be used by the agencies of government to damn Niira Radia before she has been given a chance to defend herself. By Tavleen.Singh.
I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse. Thank you.
