Even Judiciary has started introspection but media men have not yet
Daya Sagar Sharma
December 20, 2008
A Look Through the mist
Times are changing fast .Conventions are being broken or recast these days. Even the religious codes are slowly and slowly changing or are being reworked. Definitions of the community arenas too are now appearing to be under reworking . Earlier people did talk of world community shrinking in dimensions of time. The some issues and interests that were so far considered only with in the limits of a nation are now attracting international considerations. World community is really coming closer, under the circumstances of growing dangers to peace and economy due to growing inter regional disputes , terrorism , militancy, insurgency, material needs , ambitions , etc. Needs have also arisen to rework the moral and professional guidelines / codes as pertain to those in private as well as the public sector.
Earlier we talked of three pillars of democratic set up as regards handling the affairs of the community/ country / nation. With the growing importance of democratic order and trueness for securing peace all over the world a fourth pillar to a democratic society has been identified as the Media in addition to Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary. No doubt it is the fourth pillar that could make a contribution of the highest order as regards the judicious and honest conduct of the social functions by the executive and the legislature. With the times passing and requirements changing over times the Media started keeping an eye even on the judicial functioning .
For many a years a near immunity had been provided and observed as regards the Judiciary .The freedom of the media too has been equally secured all these years world over .Media has earned laurels for its contribution as a source of information to common man . Investigative journalism over the years contributed a lot for safeguarding the rights by keeping a watch on the performance of the public duties by the executive, legislators and even the judiciary. Ofcourse in return enough liberty too has been provided to the media.
With the economies growing, the expenditure from state exchequer too growing for the socio economic development , the industrial and service sector making more of material earnings and the levels of State revenues growing through taxes and duties the scope for material corruption on the common resources as well as state exchequer too has grown . The lust for material wealth too has grown . The social and voluntary institutions have weakened over the years. It has now been felt that there is need to review the immunity provided to legislatures, senior public servants , ministers as well as the judiciary as regards the normal codes and conduct rules since even the immunities provided to judiciary have been questioned , though at low voice, by some well meaning people.
An allround competition has been set to for increasing income , my be by any means.
No field has been left untouched for competition over the year. To be in competition is not bad . But a competition is unfair when any member of a society takes to competition simply for earning more of materials ( surely it is in the shape of money ) , may it be through unfair means. It may materially benefit those who take to unfair competition but it is surely bad for the society and the nation.
Unfair competition for money was earlier seen in the executive class and later that has later resulted in open corruption. I say open corruption since these days no one feels letdown in case income through unfair means gets exposed. Rather people themselves expose the income to gain social strives. But still we could see many government servants speaking / reporting against their colleagues and condemning unfair means. Similarly we could find many politicians who speak against their other political colleagues and question the political setup. Even the unfair practices in the judiciary too have been talked about in recent times. Some Chief Justices of the apex court and High Courts have expressed concern over danger of growing mal practices in the judiciary. Although the judiciary has been provided the ultimate immunity against criticism and accusations in public but with the changing times the seniors in judiciary have themselves started expressing concern in this regards.
Like others ,with the growing materialism, the fourth pillar ( media ) of democracy, too have has set in commercial race. The indications are more vivid since the onset of the electronic media . The electronic news channels provide both video and audio inputs to the viewers . But the way the channels are these days covering the events and adding extra commercial glamour to news / event reporting has put the trueness of the electronic news channels under question. Race is set for " breaking the news" , claiming to be in "exclusive " possession of a news . Often a news is reported and withdrawn. Hurried reporting without proper investigation / verification surely lowers the media credibility.
A News TV Channel ( XX ) was reporting at 0714am on 27 November that two militants have been killed and 9 have been arrested ( where as facts reported as on date are different). The same channel on 27th Nov while reporting the sad demise of three senior security men also reported that ATS Chief Hemant Karkare just wearing a helmet when a bullet hit him and he died. The channel did play a video clip showing Hemant Karkare bearing a helmet but how the bullet hitting escaped the camera remained a question. At 0957 pm on 28 November another TV News Channel ( XXX) reported that a special story has been prepared by its correspondent. Immediately the correspondent (S) was seen reporting that passengers were waiting at Delhi air port and they were watching "their" TV channel (XXX ) there to know about the 11/26 militant attack in Mumbai. The " special story" had nothing except that it repeated twice " Air port par log baithae hain aur Mumbai militant attack ke barae mein "XXXTV" dekh rahae hain" .The news caster (A) too repeated that the passengers were watch "XXXTV". It was no more than a commercial trade reporting in the name of live reporting on the events. Later on security agencies had requested the media people to stay away from reporting live and some "high profile" reporters of electronic channels appeared having felt very un easy since they could not project their person on the screen. So, immediately after the operation in Taj concluded on 29th November a lady reporter ( D ) of the same TV Channel ( XXX ) immediately rushed to the area outside Taj Hotel and the channel started showing the broken window panes and some damaged items as live coverage. All this had been seen by the people earlier . I watched that less than a minute clip at 0417 PM and it was only an attempt by the lady reporter to show her presence to the viewers but the security people had pushed the reporter away from the scene . Still the channel kept on playing the clip again and again. I failed to understand what she wanted to report . Should not such displays be disallowed on news channels. Similarly it was on 2nd December at 0521pm that I watched a TV channel ( XX ) playing a CCTV clip ( taken from Railways ) of the militant attack at CST Mumbai ( earlier known as Bombay VT Station ) as of 11/26 just showing blurred pictures of two militants and police men , and claimed that the coverage was a "breaking news". Where as another channel ( XXX ) too played the similar CCTV clip and claimed it be in it´s "exclusive possession". In their race for winning over other channels for commercial displays some electronic (TV) news channels are letting down the journalist fraternity. The print media has still stood to the confidence of the public but the electronic media appears losing its good will. Time has arisen for the journalist fraternity to come forward and also work out some code at its own level to save the journalist community falling in the trap of some elements who are bent upon selling the traditions of a sound journalism . Journalists should dare question their own brethren. Otherwise this 4rth pillar of democracy would lose its respectability.
( Daya Sagar is social activist and leading scribe on Kashmir affairs dayasagr@yahoo.co.uk)
Times are changing fast .Conventions are being broken or recast these days. Even the religious codes are slowly and slowly changing or are being reworked. Definitions of the community arenas too are now appearing to be under reworking . Earlier people did talk of world community shrinking in dimensions of time. The some issues and interests that were so far considered only with in the limits of a nation are now attracting international considerations. World community is really coming closer, under the circumstances of growing dangers to peace and economy due to growing inter regional disputes , terrorism , militancy, insurgency, material needs , ambitions , etc. Needs have also arisen to rework the moral and professional guidelines / codes as pertain to those in private as well as the public sector.
Earlier we talked of three pillars of democratic set up as regards handling the affairs of the community/ country / nation. With the growing importance of democratic order and trueness for securing peace all over the world a fourth pillar to a democratic society has been identified as the Media in addition to Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary. No doubt it is the fourth pillar that could make a contribution of the highest order as regards the judicious and honest conduct of the social functions by the executive and the legislature. With the times passing and requirements changing over times the Media started keeping an eye even on the judicial functioning .
For many a years a near immunity had been provided and observed as regards the Judiciary .The freedom of the media too has been equally secured all these years world over .Media has earned laurels for its contribution as a source of information to common man . Investigative journalism over the years contributed a lot for safeguarding the rights by keeping a watch on the performance of the public duties by the executive, legislators and even the judiciary. Ofcourse in return enough liberty too has been provided to the media.
With the economies growing, the expenditure from state exchequer too growing for the socio economic development , the industrial and service sector making more of material earnings and the levels of State revenues growing through taxes and duties the scope for material corruption on the common resources as well as state exchequer too has grown . The lust for material wealth too has grown . The social and voluntary institutions have weakened over the years. It has now been felt that there is need to review the immunity provided to legislatures, senior public servants , ministers as well as the judiciary as regards the normal codes and conduct rules since even the immunities provided to judiciary have been questioned , though at low voice, by some well meaning people.
An allround competition has been set to for increasing income , my be by any means.
No field has been left untouched for competition over the year. To be in competition is not bad . But a competition is unfair when any member of a society takes to competition simply for earning more of materials ( surely it is in the shape of money ) , may it be through unfair means. It may materially benefit those who take to unfair competition but it is surely bad for the society and the nation.
Unfair competition for money was earlier seen in the executive class and later that has later resulted in open corruption. I say open corruption since these days no one feels letdown in case income through unfair means gets exposed. Rather people themselves expose the income to gain social strives. But still we could see many government servants speaking / reporting against their colleagues and condemning unfair means. Similarly we could find many politicians who speak against their other political colleagues and question the political setup. Even the unfair practices in the judiciary too have been talked about in recent times. Some Chief Justices of the apex court and High Courts have expressed concern over danger of growing mal practices in the judiciary. Although the judiciary has been provided the ultimate immunity against criticism and accusations in public but with the changing times the seniors in judiciary have themselves started expressing concern in this regards.
Like others ,with the growing materialism, the fourth pillar ( media ) of democracy, too have has set in commercial race. The indications are more vivid since the onset of the electronic media . The electronic news channels provide both video and audio inputs to the viewers . But the way the channels are these days covering the events and adding extra commercial glamour to news / event reporting has put the trueness of the electronic news channels under question. Race is set for " breaking the news" , claiming to be in "exclusive " possession of a news . Often a news is reported and withdrawn. Hurried reporting without proper investigation / verification surely lowers the media credibility.
A News TV Channel ( XX ) was reporting at 0714am on 27 November that two militants have been killed and 9 have been arrested ( where as facts reported as on date are different). The same channel on 27th Nov while reporting the sad demise of three senior security men also reported that ATS Chief Hemant Karkare just wearing a helmet when a bullet hit him and he died. The channel did play a video clip showing Hemant Karkare bearing a helmet but how the bullet hitting escaped the camera remained a question. At 0957 pm on 28 November another TV News Channel ( XXX) reported that a special story has been prepared by its correspondent. Immediately the correspondent (S) was seen reporting that passengers were waiting at Delhi air port and they were watching "their" TV channel (XXX ) there to know about the 11/26 militant attack in Mumbai. The " special story" had nothing except that it repeated twice " Air port par log baithae hain aur Mumbai militant attack ke barae mein "XXXTV" dekh rahae hain" .The news caster (A) too repeated that the passengers were watch "XXXTV". It was no more than a commercial trade reporting in the name of live reporting on the events. Later on security agencies had requested the media people to stay away from reporting live and some "high profile" reporters of electronic channels appeared having felt very un easy since they could not project their person on the screen. So, immediately after the operation in Taj concluded on 29th November a lady reporter ( D ) of the same TV Channel ( XXX ) immediately rushed to the area outside Taj Hotel and the channel started showing the broken window panes and some damaged items as live coverage. All this had been seen by the people earlier . I watched that less than a minute clip at 0417 PM and it was only an attempt by the lady reporter to show her presence to the viewers but the security people had pushed the reporter away from the scene . Still the channel kept on playing the clip again and again. I failed to understand what she wanted to report . Should not such displays be disallowed on news channels. Similarly it was on 2nd December at 0521pm that I watched a TV channel ( XX ) playing a CCTV clip ( taken from Railways ) of the militant attack at CST Mumbai ( earlier known as Bombay VT Station ) as of 11/26 just showing blurred pictures of two militants and police men , and claimed that the coverage was a "breaking news". Where as another channel ( XXX ) too played the similar CCTV clip and claimed it be in it´s "exclusive possession". In their race for winning over other channels for commercial displays some electronic (TV) news channels are letting down the journalist fraternity. The print media has still stood to the confidence of the public but the electronic media appears losing its good will. Time has arisen for the journalist fraternity to come forward and also work out some code at its own level to save the journalist community falling in the trap of some elements who are bent upon selling the traditions of a sound journalism . Journalists should dare question their own brethren. Otherwise this 4rth pillar of democracy would lose its respectability.
( Daya Sagar is social activist and leading scribe on Kashmir affairs dayasagr@yahoo.co.uk)
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