Former Supreme Court Judge Markandey Katju is in news these days for showing mirror to the Indian Media. Today he wrote a piece titled "Why our media is anti-people" which has appeared in Indian Express. This write-up is his answer to his critiques - Editor's Guild of India, Indian Journalists Association and News Broadcasters Association. He rubbed many "feudal and arrogant" media-persons wrong way by saying that "media professionals are of low intellectual
calibre with poor knowledge of economics, history, politics, literature
and philosophy". While i don't believe in generalization of journalists as per his outlook, I certainly believe that most journalists will fall in that category.
But, more important issue, he has raised, is media's "anti-people" approach. In the article, he has put forward some arguments, which in my view, is not far from reality. Some of the points, raised by him, are:
- He says, that Indian media often diverts the attention of the people from the real-issues to non-issues. According to him, real issues in our country are poverty, inflation, lack of medical care, education and backward social practices. He cites two examples. Suicides by farmers ignored by media and reduction in employment. He says that the job trend in manufacturing has seen a sharp decline over the last 15 years. For instance, TISCO employed 85000 workers in 1991 in its steel plant, which then manufactured 1 million tonnes of steel. In 2005, it manufactured 5 million tonnes - but with only 44000 workers! In the mid '90s, Bajaj was producing a million two-wheelers with 24000 workers. By 2004, it was producing 2.4 million units with 10500 workers.
- Over-dose of entertainment - Lady Gaga, F1 race and Kareena Kapoor standing next to her statue in Madame Tussauds dominating space on News Channels. Cricket and Fashion Weeks ruling the roost.
I hope nobody will deny the veracity of above arguments. I have been raising issue of Corporate-greed time and again through my blog. The corporate houses call it "economic-prudence" or "cost-cutting", though it is noting but "maximization of profit" (Corporate-greed) to fill their overseas black-money accounts. Now the question - Has Indian media raised this issue? Those who know character of media-houses will vouch they cann't. If they cann't, then why "feudal-arrogant" editors are barking on Mr. Katju? I am witness to several real-life stories in which young journalists who got hold of fishy transactions or illegal deals by corporate houses were either thrown out or converted into "intelligent-journalist". In media too, the owners of newspapers and news-agencies are opposing Majithia Wage Boad's recommendations of paying minimum salaries to their journalists and non-journalistic staff.
Over-dose of entertainment by News-channels is well-accepted fact with people. Leave aside electronic media, I was surprised to find four page coverage of F1 race in Hindi newspapers like Hindustan and Nav Bharat Times. Lady Gaga was everywhere. Now, how does she matter to people? The question here is why et all news channels had to focus on entertainment (According to Katju it is 90%) when there are enough news all around. The answer is same profit-maximization approach by the management of these news-channels. They take work by few staff keeping in mind the rich. Why rich? Because, all those editors who decide on contents are well-paid, drive AC cars and are far from reality of ordinary life. They gets positions not for their intellectual capacities but liaison-skills or fetching advertisements. So, it is obvious for these "feudal-arrogant" editors to be offended by Mr. Katju's remarks.
The heartening part of this debate is that the journalists at lower and middle levels, who suffer most, are supporting Mr. Katju's comments. These are only few editors who are reacting against Mr. Katju.
But, Mr. Katju should also understand that generalization of anything is not right approach. There are journalists who are socially-conscious and put their heart and mind into the coverage of these issues. But, when the editor shift+delete it and threatens him/her of job, then he/she doesn't have any option but to follow the standing directions. It is same as a judge delivers a judgment after considering all "factors".
But, more important issue, he has raised, is media's "anti-people" approach. In the article, he has put forward some arguments, which in my view, is not far from reality. Some of the points, raised by him, are:
- He says, that Indian media often diverts the attention of the people from the real-issues to non-issues. According to him, real issues in our country are poverty, inflation, lack of medical care, education and backward social practices. He cites two examples. Suicides by farmers ignored by media and reduction in employment. He says that the job trend in manufacturing has seen a sharp decline over the last 15 years. For instance, TISCO employed 85000 workers in 1991 in its steel plant, which then manufactured 1 million tonnes of steel. In 2005, it manufactured 5 million tonnes - but with only 44000 workers! In the mid '90s, Bajaj was producing a million two-wheelers with 24000 workers. By 2004, it was producing 2.4 million units with 10500 workers.
- Over-dose of entertainment - Lady Gaga, F1 race and Kareena Kapoor standing next to her statue in Madame Tussauds dominating space on News Channels. Cricket and Fashion Weeks ruling the roost.
I hope nobody will deny the veracity of above arguments. I have been raising issue of Corporate-greed time and again through my blog. The corporate houses call it "economic-prudence" or "cost-cutting", though it is noting but "maximization of profit" (Corporate-greed) to fill their overseas black-money accounts. Now the question - Has Indian media raised this issue? Those who know character of media-houses will vouch they cann't. If they cann't, then why "feudal-arrogant" editors are barking on Mr. Katju? I am witness to several real-life stories in which young journalists who got hold of fishy transactions or illegal deals by corporate houses were either thrown out or converted into "intelligent-journalist". In media too, the owners of newspapers and news-agencies are opposing Majithia Wage Boad's recommendations of paying minimum salaries to their journalists and non-journalistic staff.
Over-dose of entertainment by News-channels is well-accepted fact with people. Leave aside electronic media, I was surprised to find four page coverage of F1 race in Hindi newspapers like Hindustan and Nav Bharat Times. Lady Gaga was everywhere. Now, how does she matter to people? The question here is why et all news channels had to focus on entertainment (According to Katju it is 90%) when there are enough news all around. The answer is same profit-maximization approach by the management of these news-channels. They take work by few staff keeping in mind the rich. Why rich? Because, all those editors who decide on contents are well-paid, drive AC cars and are far from reality of ordinary life. They gets positions not for their intellectual capacities but liaison-skills or fetching advertisements. So, it is obvious for these "feudal-arrogant" editors to be offended by Mr. Katju's remarks.
The heartening part of this debate is that the journalists at lower and middle levels, who suffer most, are supporting Mr. Katju's comments. These are only few editors who are reacting against Mr. Katju.
But, Mr. Katju should also understand that generalization of anything is not right approach. There are journalists who are socially-conscious and put their heart and mind into the coverage of these issues. But, when the editor shift+delete it and threatens him/her of job, then he/she doesn't have any option but to follow the standing directions. It is same as a judge delivers a judgment after considering all "factors".
No comments:
Post a Comment