IT has never happened before; and it may never happen again. But for the first time in living memory, one city paper took on another in its editorial columns in a manner never before witnessed in journalistic history. What apparently aroused the ire of The Free Press Journal was the cavalier manner in which The Times of India has been reporting recent events. In a stringent editorial (August 19) The Free Press Journal condemning The Times of India reportage said: "The self-appointed editorialists who distort news in the so-called world's number one paper could not restrain themselves. While reporting the Election Commission order on Friday, they gratuitously put words in its mouth. The paper said in its banner-headlined report, and we quote, '...the EC says the spectacular breakdown of law and order, witnessed during the pogrom against Muslims earlier this year, is yet to be repaired.' We went through 40 pages of the EC order to look for those words but in vain. But it seems that the columns of the so-called world's number one paper have been hijacked by those who have their own personal agenda. They are neither loyal to the once great profession of journalism. Nor do they care about 'the' truth. They are only keen to advance their demented ideology and impose their sickening mindset on the paper while ensuring a firm grip on their US passport. However, since the owners of the paper have been open about their lack of interest in anything other than the paper's bottom line, there could be no stopping the decline in the overall editorial quality of the paper. The multi-colour pull-outs and an almost daily account of the effete goings-in the incestuous world of the Page Three People cannot prevent the steep fall in the standards of the paper. Without a hands-on editor to steer the paper away from the angularities of its awfully misguided pamphleteers, and rotten strip cartoonists, the world's number one paper could soon end up being its worst edited as well." Strong words but they reflect the average reader's reaction as well. Even G.S. Bhargava, a journalist who wouldn't hurt a fly if he can help it, has been critical of The Times of India in his media column 'Blue Pencil' apearing in the Deccan Herald (August 17). Writes Bhargava: "When the story of differences between the President (Shri Abdul Kalam) and the government (of Gujarat) did not jell, 'like-minded' journalists rallied round. The Times of India said that Dr Kalam's 'day-long' visit is 'significant' as he was persistently grilled during the run-up to the Presidential election about his position on the communal violence. It was not a day-long visit, but would be spread over Monday and Tuesday. The 'grilling' was journalists asking Dr Kalam about the Gujarat killings. He had candidly said they were shocking and pleaded for 'politics of compassion'. Neither the language nor the approach suited the correspondents' book. They wanted him to demonise Modi and the BJP." Bhargava later in his column again lambasted The Times of India for bad reporting. He was also critical of The Hindustan Times for its coverage of the President's visit to Gujarat. The least that can be said about these journalistic goings-on is that it is sickening and disgraceful. When R. Gopalakrishnan, an Executive Director at Tata Sons wrote critically of the media in The Times of India (August 17) he was merely reflecting the rising anger among intellectuals at the liberty that the media in recent times has been taking with truth. Shri Gopalakrishnan has been obviously hurt by the manner in which some parts of the media have handled the Tata Finance/AF Ferguson controversy. But he has a point. In fact many points. Thus he writes: "From the businessperson's point of view, it isn't just the text of a news story that can mislead; it is also the choice of which stories get covered, by whom, where they are placed, whether it is accompanied by photographs and so on... . Business and media need to develop a compass to guide thinking, to bone a sense of discrimination, to separate the chaff from the wheat..." So incensed are many both in business and politics at the increasing show of utter irresponsibility shown by the 'national' press that Telugu Desam's Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu felt it necessary to say in an editorial in his party paper that competition among the media at the cost of losing credibility has been causing untold damage to journalistic ethics and societal values. Wrote Chandrababu: "As far as news is concerned, it should be treated as sacred. There should be no distortions, additions or deletions. News should be reported factually..." No doubt The Times of India will read this carefully. Mention of motivated reporting was also made by Dr Rafiq Zakaria in an article in The Asian Age (August 23). In a stinging article Dr Zakaria wanted to know whether we have become "a nation of witch-hunters". "I am really distressed at the way on the slightest and, in most cases, baseless accusations, a politician is assailed and even leaders who belong to parties opposed to the politician under attack join the chorus of denunciation against him." If Dr Zakaria hasn't learnt it already, he should now know. Witch-hunting, attacking a politician on personal grounds, etc etc has now become standard practice among our better-known 'national' dailies. Motivated reporting presently seems to be the new standard set up by our newspapers. They have largely gone unchallenged. But now angry voices are being heard. Writes P.J. Kurien, a former Union Minister in The Hindu (August 18) : "Newspapers play a very crucial role in shaping public opinion. Through skilful presentation of news and views they can manipulate the readers' mind. Prolonged exposure to the views of a particular newspaper can effectively alter our perspectives. A newspaper, even if indirectly controlled by foreigners, can create disaffection against the political system and discredit or denigrate the native culture." Poor Shri Kurien. He does not know how our 'native culture' is daily being denigrated by our own 'native' newspapers, run by 'native' proprietors. The enemy is not the foreigner; it is our own man in the editorial chair who thinks the best way of selling his newspaper is to display pictures of semi-nude girls, give priority to food and fashions and write biased reports, about people and events he disapproves. We don't need foreign money to destroy our indigenous culture. The job is being effectively done by our own men, motivated not by dollars and pounds but by the rupee. It is not for nothing that The Free Press Journal wrote that devastating editorial. Sickness has entered the souls of our so-called 'national' newspapers and that sickness is not foreign-sponsored. It is self-inflicted by a body of men and women who are not accountable to anyone-least of all the Press Council. Lacking all sense of shame and self-respect they go about their wicked ways. It is time they are called to order.

Courtesy: Organiser, Media Watch, September 8, 2002