Just before he opted out of journalism for something more rewarding, a promising crime reporter gave me an insight into the rotten underbelly of the Fourth Estate. As someone working on special assignments, he would venture into stories only after securing editorial clearance. Some investigations, predictably, yielded nothing and had to be abandoned midway. A few faltered because there were gaping holes which could not be filled or because they were thought to be insufficiently interesting. However, there was a last category of stories he found most intriguing.

These happened to be rigorously researched and potentially interesting reports about scams and other forms of criminal behaviour. They would be cleared, processed by sub-editors and sometimes even put into a dummy page. Then, quite inexplicably, they would be taken off before the publication was sent to the printers. Some frivolous reason -- like "we need some more documentation" or "let the lawyers check for libel"-- would be cited as the reason for non-publication, and that would be the last anyone heard of that story.

After this had happened a few times, the reporter made his own inquiries. He was startled to find that a late night phone call was often made to the person who would be most damaged by the publication of a particular story. A copy of the story and, in some cases, a facsimile of the page would also be faxed to him. The affected party in most cases would get into a damage containment mode, particularly because he had only a few hours to stop publication. He would offer some tempting sweeteners and that would be the end of that story.

There are many horror stories linked to the inner workings of the media that are privately discussed but rarely enter the public domain. Anonymous bloggers have, in recent times, done their bit to turn the spotlight on the media itself but their spirited and witty offerings are, by and large, not taken too seriously. Politicians, too, have their repertoire of media stories, most of which show individuals in an unflattering light.

Non-accountability has become the defining philosophy of the media. A trade union mindset has led to both the positive and less wholesome facets of the media being zealously guarded by its practitioners under the garb of freedom.

The furore over the sting operation that led to a frenzied mob assault and subsequent arrest and sacking of a Delhi schoolteacher has served to destroy this conspiracy of silence. Initial police inquiries have revealed that the so-called expose of child prostitution was a piece of fabrication aimed at settling private scores with a teacher whose only apparent crime was a desire to get rich fast. Predictably, the discovery of a doctored sting has provoked a fierce reaction from both the public and the media itself. A growing unease with contrived sensationalism and trivialisation has led to the media being questioned about its own ethics and priorities.

The controversy is good for both society and the media. It has underscored the point that the media's relationship with its customers is based on trust. When the unceasing hunt for relevant viewer ratings and circulation leads to the trust being compromised, the media loses its exalted status. In the long run this affects its commercial prospects.

The controversy has also demonstrated the enormous dangers posed by unscrupulous and dishonest journalists. Their power to manipulate public opinion for criminal ends is a threat to society and democracy. A politicised media is not a problem; a criminalised media is.

The solution to the problems associated with rapid growth doesn't lie in more Government regulation. Experience shows that even well-meaning laws end up becoming instruments of control in the hands of politicians who hate awkward voices. Alternatively, like the Press Council, regulatory bodies become a joke. Yet, as the present controversy showed, there are enough laws that permit action to be taken against frauds, cheats and blackmailers. Before that becomes a trend, the media should undertake its own purification.

Courtesy: www.dailypioneer.com, September 09, 2007