Views On News: Issue: 07 October 2014

OCTOBER 7, 2014 `100
QUEEN
COOMII
Still a star 44
VAIDIK
UNPLUGGED
Beyond Journalism 38
Kya hai
Nishant ki
kamzori?
HINDI SECTION
Anchor Review
CONFLICT ZONE
REPORTING
Killing the
messenger 18
XI VISIT
Exclusive border
photos 58
ALSO:
Is investigative reporting wilting under the apathy
of media owners and threats from the powerful? 08
PLUS:
HOW COPS SNOOP
ON JOURNOS 28
e
TIMES VS TIMES
CIRCULATION WAR 37
MARY KOM:
GLOVES OFF? 47
t
nd nd
PRIME TIME
INTERVIEWS
Barkha KOs Arnab 54
www.viewsonnewsonline.com
THE CRITICAL EYE THE CRITICAL EYE
OCTOBER 7, 2014
CONFLICT
REPORTIN
Killing the
messenge
XI VISIT
Exclusive b
photos 58
ALSO:
Issss iiinvestigative reporting wiltin d h e
THE CRITICAL EYE
VETERAN journalist Rajendra Bajpai raises a vitally pertinent
point in this issue of Views On News (VON): If doctors, engi-
neers, lawyers and call center operators need to be formally
trained before they can be hired in their professions, why
should journalists be an exception? Why should not media
owners and editors insist that a minimum qualification for a
journo recruit be a journalism degree or diploma?
The best counter to this argument is that some of the finest
editors and reporters across the world never attended journal-
ism or mass communications schools. Frank Moraes did not.
Girilal Jain did not. And neither did HK Dua or Aroon Purie (who
went to the London School of Economics). And theres the
famous story about the hiring of Sally Quinn, one of Americas
finest daily newspaper reporters.
When Sally was being interviewed by Washington Post
editor Ben Bradlee (of Watergate fame), he asked her whether
she had any qualifications or experience. She replied in the
negative. Bradlee raised an eyebrow and said: Well nobodys
perfect. Sally got the job and later became the Posts cele-
brated editor of the Style section (the broadsheet precursor of
what we call Page Three) as well as the papers
most brilliant interviewer..
Chances are that most journalists, wherever
there was a free press in the world, were hired
without training. Ironically, those with formal train-
ing were found in countries where the state con-
trolled the pressas in the Soviet Union and
fascist Europeand turned out brigades of tech-
nically proficient propagandists.
Journalism colleges mushroomed as the con-
cept of a free and fair press took hold in Europe
and America. In the US the Columbia School of
Journalism, inspired by the grand Joseph Pulitzer,
was established in 1912.
There is little doubt that even though the bulk
of media hiring in the US may still be of rookies
with no formal journalism schooling, preference
would go to a Columbia, Missouri, Stanford, Syra-
cuse or Maryland graduate or obviously, to some-
body with demonstrated skills and experience.
India is a late entrant, but here too, the demand for institutes
of mass communications is burgeoning.
The technical demands of modern newspapers and TV
news are astronomicaldigital management, web developing
and updating, speedy newsgathering, internet research,
patching interviews. But these are skills. And it is for these
skills that media houses now prefer to recruit from journalism
campuses. Extensive on-the-job training is expensive and
time-consuming in an atmosphere demanding speed and
approach to contacts.
But theres an entirely different reason why formal journal-
ism school training should play a role other than imparting
cyber skills and familiarity with technological platforms.
Equally important is imparting to the students the art and
mission of journalism: how to prepare for an interview; how
to recognize a story; how to seek information that lies beyond
the Internet; specialization in business reporting, science,
agriculture, medical journalism. But above all ethics, human-
ism and freedom, as well as the ability to understand the sub-
ject perfectly.
Even experienced reporters and editors can benefit from a
mid-career stint at a good journalism school. This is a process
of constant learning through interaction with fellow students
as well as teachers in an act of re-inventing yourself. My coll-
eague and fellow journalist Inderjit Badhwar tells me that his
graduate program at the Columbia School of Journalism
after he had been a special correspondent for The Indian Ex-
presswas one of the most inspiring milestones of his career.
A journalist is the lookout on the bridge of the ship of
state, Joseph Pulitzer wrote. The power to mould the future
of the Republic will be in the hands of the journalists of future
generations. Journalism schools have the onerous duty not
only of educating top journalists, but also to uphold standards
of excellence for the profession as a whole.
To keep that flag flying, writes Glyn Davis, vice-chancellor
of the University of Melbourne, potential journalists need to
be trained either on the job or in a school. Unfortunately, far
too many young men and women are coming into the profes-
sion without any grounding in the basics of journalism and
that leads to all sorts of problems.
FORMAL TRAINING IN JOURNALISM IS
VITAL IN TODAYS WORLD
E
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3 VIEWS ON NEWS October 7, 2014
C O N
Editor-in-Chief
Rajshri Rai
Managing Editor
Ramesh Menon
Deputy Managing Editor
Shobha John
Senior Editor
Vishwas Kumar
Contributing Editor
Girish Nikam
Associate Editor
Meha Mathur
Deputy Editor
Prabir Biswas
Assistant Editor
Somi Das
Sub Editor
R Parvathy
Hindi Desk
Divya, Priya, Sheetal
Art Director
Anthony Lawrence
Senior Visualizer
Amitava Sen
Graphic Designer
Lalit Khitoliya
Photographer
Anil Shakya
News Coordinator/Photo Researcher
Kh Manglembi Devi
Production
Pawan Kumar
Circulation
RP Singh Chauhan
Director (Marketing)
Raju Sarin
GM (Sales & Marketing)
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VOLUME. VII ISSUE. 25
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Chief Editorial Advisor
Inderjit Badhwar
CFO
Anand Raj Singh
VP (HR & General Administration)
Lokesh C Sharma
LEDE
Disappearing scoops
Deadly business
Terrorists are using violence against journalists reporting from conflict zones as
a means to broadcast their own messages. PRIYANKA THIRUMURTHY
probes what safety net they have
18
GROUND ZERO
The ostentatious media
24
08
VIVIAN FERNANDES writes that investigative stories
are on a downslide since the media industry spends
little on news gathering and is reluctant to ruffle the
feathers of the powerful
Oscars for journos 14
VON TEAM profiles the winners of the Ramnath Goenka Awards for
Excellence in Journalism and their insightful stories that set them apart
from the rest
FOCUS
MAGAZINE FEATURE
4 VIEWS ON NEWS October 7 , 2014
VON TEAM points out the lack of
interest in reporting about disaster-hit areas
T E N T S
ENTERTAINMENT
Biopic bonanza!
VISHVAK SEN reports how Bollywood
has turned the lives of national icons
into cash cow mechanisms
47
The blame game
SPOTLIGHT
Snoop troops
RAJENDRA BAJPAI analyzes
the rivalry between two lead-
ing Indian national newspapers
over their numero uno position
37
Tamil Nadu polices snooping
on mediapersons is in sync
with CM Jayalalithaas
intolerance towards criticism,
writes SOMI DAS
28
INTERVIEW
Diplomatic tales
MEHA MATHUR questions Dr Ved
Pratap Vaidik regarding his interview
with wanted terrorist Hafiz Saeed
PERSON
Queen Coomi
SOMI DAS gets Coomi Kapoor to
spill the beans about her
journalistic career and more in
a candid interview
38
44
7 Pages of Hindi Views
R E G U L A R S
Edit...................................................03
Media-go-round...............................06
As the world turns............................13
Quotes..........................................23
Breaking news..................................32
=+ :- |:-| ........................58
VffffVf dSXfMXSX.........................62
fff ffm IYe ............................64
EIYSX dSXfc...............................66
Senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani
turned 91 on September 14.
Hitherto, his birthday parties used
to be attended by BJP leaders LK
Advani, Rajnath Singh, Murli
Manohar Joshi, Amit Shah and
Narendra Modi, besides Congress
leader Ahmed Patel. But this year
the attendance was thin, and those
who came in the hope of getting an
opportunity to meet Modi there
were disappointed. Even Advani,
Joshi and Rajnath were missing.
Among those present were Amit
Shah, Gen VK Singh, and Shanti
Bhushan, with his two sons.
Jethmalani is trying hard to gain
entry into the BJP, but Modi is just
not obliging him.
Cover design: Anthony Lawrence
BOOKS
The quintessential
reporter
A review of Ajith Pillais new book Off
the Record
by SOMI DAS & RAMESH MENON
50
TELEVISION
Bollywoods gem
Naseeruddin Shahs was at his candid
best on We The People hosted by
Barkha Dutt, writes SHOBHA JOHN
54 Anchors face-off
R PARVATHY reviews two television
news debate shows anchored by
Arnab Goswami on Times Now and
Barkha Dutt on NDTV
57
ESSAY
The league of
amateur reporters
Does lack of training among
new-age journalists reflect the
quality of their news stories?
RAJENDRA BAJPAI probes
42
EDIA-GO-ROUND
THE TIMES OF INDIA was in for some humiliation for sending out a
tweet with the caption: OMG: Deepika Padukones cleavage show. In
a one-of-its-kind reaction, the Finding Fanny actress tweeted back, hit-
ting out at TOI for its choice of words. She posted: YES! I am a
Woman. I have breasts AND a cleavage! You got a problem!!??; Sup-
posedly Indias LEADING newspaper and this is NEWS!!??, and
Dont talk about Womans Empowerment when YOU dont know how
to RESPECT Women!. Deepika received more applause for this tweet
than for all her celluloid performances combined. #IStandForDeepika
remained one of the top trends on Twitter.
TOI tweets,
Deepika hits out
M
INNOVATIVE designations seem to be
in vogue in the India Today Group.
Consulting editor is what former
editor-in-chief of CNN-IBN, Rajdeep
Sardesai would be called in the media
house. Sources tell us that the latest
high-profile recruit has been hired on
contract basis. He would be hosting a
marquee show on Headlines Today.
The hiring comes within days of
the much-publicized exit of Shekhar
Gupta as the editor-in-chief of the
group. Rajdeep would be responsible
for revamping the organization, espe-
cially the digital properties.
Gupta continues to be the editor-
ial advisor of the group. The change
in his designation came within two
months of his joining as the all-
encompassing head of the organiza-
tion. In 2012, MJ Akbar quit the group
as the editorial director of India
Today and Headlines Today after a
stint of two years. It is believed that
despite respected journalists being
hired time and again in important
positions, it is the Puries who have a
strong hold on the organizations
functioning. This, however, is disputed
by a top industrialist who squarely
blamed the PMO for pressurising
Purie to get rid of Gupta.
Old mission, new designation
DOORDARSHAN (DD) is trying all means to
revamp its outlook towards news. Ever
since Narendra Modi became the prime
minister, the national broadcaster has got
the advantage of exclusive access to him.
Despite all this pepping up, DD continues
with its sloppy ways. A newsreader on
DD pronounced the name of Chinese
President Xi Jinping as Eleven Jinping,
confusing Xi for a Roman number. Later,
Prasar Bharati CEO informed that the anchor
had been sacked. Its high time that DDs
staff comes to terms with the fact that their
lazy achchhe din are a thing of the past and
such slip-ups will no longer go unnoticed or
unpunished.
DDs faux pas
THE PRESS COUNCIL OF INDIA has taken a tough
stand on the alleged threat remarks by Telangana
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao against the
media. It has set up a three-member committee,
comprising senior journalists Rajeev Ranjan Nag
(convenor), K Amarnath and Krishna Prasad, to
probe the matter. An order issued by PCI
chairperson, Justice (retd) Markandey Katju said
that it will make its recommendations for protection
of the media in Telangana.
The committee would probe whether the
Telangana CM made the statements attributed to him
that he would break the necks of mediapersons and
bury them underground and that they should salute
the Telangana people if they wish to live in the state.
It would also probe whether this violates Article 19
(1) (a) pertaining to freedom of speech and
expression rights guaranteed by Article 19(1)(e)
and (g) of the constitution.
PCI acts against KCR
threat to journalists
Birdwatchers
IT was a bad week for news websites
and newspapers as far as Twitter
tussles with celebrities goes. Chetan
Bhagat lambasted Firstpost on the
micro-blogging site for presenting his
article on rights of homosexuals in The
Times of India in a distorted manner in
one of their articles. Apparently,
Firstpost headlined its article in a way
that Bhagats stand appeared to be
anti-homosexual while the original
article argues in favour of gay rights.
He tweeted: Never mentioned
Firstposts antics earlier. But when a
sensitive issue is gaining traction, their
misrepresenting me is shocking. Here
is Firstpost's formula for traffic:
Distort Modi's comments, Distort CBs
comments, judge everything like
elitists, solve nothing. The Twitter
tussle only increased the number of
hits on Firstpost.
Chetan Bhagat vs Firstpost
RUBBING salt on the wounds of a much-deprived Indian media, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi gave his first interview since taking oath to the
international media. CNNs Zakaria got the opportunity of interviewing him at
his official residence. The interview was reportedly recorded on September,
13, 2014. Modi has been always more comfortable interacting with the
foreign media. Even during the general elections campaign, Modi had given
his first one-on-one interview to international news agency Reuters.
SHEKHAR GUPTA was in Chennai earlier this month and caught up with the
chairman, Kasturi Sons Ltd, N Ram. This was apparent when the former
editor-in-chief of The Indian Express shared a couple of pictures of the veteran
journalist on his Twitter page. But N Ram was not alone in those pictures. He
posed with his exotic birds for Gupta.
One picture has him cuddling his favourite Pinkham, magnificent Moluccan
Cockatoo which, according to Gupta, is named after N Rams famed journalism
professor at Columbia. But many on Twitter saw this display of affection on
Guptas part as an indication of his future job.
Zakarias date with Narendra Modi
Scoops are on their way out in India as the
media industry spends little on news
gathering and does not want to ruffle the
feathers of the powers-that-be
BY VIVIAN FERNANDES
Too hot to
N December 2009, the US Federal Trade Commis-
sion (FTC) held a workshop on How Will Jour-
nalism Survive the Internet Age. Welcoming the
speakerseditors and media ownersthe FTC
chairman said that since the beginning of our re-
public, news journalism has been essential to make
democracy work by keeping citizens well-in-
formed about civic matters. Internets disruption of
the business model of traditional journalism, he
feared, might leave only wreckage without replac-
ing it with something better as the creative destruc-
tion of old technologies by innovative ones is
supposed to do. With news aggregators like Google
hoovering up advertising dollars, who would bear
the cost of researching, gathering, analyzing, artic-
ulating, editing and producing the civic news thats
required for the proper functioning of US democ-
racy, the FTC chairman wondered.
B
ut public-spirited American journalists
have not given up. Paul Steiger, who was
The Wall Street Journals long-serving man-
aging editor, realized that public interest investiga-
tive journalism, which was a cornerstone of the
infrastructure of democracy, could not be allowed
to crumble. To shore it up, in 2008, he set up ProP-
ublica, a non-profit, nonpartisan media outfit, with
philanthropic funds. Speaking at the FTC work-
shop, he narrated how on July 12, 2009, the Los An-
geles Times published on its front page and on four
full inside pages an article headlined, Problem
Nurses Stay on Job as Patients Suffer. It was written
and principally reported by two reporters, who did
not work for the Los Angeles Times but for ProPub-
lica. Just a few years before, there was only a slim
HANDLE?
Lede
Investigative journalism
chance of a paper of the Los Angeles Times standing
devoting so much prime space to a story that was
not entirely of its own origination and execution.
The story detailed how the board which licenses
nurses was failing in its job of policing them. It was
taking an average of three-and-a-half years and
sometimes as many as six years to cancel the li-
censes of nurses convicted of stealing medicines
from their patients, beating them, or being drunk
or doped when their patients were facing emergen-
cies. If the nurses were fired from one hospital, they
would simply take up a job at another, down the
street. The day after the Los Angeles Times pub-
lished these revelations, Californias then governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger replaced a majority of the
nursing boards members and tasked them with fix-
ing the system.
In the 16 months till July 2009, Steiger said
ProPublica had published two dozen exclusives on
more than six subjects in collaboration with about
40 news organizations, including the Los Angeles
Times. Since then, it has published stories on finan-
cial ties between doctors and medical companies;
threats to privacy in the era of cell phones and how
governments and corporations were digitally track-
ing US citizens; the risks of pumping toxic waste
underground; how payday lenders beat regulators
by tweaking their products to trap low-income
consumers in deep debt; how Political Action
Committees were influencing American politics
with dark money, and many more.
In India too, investigative journalism is under
threatfrom the apathy of media owners. India is
one of the few countries where the newspaper in-
dustry is thrivingat least the big titles are, though
they are squeezing lesser ones with their predatory
pricing policies.
I
n the news television industry, acute competi-
tion and theft of subscription revenue by cable
operators has crimped the profits of broadcast-
ers. But regardless of profitability, Indias media in-
dustry spends little on news gathering
and lesser still on investigative
journalism. However, there are
exceptions like Cobraposts 2005
expose of MPs demanding cash
for asking questions in parlia-
ment, as well as its 2012
searchlight on bankers laun-
dering cash through insurance
policies and demand drafts of
cooperative banks.
In India, investigative journalism is
under threat from the apathy of
media owners. The industry spends
little on news gathering and lesser
still on investigative journalism.
Amitava Sen
In the case of ProPublicas nurses story, Steiger
says, it took many months to collect the evidence
necessary to show that their board was very slack
in investigating the complaints. Scores of people,
he says, had to be tracked down to find out if they
had information that would support misbehavior
which its reporters had discovered and whether
they would stand by the charges. If the reporters
slipped, they risked being sued for libel or slander.
Such concerted effort by media organizations
is quite rare in India, though they do have big pro-
gramming budgets. TV18 Broadcast, which owns
CNBC-TV18 and CNN-IBN, spent 26 percent or
`508 crore of its income from media operations
(`1,895 crore) on programming in the financial
year ending March 2014. But this includes the cost
of producing or acquiring content for entertain-
ment channels like Colors. TV Today, whose flag-
ship is Aaj Tak, spent a little over 10 percent of rev-
enue from operations (`3,894 crore) on production
in the last financial year. Much of this was on bread
and butter reporting.

N
ews, which Indian channels report,
barely skims the surface. Newspapers
scratch harder but dig deepand con-
sistently. Meager traveling allowances to reporters
act as a leash. The pressure of the daily byline gives
them little time to get under the skin of a story.
Outstation travel, when allowed, is a hurried affair,
as the meter is ticking. It is rarely that editors as-
semble teams to work on a story in depth or pro-
vide them expert legal or accounting help, which
is necessary considering the complexity of present-
day scandals. It is another matter when the propri-
etors decide to take a stand for reasons of ideology
or wounded pride. Thus, we have Ramnath
Goenkas campaign in The Indian Express against
Dhirubhai Ambanis Reliance Industries, in al-
liance with Nusli Wadia of Bombay Dyeing. Or
The Hindus N Ram pursuing the Bofors scandal.
There are exceptions like The Caravan, which
gave Leena Gita Regunath two years to report on
Swami Aseemanand, the monk who was recon-
PAINSTAKING WORK
The Caravan allowed Leena
Gita Regunath ( extreme
right) to work on the Swami
Aseemanand (right) story for
two years. The thorough
investigation led to a
hard-hitting story
An analysis of the recipients of the
Ramnath Goenka Awards for Excellence
in Journalism for 2011 and 2012 shows
that investigative journalism in India is
only a solo effort of a reporter.
Lede
verting Christians in Gujarats Dangs district to
Hinduism before he was picked up for his role in
the 2007 bombings of the Delhi-Lahore Samjhauta
Express, Hyderabads Mecca Masjid and Ajmer
Dargah.The story was so hard-hitting that Regu-
nath declined an invitation from the Foundation
for Media Professionals to speak in public, fearing
for her safety from Hindutva fanatics.
T
he swami, who is lodged in Ambala Cen-
tral Jail, had confessed to Regunath that
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had told him
that it was very important that the terror attacks
be carried out. Aseemanand denied the interviews.
Regunath says it took her a long time to piece to-
gether the story because different lawyers in differ-
ent states dealing with investigations from multiple
agencies made it really difficult for her to get all the
chargesheets. No one lawyer, she said, was able to
educate her on all the connecting links.
To build trust, she had to give Aseemanand
time. She traveled to Gujarat, West Bengal, Madhya
Pradesh and Gujarat for the story. She had to go to
Chandigarh for the hearings which would happen
only once every month. Regunath obtained infor-
mation under the RTI Act, which showed that the
Gujarat government has spent `53 lakh to divert
river water to Shabari Dham in Dangs district for
Aseemanands Ghar Vapsi or reconversions. It was
a thorough investigation.
Another Caravan cover storyRSS 3.0about
how the RSS was fighting for relevance (before the
2014 Lok Sabha elections) took Dinesh Narayan
five months to report.
An analysis of the 52 recipients of the Ramnath
Goenka Awards for Excellence in Journalism for
2011 and 2012, which were presented in Septem-
ber, shows that investigative journalism in India is
often a solo effort that depends on a reporters drive
and commitment. IBN Lokmats Prajakta R Dhulap
did an episode on six child brides she came across
while reporting from Marathwada on women
working in sugarcane fields. Siddu Biradar, the
Raichur correspondent of TV9, found widespread
malnourishment among children in Karnatakas
Devadurga taluka during his visits to anganwadis.
He traced the problem to a contractor serving poor
quality food in collusion with officials. He says it
was a scam that ran into a few hundred crore
rupees.
Following his reports, the contract was can-
celled and the Lokayukta chargesheeted two IAS
officials. The Karnataka government also launched
more than a dozen schemes, Biradar says, to nurse
weak children back to health. These included pro-
vision of millet-based diets and free treatment in
private hospitals.
S
urbhi Khyati of The Indian Express exposed
the web of illegal contacts and diversion of
National Rural Health Mission funds when
Babu Singh Kushwaha was the health minister of
Uttar Pradesh between 2009 and 2011.
Muzamil Jaleel analyzed FIRs filed by police
against the so-called sympathizers of the banned
Students Islamic Movement of India and found the
incriminating material to be flimsy. Ashutosh
Bhardwaj of The Indian Express reported that
among the 17 killed in the biggest Maoist en-
RARE EFFORT
IBN Lokmats Prajakta R
Dhulap did an episode on six
child brides in Marathwada.
The story won her the
Ramnath Goenka Award for
Excellence in Journalism for
2011 and 2012
counter in Karnatakas Bijapur were 15-year-olds
who had topped their school and were attending a
village function when the police opened fire.
W
hile there have been many exposes of
political scandals and police excesses,
there is little journalistic investigation
of corporate misdemeanors. Often, the leads or en-
tire stories are provided by the CBI, which has its
own vested interest, or the Comptroller & Auditor
General, and are published with little scrutiny of
the sources motive. Some like the 2G telecom
scandal are breathtaking in their brazenness.
Research analysts at institutional investment
firms or consultancies that advise them on corpo-
rate governance in the companies they invest in,
have done a better job than journalists in outing
corporate misdemeanors.
The fraud at Satyam Computer came out when
FIIs strongly objected to its reverse merger with
Maytas Infrastructure and Maytas Properties.
None of the pink papers had a clue till then that the
controlling shareholders of Satyam were rigging up
its price and had diverted company funds into
property investments which had sunk in value.
Even those journalists who report corporate
malfeasance may see their stories guillotined as un-
scrupulous managers and owners cut secret deals.
For example, the story of a fire in Delhis income
tax office and the incineration of a file about tax
evasion by a real estate company were suppressed
by a Mumbai-based newspaper after it was mas-
saged with front page ads, says a senior investiga-
tive journalist who worked there. Such censorship
can cause collateral damage by compromising the
credibility of the investigative journalist with their
sources, despite not being party to the give-and-
take process.
Unfortunately, some newspapers and TV chan-
nels have converted investigative journalism into a
revenue streamthrough blackmail and extortion.
This was the allegation of industrialist MP Naveen
Jindal against two editors of Zee News in 2012,
which got them embroiled in a criminal suit. Un-
scrupulous journalists also get enmeshed in cor-
porate rivalries by publishing unverified and
one-sided tip-offs as investigative pieces.
Josy Joseph, editor, Special Projects at The
Times of India worries that investigative journalism
is not taught in journalism schools: a commentary
on the low importance given to it by media houses.
Knowledge of skills like database mining and bal-
ance sheet analysis is a basic requirement in these
times when corporate structures are complex and
finance is global.
J
oseph had exposed Mumbais Adarsh Housing
Society scam, in which prime land meant for
housing war widows was snatched by army
generals, political leaders and bureaucrats to build
apartments for themselves. That story cost Maha-
rashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan his job.
Joseph says he spent four months researching the
entire story.
In another expose, he showed that Maharashtra
leader Sharad Pawar and his immediate family had
a stake in a Pune real estate company which had
bid for the citys Indian Premier League cricket
franchise. The stake-holding was not illegal, but
Pawar and his daughter had previously denied
their financial interest.
So, it is not just paid news and unethical con-
duct that has lowered the esteem of Indian jour-
nalism in the eyes of the public. The failure to
discharge the investigative function blunts its value
as a democracy-enhancing tool for citizens.
Indian journalism is failing this acid test.
News, which Indian channels report,
barely skims the surface. As for
newspaper reporters, the pressure of
the daily byline often gives them little
time to get under the skin of a story.
Lede
QATAR now has a new cybercrime law, which, media watchdogs say, can be
detrimental to the countrys freedom of speech and expression. This
controversial law has emerged in the backdrop of controlled freedom of
expression, wherein the local press regularly exercises self-censorship. Under
the law, authorities can ban websites they consider threatening to the safety
of the country and punish anyone who posts or shares online content that
undermines Qatars social values or general order. It is another matter
that the law fails to define the meaning of these terms.
Media scholar
dies at 73
Journalist rebukes
media reports on Israel
BRUCE GRONBECK, a former
University of Iowa professor,
described as one of the most
prominent media scholars, died on
September 10. Gronbeck chaired
the Department of Communications
Studies at the university for six
years and served on its faculty
senate. He addressed the effects of
new media on political campaigns,
image management during media
crises and how political advertising
affects citizens perceptions of
the US. In 2002, he received the
National Communication
Association Mentor Award.
S THE WORLD TURNS
THIS is a perfect example of how an
advertisement can go horribly wrong.
Bikram Arlington, a Virginia Yoga
Studio, had to apologize on Twitter
after its advertisement was severely
criticized by users. The yoga studio
tweeted a 9+11= 20 percent off
promotion on the eve of the 13th
anniversary of 9/11. In the past, a
Wisconsin golf course, a chain of
New York City health clubs and an
Idaho casino had been criticized for
trying to make money off the
September 11 anniversary.
BEN-DROR YEMINI, a veteran Israeli
journalist, lashed out at the media for
demonizing and obsessively defaming
Israel. Known for his investigative and
hard-hitting local reporting, Yemini, in an
interview with Israels Channel 2 News,
expressed his anguish at media reports of
the Israel carnage. Calling both the local
and international press an industry of
lies, Yemini added that medias narrow
focus and near-exclusive blame on Israel
was exploding in our faces today.
He said that neither Israel nor the
Israel-Palestine conflict could be blamed
for the current state of the Middle East.
A
Ad stirs social
media
firestorm
New cybercrime law for Qatar
RUPERT MURDOCHS News
Corporation wrote a letter against
Google to the European Union,
complaining about the companys
intention to exploit its dominant
market position to stifle
competition.
Google responded to News Corp,
saying: "Phew, what a scorcher!
Murdoch accuses Google of eating
his hamster," pointing out to the
obvious irony in the case. Murdoch
himself is the owner of multiple
media outlets such as the Wall
Street Journal and Fox
Entertainment Group.
Murdoch cries foul
Magazine Feature
Ramnath Goenka Awards
These prestigious prizes felicitate the best and the
brightest in journalism, who, along with their grit, have
given us unforgettable stories
BY VON TEAM
BOUQUETS
W
ITH rampant corruption, nepotism and administrative failure
stalking India in various spheres, people look to the Fourth Estate
for succor. And it has risen to the occasion many times. Individual
acts of courage and passion continue to drive this industry, expos-
ing failures in the government, financial irregularities, humanitar-
ian crises and environmental degradation. These would never have
come to our notice otherwise.
Such journalism must be recognized and this is what the Ram-
nath Goenka Awards for Excellence in Journalism are all about.
They felicitate journalists who have gone beyond the call of duty
and in the face of immense pressures and threats to give their read-
ers an unforgettable story. We profile some of the winners for 2011
and 2012.
H
e is one of the few journalists, who, de-
spite being in the profession for 20
years, continues to venture out of the
studio to understand the ground realities. Srini-
vasan Jain won the award for his show Truth vs
Hype and for his investigation into the 100-day
economic blockade in Manipur. Jain says the
biggest challenge was to establish that the block-
ade had a manufactured element to it. It involved
investigative work in a sensitive region, at a sensi-
tive time.
In a Truth vs Hype episode which is titled, The
myth of the blockade, aired in 2011, Jain sought to
answer several disturbing questions:What was the
true extent of the shortage, especially of fuel? Was
it genuine or manufactured? Did security concerns
tie the hands of the state or were there political
gains from the blockade?
Jain believes nothing can substitute ground
reporting and is worried about the increasing vol-
ume of studio journalism. He says: I think we
have too much studio talk across channels. It needs
to be balanced with a healthy dose of reported
news. For young reporters, he advises: Be a news
junkie and dont compromise on factual rigor.
V
imal Mohan has been a sports journalist
for 20 years. The story that won him
kudos was a regular assignmentdocu-
menting the poor infrastructure that would thwart
Indias Olympics dreams and the challenges faced
by athletes before the 2012 London Olympics. He
travelled to Bhiwani, Indias boxing hub, to get the
point of view of players. He used songs from
Dabangg to make the package entertaining. He
says: The problem with Indian sports is that both
government institutions and corporates believe in
short-term investment and not in grooming
sportspersons.
Interestingly, Mohan doesnt consider this story
as his career best. In 2010, the Indian hockey teams
coach, MK Kaushik, was accused by the team of
asking for sexual favors and having an affair with
team manager Arunita Saini. Getting Sainis point
of view at this crucial juncture was Mohans
favorite story. He says, At that time, all channels
were pointing fingers at Saini. No one tried to get
her side of the story. I tried hard to track her and
finally, interviewed her at 1 am. Till today, Saini
thanks me. It was only after that interview that
other channels also aired her view.
Srinivasan Jain, NDTV
24x7, Journalist of the Year
Vimal Mohan, NDTV India
for Sports Journalism
K
arma Paljor, an aviation correspondent, got the award for
a 30-minute documentary on corruption within Air India
that led to its financial collapse. The story was titled, Who
killed the Maharaja, and was not easy to do. The main challenge
was to get documents to support the allegations that were coming
from various quarters. I spent a lot of time in Mumbai talking to for-
mer and current AI officers. A number of honest officers from Air
India wanted the airline to survive and were willing to do anything
to save it, but the challenge was to make them talk and assure them
that I would not reveal their identities. With a lot of difficulty, I man-
aged to find some key officials who agreed to talk, says Paljor.
Speaking about the importance of the civil aviation beat, he says,
It is an important beat as everybody aspires to fly.
F
ew jobs evoke as much morbid dread as that of an execu-
tioner. So Ahmadullah has wisely kept his double-life a
secret. To his neighbors in Nakhas locality, hes a shop-
keeper ...As a state retainer, he earns `3,000 a month, a raise that
kept up with inflation from `15 in 1965. Greed holds him back
from giving it up now. Its easy money. He hasnt killed anyone
in 20 years. This was a report in the December 21, 2011, issue
of The Mint, headlined, Past, Present, Future | Ahmadullah: The
Hangman.
Ahmadullahs story from this award-winning series
poignantly brings out the dilemmas of a hangman, a dying pro-
fession. Anil Padmanabhan, deputy managing editor of The
Mint, says, We looked around and saw professions disappearing,
only to be replaced by new ones. To reflect this, we looked at 10
outgoing professions and 10 incoming ones and for effect, played
them as a pair on each day,.
The series documents dog groomers, nail artistes, mattress
stuffers, dialect coaches and family therapists, among others. But
they had to leave some professioins out. We could not locate the
nomadic people who go around fluffing cotton for quilts; visible
in winter in North India, says Padmanabhan.
Karma Paljor, CNN IBN, for
Business and Economic Journalism
Anil Padmanabhan,
Mint, for feature series
Magazine Feature
Ramnath Goenka Awards
P
riyanka was just 23, when, on one of her first
self-chosen assignments, she hit the roads of
Bundelkhand and found a story that was not
only heart-breaking, but also had a nefarious pattern
of rape being used as a tool to establish caste domi-
nation. Invariably, the victims, mostly teenage girls,
would be from the minority community. In one case
the victim was a Brahmin girl.
She also found that it was very difficult for rape
victims and their families to get justice in the hin-
terland. All the girls who were burned, gave dying declarations naming the
culprits. But the lawyer would argue in court that with 80 percent burns on
her body, the victim would not be in her senses because of fluid in her brain.
Now tell me, how ridiculous is that?
Despite the recognition the award has got her, Dubey is disheartened by
the way Hindi journalists are treated. They are like second-rate citizens,
she says and are paid a pittance in comparision to their English counterparts.
W
hen Shweta Thakur Nanda stum-
bled upon Poonam Pandeys Twitter
page which had 2.87 lakh followers
and some nude photos, it got her thinking. Soon
after, model-turned-actor Sherlyn Chopra
announced her Playboy contract to pose in the nude. Thats when the idea
struck me. The cover package was an attempt to analyze the socio-economic
aspect of celebrities baring it all to find a foothold in the film industry, she
says. For Nanda these bare-it-all actresses are rebels in their own right.
Some challenged the boundaries set by patriarchal societies, while others
used their act to mock at a society that had refused to recognize their talent,
says Nanda.
Priyanka Dubey, Tehelka,
for Gender Issues
Shweta Thakur Nanda,
The Week, for Film &
TV Journalism
Reporting from NE and J&K
Maya Mirchandani from NDTV for her
analysis of the clashes in Assams Kokrajhar
and chronicling the Bodo movement for
autonomy.
On-the-spot reporting
Vishnu Som from NDTV for his on-the-spot
reporting during Japans 2011 earthquake. He
was the only Indian journalist to enter Sendai
during the earthquake.
Sports Journalism
Shantanu Guha Ray from India today for
taking a hard look at whats ailing Indian
cricket after its 0-4 loss to Australia in the
2012 Tests.
Vinayak Deepak Gaikwad from IBN Lokmat
for a comprehensive report on the growing
popularity of football in traditionally
kushti-centric Kolhapur
Broadcast journalism, political
reporting
Marya Shakeel from CNN IBN for her 30-
minute show, The Muslim Manifesto, ahead of
the 2012 UP elections
Smitha Nair from CNN IBN for her documen-
tary Keralas Muslim Minds probing the threat
posed by fundamentalist forces in the state in
the run-up to the 2011 assembly elections.
Uncovering India invisible
Cordelia Jenkins from Mint for the
series -- Past, Present, Future.
Commentary
Niranjan Rajadhyaksha from Mint for his col-
umn, Caf Economics.
Hindi Print journalism
Brijesh Singh from Tehelka for his story
capturing the plight of refugees in the Jammu
region. It was published as a 12-page cover
story in Tehelka Hindi.
Film and television journalism
Dipti Nagpaul from The Indian Express for her
empathetic take on the lives of junior artistes
and background models in Bollywood.
Yasser Usman from ABP News for his profile
of Guru Dutts relationships with Geeta Roy and
Waheeda Rehman.
KUDOS FOR THEM TOO
Journalists are now being used
by terrorists to send a broad
message of terror. Its a job that is
increasingly fraught with risks
BY PRIYANKA THIRUMURTHY
Focus
In the
line of
FIRE
Conflict zone reporting
S a part of the world hurtles to-
wards terrorism, journalists are
coming under increasing threat.
When abducted US journalist
James Foley says in a video: Who
did they really kill? in what seems
a prepared speech, while a masked
Islamic State (IS) militant hovers
over him in Syria, it sends a chill up the spines of
viewers. Foley is referring to the August 9 US
bombing of IS fighters near Irbil, Iraq, and it is
obvious that he is being forced to say this. As the
world watches in horror, Foley, in an orange jump-
suit, is beheaded and the IS releases the chilling
video called A Message to America.
Within two weeks, Steven Sotloff, another US jour-
nalist, is beheaded. Again, the medium of commu-
nication becomes the message itself. These events
have brought into sharp focus, the dangers faced
A
by both freelance journalists and staff writers, in
reporting from conflict zones.
According to the Committee to Protect Jour-
nalists (CPJ), the back-to-back murders of these
two US freelance journalists by the same group
shows an acceleration of a pattern that began with
the murder of journalist Daniel Pearl in Pakistan
in 2002. Since then, more insurgent groups have
begun murdering journalists and displaying the
brutal killing to send a broad message of terror.
HUGE TOLL
In Syria alone, 37 journalists have died in the last
two years. According to The Guardian, more than
70 journalists were killed worldwide in 2013. And
in 2014, according to CPJ, 36 journalists have died
in conflict zones so far. Since 1992, 219 journalists
have been killed in conflict reporting, including
68 freelancers.
Not just that. Attacks on the Press, an essay by
CPJ, argues that the increasing use of mobile
internet technology and social media in recent
years has allowed non-state actors like the
Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram to make full use of so-
cial media platforms such as Twitter and Youtube.
The journalists best protection traditionally came
from his role as messenger to the world beyond the
battlefield, says Brian ODonoghue, a journalist
who was embedded with American troops in Iraq.
We were tolerated, even courted by various
partisan sides who wanted their sides of a con-
PRECIOUS LIVES
CUT SHORT
(clockwise from left) Daniel
Pearl, Steven Sotloff and
James Foley
Being a journalist not only offers you no
protection, but also puts you right in the
firing line.As a journalist, you are the
enemy of the state.
Lara Logan, a seasoned conflict reporter
flict reported to the larger world. They needed us,
in a sense. Thats no longer true.
Lara Logan, a seasoned conflict reporter, said
in an interview to CBS Network: Being a journal-
ist not only offers you no protection, but also puts
you right in the firing line. She stressed that jour-
nalists can no longer be independent third party
witnesses in a conflict zone.
CPJ claims that both insurgent groups and
governments have become more sensitive as to
how they are portrayed by the media. As a result,
journalists are forced to oscillate between the
threat of a violent attack from one side and pres-
sure of censorship or prosecution from the other.
As a journalist, you are the enemy of the state,
Logan emphasized.
COST-SAVING COMPANIES
What makes the job of freelancers even more pre-
carious is that media companies, in an effort to
save money, have outsourced newsgathering and
reporting in conflict zones, says CJI. The result of
this, the report claims, is that young and inexpe-
rienced journalists with little or no training, safety
equipment or insurance land up in dangerous
areas, all in the hope of selling their stories. Be-
tween 2011-2013, one-third of journalists killed
worldwide were freelancers.
Present conditions will inevitably increase the
reliance on freelancers, if only because lawyers will
urge caution inside corporate news ranks, says
ODonoghue. The beheadings will discourage
many, even as they increase the value the world
places on the testimony and documentary truth
provided by freelance contributors, he adds.
Frank Smyth, director of Global Journalist
Security, says in an interview to CBS Network, that
a common issue within the freelance community
is the fact that they are often forced to pay for their
own war-zone insurance. This is extremely costly
to obtain and is the primary cost-cutting consid-
eration for news outlets. It covers needs like emer-
gency evacuation and treatment at foreign
hospitals. In addition, reporters also have to spend
on bulletproof jackets, helmets and other expen-
sive gear. People like Foley and Sotloff accepted
the danger, likely because they viewed their con-
tributions as a personal mission, says ODono-
ghue. I dont think that will change, though the
risk associated with conflict journalism has never
been greater, he confirms.
THE FACE OF COURAGE
In fact, if we see the lives of three journalists who
died in conflict zones, we realize the immense
dangers they faced in the pursuit of journalism.
Marie Colvin, a US journalist with The Sunday
Times was the first journalist to interview
Media companies, in an effort to save
money, have outsourced reporting in
conflict zones to young and inexperienced
journalists with little or no training,
safety equipment or insurance.
Focus
Muammar Gaddafi of Libya after Operation El
Dorado Canyon. She was considered a specialist
in Middle-Eastern conflicts and was sent to cover
uprisings in Chechnya, Kosovo, Sierra Leone,
Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and East Timor.
She was easily recognized, thanks to a black
patch over her left eye, which she lost in a blast
triggered off by the Sri Lankan army. This was de-
spite her frantically calling out that she was a jour-
nalist. A recipient of the International Women's
Media Foundation Award for Courage in Journal-
ism, she was responsible for saving 1,500 women
and children in East Timor by ensuring that UN
forces protected them.
In February 2012, ignoring Syrias attempts to
prevent foreign journalists from covering the civil
war without permission, Colvin crossed the bor-
der on the back of a motorcycle. She was stationed
in the city of Homs in Baba Amr district and made
her last broadcast on the evening of February 21,
2012, before she was killed the next day. She
appeared on the BBC, Channel 4, CNN and ITN
News via satellite phone.
While the Syrian government claimed that the
explosive device that killed her was planted by
terrorists, several sources said that the building she
was in had been targeted by the Syrian army. They
allegedly tracked the journalist by using satellite
signals. Before she died, Colvin said that the
Syrian civil war was the worst conflict she had
ever experienced.
TAKING RISKS
James Foley or Jim, as he was called by colleagues
and friends, was initially an instructor for an NGO
called Teach For America, but made a career shift
to become a war correspondent. He became an
embedded journalist with USAID-funded projects
in Iraq and wrote for newspapers such as Stars and
Stripes in Afghanistan and GlobalPost in Libya.
Soon, he was reporting and photographing atro-
cities in war-ravaged countries across the globe.
Foley was kidnapped, according to reports, by
an organized gang on November 22, 2012, in
Syria. His captors are said to have demanded a
ransom, but the US warned the family against
complying with terrorist demands. GlobalPost, the
publication Foley was then reporting for, stated
that they had spent millions to track him down,
including hiring an international security firm,
Kroll Inc. The firm managed to find out that he
was held in Damascus, but he was shifted by his
captors before the authorities could get there. The
Telegraph claimed that, for being an American,
SOFT TARGETS
(Facing page) Marie Colvin,
killed in Syria in 2012;
(above) video footage
before the beheading of
Foley and Sotloff
Foley was subjected to torture and several mock
executions before the final blow was rendered.
Foleys whereabouts were unknown until
August 19, 2014, when IS uploaded A Message to
America video on YouTube. This was not the first
time Foley was abducted. He had been held cap-
tive for 44 days in Libya in 2011 by forces loyal to
Gaddafi before being freed. However, his capturers
were not kind this time around.
The video shows an unknown desert location.
After Foley is made to blame America for his
death, the masked man threatens the US. The
video then shows a beheaded Foley.
Colleagues mourned that the man who sought
to communicate the message of humanity became
a victim of the lack of it.
INTREPID FREELANCER
Steven Sotloff was similarly dealt with. His career
as a freelance conflict journalist began during the
Arab Spring and he worked for several well-re-
puted publications such as Time, The Christian
Science Monitor, The National Interest, The Media
Line, World Affairs and Foreign Policy. He even ap-
peared on CNN and Fox News.
Sotloff s work took him to Syria many times
and also to Egypt, Turkey, Libya, and Bahrain. He
held both Israeli and American citizenships, but
concealed his Jewish background and Israeli
citizenship during his work in Muslim countries.
He was one of the first reporters to reach the
American consulate in Benghazi in Libya where
the US ambassador, Christopher Stevens, and
three other Americans were killed on the night of
9/11 in 2012. He interviewed the guards on duty
and told the world of their tale of fear and regret.
He even took on the US government, reporting on
the tit-for-tat pattern of retaliation that followed
after the attack on the consulate.
Sotloff was abducted near Aleppo on August
4, 2013. He had just crossed the Syrian border
from Turkey. His family, fearing that further harm
would come his way, concealed this information
from the public. For the past year, they were con-
stantly working towards gaining his release. Sotloff
featured at the end of the video that showed
Jamess Foleys beheading. This made it more cru-
cial for his family and the Jerusalem Post to try to
keep his Jewish identity hidden.
After the release of the video, a petition was
started on WhiteHouse.gov, calling for President
Barack Obama to save Sotloff s life. The petition
attracted thousands of signatures within a few
days. Following this, his mother made an emo-
tional appeal on video, requesting the captors of
her son to free him.
A week later, SITE Intelligence Group, which
tracks online activities of terrorists, discovered the
video of Sotloff s execution on a file-sharing site
and released it to their subscribers. The video was
titled, A Second Message to America, and was
allegedly discovered before the perpetrators in-
tended to release it.
In the video, Sotloff, who too is dressed in an
orange jumpsuit, blames Obamas foreign policy
for his circumstance and says the American gov-
ernment deceived its people.
After his death, Felice Friedson, Sotloff s editor
at The Media Line, said that Sotloff was one of the
most courageous, talented and insightful journa-
lists that I have met.
Unfortunately, the best are often taken away
from us earlier.
DEATH ZONE
(Above) IS fighters on patrol
in Syria
According to Reporters
Without Borders (RWB), 50
journalists have been killed
across the world this year,
while the Committee to
Protect Journalists ( CPJ)
reports that 36 journalists
have been killed so far.
Syria is the deadliest
country for reporters, with
37 journalists having lost
their lives there in the last
two years.
Apparently, 20 journalists
are still missing in Syria, with
the IS holding some of them
as hostages.
Palestine (7), Ukraine (5),
Iraq (3) and Afghanistan (3)
are next most dangerous
countries for journalists,
according to the RWB report.
PROFESSIONAL
PERILS
Focus
U O T E S
Q
Maya Mirchandani,
anchor & foreign affairs
editor, NDTV
Common thread of this visit both
Modi and Xi regional leaders who
rose to national status. Both
showcased the Devt of their
state/province.
George K Varghese,
national & political
affairs editor, The Hindu
We Malayalees are indebted to the SC
for protecting our right to booze. This
(is) the strongest argument agnst
secession from the Un(ion) of India.
Bhupendra Chaubey,
national affairs editor,
CNN-IBN
Akhilesh yadav too. Get a firmer grip
on the state; all isnt lost for you.
Lesson for PM modi: Control the
extremists. (On Samajwadi Partys
win in the UP by-polls)
Aroon Purie,
editor-in-chief,
India Today Group
We should learn offloading VIPs from
Pakistan & getting richer from China.
Neighborly competition. (On former
interior minister Rehman Malik being
asked to step down from an aircraft in
Pakistan, after passengers were made
to wait for more than two hours)
Rana Ayyub,
investigative and
political affairs
reporter, Tehelka
Uddhav Thackerays phone calls to
PMO after Modiji assumed power
were not entertained. Ab aaya oonth
pahaad ke neeche.
"Self-loathing so blinds
Hindus that the Indian
media has barely
covered the rise of ISIS
except when they
kidnapped Indian
citizens. So most
Indians remain unaware
of the frightening reality
that the Islamic State now is
a country the size of Jordan....If
in India we continue to ignore what is happening in
Allahs name, not just in Syria and Iraq but in our
immediate neighborhood, then the jehadi dream of
ruling India once more will come true".
Tavleen Singh, in The Indian Express
If you dont support TRS, we will close your
media. If anybody tries to denigrate or hurt the
self respect of Telengana, Telengana Assembly,
Telengana culturewe will break their necks. Be
careful. Beware or else we will bury you 10 km
under the earth.
Telengana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, who blocked
two TV news channels in the state after they protested against
him, in The Times of India
Danny and I lived and
practiced a very ideal version
of journalism and we
believed in that. But after
his death when I became
the news myself, I was
struck by the heartlessness
of journalists, and it was a
bad phase of cynicism and
doubt. Back then, I was
saved by women.
Mariane Pearl, French freelance
journalist and Daniel Pearls wife, on her
husbands murder by the Al-Qaeda in
Pakistan, in The Indian Express
Ground zero
Disasters and calamities
ITS ALL ABOUT
TRPs,
DAHLING!
Reporters covered the Kashmir floods
extensively. But victims of natural calamities in
other regions are not as lucky
BY VON TEAM
t the turn of the last millennium, Baran, a small district carved out of
Kota in Rajasthan, suffered a severe drought. For its inhabitants, the
primitive Sahariya tribe, the calamity proved to be double trouble. They
could neither cultivate crops nor depend on the drying forests for pro-
duce. And that year, Baran saw the first starvation deaths. The admin-
istration, however, took no notice of the communitys suffering.
However, a timely report by Hindustan Times exposed this devastating
Even when the Uttarakhand floods
were covered in 2013, attention was
given only to Kedarnath. Other districts
in the state, which were in greater
danger, were not given any attention.
Soma Basu, a journalist with Down to Earth
story of starvation, death and government apathy.
Baran soon made it to the front pages of national
newspapers.
As correspondents continued to investigate the
issue, the state government could no longer deny
the deaths and was forced to take remedial meas-
ures. It also mobilized public opinion and encour-
aged people to join relief operations, leading to a
phenomenal increase in volunteers.
Soon, news of deaths due to starvation started
trickling in from different parts of the country, es-
pecially Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and
Odisha. The Supreme Court came down hard on
state and central governments for this gross neg-
ligence despite rising food stock.
International media too picked up the story,
shaming the government and forcing it to hasten
relief and compensation. Widespread reporting
also led to the introduction of an innovative relief
scheme, called do bori anaaj, whereby each pan-
SKEWED COVERAGE
(Facing page) The national
media simply looked the
other way even as farmers
committed suicide in
Vidarbha in 2006
(Above) The tsunami disaster,
which hit India in 2004,
received unprecedented
media attention
chayat in Rajasthan kept an emergency supply of
200 kilograms of wheat for hungry families.
T
he Baran case study, published by Eco-
nomic and Political Weekly, demonstrates
the power of the media in urging govern-
ments to rise to the occasion. Unfortunately, the
media chooses to use this power selectively, little
realizing how peoples lives can change because of
it. An example would be, the torrential rains in Ut-
tarakhand last year, which left massive destruction
in its wake as houses, hotels and roads fell like
signs of the bigger tragedy waiting to happen.
Floods have been a recurring phenomenon in Ut-
tarakhand and have claimed a total of more than
150 lives in 2010, 2011 and 2012. One-off stories
appeared in newspapers, reporting the death toll.
But there was no delving into the causes of the
calamity.
Soma Basu, a journalist with Down to Earth,
says: Even when the Uttarakhand floods were
covered in 2013, attention was given only to
Kedarnath, which is an important religious desti-
nation. Other districts in the state, which were in
greater danger, were not given any attention.
Jonathan Baker, principal of BBCs College of
Journalism, explains this phenomenon in the
book, Reporting Disaster and Disaster Prepared-
ness. He writes: Whether we like it or not, the way
a media organisation responds to a disaster will be
driven first and foremost by how strong a story
they think it is. To put it crudely: How bad is it?
So the higher the casualty, the greater its chances
of being covered.
O
ften, it is the managements policy that
dictates what is covered. It is seldom the
reporters or the editors discretion.
Niveditha Khandekar, a Delhi-based journalist
who writes on developmental, environmental
and tribal issues, says: As reporters we are always
discouraged from covering any low impact
disaster in areas that do not have much reader-
ship.Weekly marketing surveys show that there are
not too many takers for such news in the urban
population. This discrimination is made not just
in states, but even within a city too. We have been
told that a person from south Delhi, who is our
main reader, has no interest in the problems in the
We are discouraged from covering low
impact disasters in areas that do not have
much readership. Weekly marketing
surveys show there are not too many takers
for such news in the urban population.
Niveditha Khandekar, development journalist
a pack of cards under the landslide. According to of-
ficial figures, close to 5,500 people lost their lives in
these floods. Newspapers and TV channels swooped
down on the state and flooded the country with in-
formation on rescue operations. The remote state of
Uttarakhand was finally getting its share of national
and international limelight. Reporting from Ground
Zero, journalists became the only source of informa-
tion for grieving families.
Medias zeal to bring disasters to light is com-
mendable. But it lacks the foresight to detect early
Ground zero
Disasters and calamities
slums of north-east Delhi, she says.
I
n fact, the media has its priorities very clear.
Justice Markandey Katju wrote in an article
in The Hindu about how close to a whopping
500 accredited journalists were covering the cot-
ton collection at the Lakme Annual Fashion Week,
when just 12 hours away, farmers from the Vi-
darbha region, who cultivated this very cotton,
were committing suicide in 2006. Nobody covered
this story except two local papers. While the gov-
ernment has often been criticized for overlooking
farmer suicides, it is the medias responsibility to
bring up this issue.
It is all about grabbing more eyeballs. Take, for
example, the October 8, 2005, earthquake of 7.4
magnitude that shook Kashmir and destroyed
border villages. The epicentre was in Pakistan-oc-
cupied Kashmir and more than 87,000 people
were killed. In India, around 1,300 lives were lost.
This quake got far more media attention than
other more devastating disasters in the country.
The media is said to have gathered there to just
witness the short tryst of friendship between two
nuclear neighbours. In a week alone, The Indian
Express in its Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir edi-
tions, had more than 150 reports on this quake.
The 2005 Mumbai floods too garnered inces-
sant media attention. But reporting damage wasnt
the main priority of the media. Feel-good stories
about the heroism and resilience of Mumbaikars
were dished out.
A
study by media website, The Hoot, con-
cluded that national newspapers tend to
focus on bigger states and issues such as
politics, crime, and sports. It is due to skewed pri-
orities that there are fewer stories from Uttarak-
hand, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and seven of
the north-east states.
There is also a direct correlation between
media coverage of a calamity and the international
aid it receives, according to World Disaster Report
(2005). The tsunami which hit India in December
2004 received an unprecedented amount of media
attention worldwide and the coverage continued
through January.
The result? Victims received $1.2 billion aid,
88 percent of the total aid demanded. This corre-
lation between aid and media coverage makes
complete sense, says Basu. But she also adds that
finally, it is TRPs and readership that take prece-
dence over human tragedies.
That is the harsh reality of life.
IN FOCUS
(Facing page) Medias
attention to the Baran
drought and starvation
deaths, mainly children,
helped in relief and
rehabilitation
(From Left) Lord Shivas
statue half submerged at
Rishikesh during the 2013
Uttarakhand floods; Jammu
and Kashmir floods
continue to get airtime and
front page space.
Spotlight Press Censorship
Tamil Nadu
In this neo-Orwellian scenario,
the cops are actually spying on
reporters in an attempt to stifle
crime reporting
BY SOMI DAS
SNOOPING-
STYLE
TN
UZZLING the press is
often seen as a sign of a
dictatorial and insecure
regime. This is what is
happening in Tamil Nadu,
where, not just the govern-
ment, but also the police are using strong-arm tac-
tics to curb the media.
The latest instance of this arm-twisting oc-
curred recently in Chennai, where crime graph
has been rising. While chain snatchings have be-
come a regular affair, with close to a dozen cases
being reported daily, murder cases too are on the
rise. In such a scenario, what is a good crime re-
porter expected to do? He must warn citizens
about the risk of being robbed and question the
administration for its failure to stop these crimes.
But this could well land him in a soup with the
police, which have drawn out a secret list to
monitor journalists and stop them from filing
negative reports.
POLICE LIST
Incredulous as this seems, Chennai Police Com-
missioner S George has formed a committee to
monitor crime reporters after adverse reports on
chain snatchings began making daily headlines.
The immediate trigger for this move seems to be
an item in a local publication, Junior Vikatan,
which mentioned that when the organization con-
tacted the commissioner, he feigned ignorance
about the incidents. The report was picked up by
an MLA and questions raised on the floor of the
House.
This was reason enough for the commissioner
to assign a dedicated team to go after crime
reporters, interact with them on a regular basis
and coax, cajole, bribe and bully the concerned
journalist to ensure no negative news appears in
any daily (as mentioned in a letter by the Chen-
nai Union of Journalists to the Press Council of
India). Unfortunately for the commissioner, the
list was leaked to the media.
The letter says: Officers (of and above the
level of assistant commissioner of police) have
been deputed under the garb of Press Officer
when a separate public relation officer is already
available in Chennai city police on the instruc-
tions of S George. The appointment of these offi-
cers has neither been informed to the press nor
the concerned media organizations.
The purported list has the names of organiza-
tions, their crime reporters and their mobile num-
bers. The New Indian Express and The Times of
India reporters are the under the scrutiny of the
deputy commissioner, while The Hindu and Dec-
can Chronicle would be looked after by an assis-
tant commissioner. A cluster of local
Jayalalithaa has forgotten the difference
between personal criticism and criticism of
her governments policy. She sees all kind
of criticism as a personal attack.
R Mani, senior journalist in Chennai
SPECIAL TREATMENT?
(Above) A leaked list of media
organizations and their
reporters to be dealt with by
police officers, of and above
the rank of ACP
publications also figure in the list.
The crime reporter of a national daily is
unfazed by the ongoing controversy. He says,
This has not happened for the first time. Media
is regularly monitored by law enforcing agencies.
Phones of journalists are often tapped. The com-
missioner got into this controversy because he
only entertains a certain section of the media.
Otherwise, police tracking journalists is a com-
mon affair.
However, there are several versions of the story
doing the rounds among crime reporters. Some
say that the list was actually drawn out at the insis-
tence of a local reporter who personally met the
commissioner and requested him to allow regular
flow of news. The Chennai police do not usually
brief the media about law and order in the city.
Neither does the commissioner hold regular press
conferences as those elsewhere do. However, with
increasing crimes in the city, reporters urged the
commissioner to find a way for greater liaison be-
tween the media and the police. And that was one
of the reasons why different officers were allocated
different journalists. Nonetheless, it does smack
of an insecure regime out to control the press.
ATMOSPHERE OF ANTAGONISM
This hostility towards the media is not new in
Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa isnt ex-
actly well-disposed towards the media. Lakshman
Reddy, a crime reporter with a national daily with
a pro-AIADMK slant, says, Jayalalithaa doesnt
want her officers to attract too much publicity. So,
they maintain a low profile.
Shadab Hussain, a senior correspondent with
an English channel, says: Pathetic is the word that
explains the state of affairs in this state as far as
media-government interaction is concerned. The
chief minister has addressed just five press con-
ferences in the three years that she has been in
power. Neither the police nor cabinet ministers
are ever ready to come on record on any issue.
When she came to power in 2011, Jayalalithaa
had promised to meet the media regularly. But all
that journalists got was press releases from the
public relations department of the government,
which ironically, is also responsible for allocating
ads to different publications. And therein lies the
root cause of this problem. Any negative reports
would mean a revenue crunch for the publications
as government ads are stopped to it.
Worse, hard questions by journalists dont go
down well with the CM. Hussain says even when
Jayalalithaa addresses the press, she is easily irked.
He recalls the instance when she visited the site of
a building collapse, where 60 people were killed.
UNEASY RELATION
(Below) DMK leader M Karunanidhi
with his son MK Stalin; while
Karunanidhi is accessible to
journalists, Stalin is known to be
brash with media
Placing journalists under the supervision
of a police officer without their knowledge
is an act of intimidation and a serious
threat to free and fair journalism.
Chennai Union of Journalists
Spotlight Press Censorship
Tamil Nadu
Before Amma began her interaction, she warned
journalists not to ask any political questions. As
expected, when she came to the site, rescue oper-
ations were stopped as the rescue team got busy
welcoming Jayalalithaa. When a journalist from
an English channel brought this to her notice, she
got angry and walked off in a huff, says Hussain.
The next day, none of the OB vans of English
channels was allowed near the site.
As if blocking of all official communication
wasnt bad enough, journalists in Chennai always
run the risk of being slapped with a defamation
suit. Senior journalist R Mani says, : Between
1991-1996, Jayalalithaa filed over 120 defamation
cases against the media. But in February 1996,
during the run-up to the assembly elections, she
withdrew all these cases. Between 2001-2006, the
story was the same.
Jayalalithaa did not even spare satirist Cyrus
Broacha. The comedian was slapped with a
defamation suit for his comments on Jayalalithaa
regarding her letter to then Prime Minister Man-
mohan Singh asking him not to allow Sri Lankan
players in the Indian Premier League.
Dinamalar newspaper was slapped with a
defamation suit for simply reporting that the
Chennai government was on its way to privatizing
part of the state transport system. She has forgot-
ten the difference between personal criticism and
criticism of her governments policy. She sees all
kind of criticism as a personal attack, says Mani.
HOSTILE DMK
But its not just Jayalalithaa. The DMKs relations
with the media too are tense. Hussain claims that
he was even beaten up by DMK leader MK Stalins
men while reporting outside his house. He says
that when Stalin offered to resign after the DMKs
poor performance in the general elections, his
elder brother Alagiri called his move a drama.
Channels started airing the news, with headlines
such as Alagiri calls Stalins resignation a drama.
This angered Stalin, and his men came and at-
tacked the journalists.
However, he adds that Karunanidhi was always
accessible as a CM and didnt use defamation suits
as a tool to attack the media. At the most, govern-
ment ads would be stopped to publications doing
anti-government pieces.
Hussain reveals that there are different power
centers in the DMKKarunanidhi, Kanimozhi,
Stalin and Alagiri. If you keep one of them in
good humor, you can avoid trouble. But in the
case of Jayalalithaa, there is only one power
centre, he says. Reddy agrees, We did a lot more
journalism in DMKs era. Stories about govern-
ment tapping phones were done regularly. We
have got clear instructions from our management.
We should avoid irritating the CM.
What makes journalists in Tamil Nadu feel
shackled is that most local Tamil news media is
owned by major political parties. This makes it
easy to muzzle the media. The only voices of dis-
sent come from the national media. Local media
simply wants to save its skin.
And as far as the police go, they are an exten-
sion of the political culture pervading the state.
While some journalists speak out, others prefer to
err on the side of caution and keep quiet.
Names changed to protect identity
AMMA HAS THE LAST LAUGH
(Abvoe) Jayalalithaa slapped a
defamation suit on satirst Cyrus
Broacha for taking a dig at her for
her letter to the Prime Minsiter
seeking a ban on Sri Lankan
players in IPL.
NEWS
DATE NEWS CHANNEL TIME
2:54 PM 2:55 PM 2:56 PM 2:56 PM
1/09/14
1/09/14
1/09/14
2/09/14
2/09/14
3/09/14
3/09/14
Japan to assist India in its bullet
train project
Government fles an appeal in the
Supreme Court not to cancel 46 coal
blocks; says work has already started in
these blocks
Law minister and home minister to write
to all chief ministers for fast-track courts;
Cases of tainted lawmakers to be
transferred to fast-track courts
Supreme Court decides to review death
sentences. Review petitions to be heard
within 30 minutes. Hearing in an open
court comprising of a three-judge panel
Modi visits Vivekananda Cultural Centre;
hums with children; calls for creating a
clean India by 2019
Swami Nityanand will have to undergo
potency test in the 2010 rape case,
directs Supreme Court
Jitender Singh Shunty, MLA from Shahdara
in the Delhi assembly, attacked by
unknown assailants at his home; CCTV
camera captures the attack
11:49 AM 12:42 PM
3/09/14
CBI director refutes Prashant Bhushans
charges; says it amounts to interfering in
his life
3:06 PM
5:36 PM 5:37 PM
3:00 PM 3:06 PM
5:30 PM
10:50 AM 10:52 AM 10:56 AM 10:56 AM 11:00 AM
3:10 PM
4:00 PM 4:02 PM
10:47 AM
4:10 PM
10:39 AM 10:42 AM
8:09 AM 8:08 AM 8:10 AM 8:11 AM 8:11 AM 8:33 AM
10:44 AM 10:45 AM
4:15 PM 4:20 PM
5:35 PM
3:40 PM
Here are some of the major news items aired on television
channels, recorded by our unique 24x7 dedicated media
monitoring unit that scrutinizes more than 130 TV channels in
different Indian languages and looks at who breaks the news first.
3/09/14
4/09/14
4/09/14
4/09/14
4/09/14
5/09/14
6/09/14
NEWS
Supreme Court expresses anger with the
center on Ganga cleaning; center asks for
three weeks time
Pak cricketer Ahmed Shehzad accused of
persuading Sri Lankan cricketer
Tillakaratne Dilshan to convert to Islam
CBI Director Ranjit Sinha accused of
meeting people involved in 2G scam
Eight people die in Jammu foods
Andhra Pradesh chief minister to declare
the new capital, somewhere in the
Vijayawada region
Roof of a school collapses; preparations
were underway to relay prime ministers
teachers day interaction with students
Heavy rains in Jammu; Jammu-Katra
highway and railway line closed; 100
people die in foods
12:51PM
8:36AM
8:43AM
9:43 AM
11:43AM 11:44AM
11:40 AM
1:05PM 10:45AM
11:46 AM 11:52 AM
10:30 AM 10:40 AM
8:44AM 10:59AM 11:00AM
9:04AM 9:07AM
12:52PM 12:54PM 12:59PM 12:59PM
4/09/14
Al Qaeda releases video declaring
opening of subcontinental wing; IB
declares nationwide alert
8:30AM 8:40AM 9:10AM 9:30AM 11:40AM
NEWS
11:19AM 11:23AM 11:15AM
6/09/14
7/09/14
8/09/14
8/09/14
8/09/14
8/09/14
9/09/14
9/09/14
Delhi police arrest a terrorist named Ejaz
Sheikh; he was involved in the 2010 Jama
Masjid attack
120 people die in J&K foods; Modi
to visit state
Supreme Court stays Surinder Kolis
hanging for seven days
Thirty people die in a landslide in
Udhampur of Jammu; forecast of
heavy rains
Setback for Ranjit Sinha; SC wants reply
in a weeks time on PIL fled by
Prashant Bhushan
AAP sting operation; BJP ofered `4 crore
to buy its legislators
SC hearing on government formation in
Delhi adjourned till October 9
SC reserves its judgment on coal scam and
cancellation of 218 mines
8:10 AM
8:29AM 8:28AM 9:00AM
8:09 AM 8:11 AM 8:13 AM 9:13 AM
10:25AM 10:26AM 10:27AM 10:29AM
11:25AM 11:31AM 12:40AM
10:53AM 10:52AM
4:15PM 4:14PM 4:15PM 4:16PM 4:16PM
10:57AM 10:59AM
8:30AM 9:03AM
9:00AM
9:10AM
9:48AM 12:06PM 12:29PM 12:30PM
10/09/14
10/09/14
10/09/14
11/09/14
11/09/14
11/09/14
12/09/14
12/09/14
NEWS
AAP meets LG Najeeb Jung; presents its
demand of not letting the BJP form a
government in Delhi
Court issues summons against
Subramanian Swamy in a defamation
case; told to appear on October 10
Chargesheet against Amit Shah in
Muzafarnagar; accused of giving
provocative speech during the campaign
for the Lok Sabha elections
Former chief minister Sheila Dixit
says it would be good if the BJP
forms the government in Delhi
Case fled against Yogi Adityanath; accused
of defying the ban by holding an election
rally; charged for violating Section 144
Supreme Court returns chargesheet
against Amit Shah; points out errors
Nithari case convict Surinder Kolis
hanging stayed till October 29
Assembly elections announced in Haryana
and Maharashtra. 288 seats of Maharashtra
and 90 seats of Haryana to go for polls on
October 15; results on October 19
10:30 AM
4:05PM
10:47AM
10:06 AM
12:41 PM
10:50AM
4:40PM 4:41PM 4:42PM 4:48PM
1:52 PM 12:45PM
10:51AM 10:59AM 11:00AM
11:00 AM 12:41 PM 10:45 AM
11:13AM 11:52AM 11:52AM 11:21AM
4:07PM 4:12PM 4:27PM 4:29PM
10:34 AM 11:29 AM 11:44 AM
NEWS
6:20PM 6:24PM 6:28PM 6:30PM
12/09/14
13/09/14
13/09/14
14/09/14
14/09/14
16/09/14
Cricketer Yuvraj Singh meets BJP president
Amit Shah; sparks rumors of his joining
the party
Results of DU elections out; ABVP sweeps
polls. Mohit Nagar elected president,
Parvesh Malik vice-president, Kanika
general secretary, Ashutosh joint secretary
EC notice to Congress candidate Narendra
Rawat in Gujarat for violation of model
code of conduct; accused of making public
a selfe at a polling booth
BJP MP from Unnao Sakshi Maharaj gives
a controversial statement on love jehad
and says madrasas are imparting terror
education, with no regard to nationalism
PM Narendra Modi appeals to supporters
not to celebrate his birthday
Setback for BJP in UP assembly bypolls; BJP
gets three seats, SP 8 seats
11:35AM
11:26AM
1:34AM
11:05AM
4:19PM
11:36AM 11:36AM
4:14PM 4:11PM
6:35PM 6:39PM 6:40PM 6:41PM
1:04PM 1:02PM 2:10PM 2:55 PM
4:08PM
15/09/14
BJP, Shiv Sena at loggerheads over seat
sharing and chief ministership in
Maharashtra; alliance could break up
10:02AM 10:14AM 11:15AM 10:30AM
16/09/14
Robert Vadra gets relief from Delhi
High Court; CBIs appeal for the
probe dismissed 10:42AM 10:45AM 10:47AM 10:57AM
In a bid to show more circulation
and thereby, get more ads, Indias
two leading English dailies are
flinging allegations against each
other. Who is correct?
BY RAJENDRA BAJPAI
NDIAS paper tigers are grappling in
public with a brazen display of one-up-
manship, bordering on chicanery. The
Times of India (TOI) and Hindustan Times
(HT), the two leading English dailies of the
country, are fighting in public, each claiming
a higher circulation in the National Capital Region (NCR)
than the other.
HT says that its circulation in NCR is 10.6 lakh copies,
higher than The TOIs 10.4 lakh figure on the basis of Audit
Bureau of Circulation figures for July-December 2013. The
TOI says HTs circulation includes HT2Minutes, a 12-page
supplement that is free with Hindi daily Hindustan from
Monday to Friday and is otherwise sold for `1.50 and
against regular HTs price of `4.50. It says that minus
HT2Minutes, The TOIs circulation is 38 percent higher
than HTs.
The spat is getting uglier. Both newspapers have carried
ads and news stories to prove their point. In an allusion
to The TOI, HT has alleged that its competitor was buying
its copies in bulk from distribution points in NCR, some-
times at twice the cover price. It has lodged an FIR against
unnamed people for sabotaging its distribution of the
newspaper.
In an ad published in The TOI, Vijay Karnataka, a
Spotlight
TOI-HT spat
The Dirty
PICTURE
Times Group newspaper, implied that HT was buying its
own copies. Our associate companies will not engage in
BUYING copies in bulk every day from our dealers as a
technique of adding credibility to incredible circulation
figures, it said.
In a full-page ad, HT said it had 18 lakh exclusive
readers and advertisers who ignored it, were doing so for
their own disadvantage. The trouble with ABC and India
Readership Surveys is that newspapers can interpret it any-
way they like.
Whats going on between HTand Times is whats going
on in the entire private sector, which is, unchecked capi-
talism without any regulation, said Rajiv Desai, chairman
and CEO of Comma Consulting and former media adviser
to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. There is no regulator for
the media and it is totally unrestrained, he said, adding that
journalists were obviously unable to ask newspaper pro-
prietors for proof of circulation.
Winning the war of words and ads is important for
both the newspapers. Circulation is the key to a newspa-
pers success. It determines ad rates as well as the attitude
of media buyers. Greater circulation ensures higher ad
rates as well as greater ad spend by advertisers. Still, these
back and forth accusations and allegations are not enhanc-
ing the reputation of either of these newspapers.
Udayshankar
Journalist and foreign policy expert Dr Ved Pratap Vaidik
says meeting the likes of Hafiz Saeed is his duty not only as
a journo but also as a citizen
BY MEHA MATHUR
Interview
r Ved Pratap Vaidik, founder
editor of PTI Bhasha, former
editor (views) of Navbharat
Times and presently chairman,
Council for Indian Foreign Policy
and Bharatiya Bhasha Sammelan,
hit the headlines in July this year
when he posted photographs of his meeting with chief of
LeT Hafiz Saeed in Lahore. The media lambasted him,
raising questions about the rationale behind meeting a
person who is the alleged mastermind of the terrorist at-
tack in Mumbai in 2008. In an interview to Views on News,
he puts forth his position, calling it Super Track-I diplo-
macy. Plus, he also talks about the happy situation that
Hindi journalism finds itself in. Excerpts from the
interview:
Where do you see Hindi journalism today? What
have been the major milestones, and ups and
downs in the last 25 years?
In the last 25 years, Hindi journalism has expanded
tremendously. The circulation of Hindi newspapers has
increased rapidly. Hindi newspapers are claiming they
have the largest circulation in the world. There was a time
when Navbharat Times had a print run of 4-5 lakhs and
was considered the largest selling newspaper. But now
newspapers print run is 50 lakhs, 60 lakhs or even 70
lakhs. English newspapers are not that fortunate. I am not
praising Hindi but the fact is that people speaking Hindi
far exceed others.
The other aspect is that Hindi newspapers and Hindi
channels are also creating maximum impact on readers
minds. Whats printed there or whats spoken on those
channels is spreading like magic. In any democracy that
is what matters the most.
Another thing, Indian language newspapers and chan-
nels have also prospered. Their advertising has increased
their income, their journalists are doing well.
So you dont see the threat that in times to come
print medium will die down.
No. In India, a very large section of the population has
THIS IS
SUPER TRACK-I
DIPLOMACY
Interview
Ved Pratap Vaidik
still not come within the ambit of literacy and
education. As the backward classes and rural
population become educated, they not only ap-
preciate TV, they also take to the printed word. In
fact, the authenticity of the printed word exceeds
that of whats spoken on channels. What comes on
TV lasts for a few seconds. The printed word is
considered more authentic. In western countries,
the circulation of print publications is declining.
Many big newspapers, 100 years old, are on their
way out. But here in India, we see new newspapers
being launched.
How abreast are Hindi journalists with new
technology, and what are the challenges
they face?
Hindi journalists are not behind as far as new
technology is concerned. Hindi channels are using
the same technology that Eng-
lish channels are using. And
Hindi newspapers are not lag-
ging in printing quality, news coverage, etc. They
are perfectly equipped.
But new dynamics have been added with
social mediathat word spreads very fast.
How do journalists deal with that?
What you call social media is not actually social
media. Its elite media. Its mostly English speaking
people who are active on it. But as it has happened
in the case of China, France, Germany and other
countries, soon, in India in the next five years,
Hindi social media will outstrip English social
media. Just as Hindi channels TRP has
outdone English channels TRPs, and Hindi news-
papers circulation is far more than English news-
papers circulation. As nations modernize and
prosper, they switch over to their language, dis-
carding the adopted language. To live in awe of a
foreign language is tortuous. Why would a strong
and prosperous nation tolerate that torture? Why
would a self-respecting nation be afraid of anyone?
Talking about freedom of the press and
journalists, how free are they today to do
unencumbered reporting?
This problem has always existed. The interests of
newspaper owners are different from those of
journalists. How to reconcile their interests is a
question that has always existed. The owner cant
brush aside journalists, and the journalists cant
ignore owners interests altogether. So theres a
need to create a balance and one way out is
satyam bruyat, priyam bruyat. Say the truth but-
say it pleasantly, so that it doesnt snowball into a
controversy. It is restrained writing and not provo-
cation that sets the reader thinking about an issue.
Another challenge that journalists are now
facing is that Modi governments attitude to-
wards media is very negative. Everything is
communicated through social media.
Theres a reason behind it. Its a new government.
Many ministers are first timers. They dont have ex-
perience in dealing with journalists. Its natural to
be wary of the media. They pose questions which
might land a leader in trouble. To avoid such a sit-
uation the government is avoiding the media. I feel
bad about it as a journalist. I dont like it. I feel the
PM should hold a press conference for 2-3 hours
every month. Nothing should be hidden. Why be
afraid of answering if everything is transparent?
Coming to your meeting with Hafiz Saeed,
what was the objective? Did it have the
backing of the Indian government?
It came about suddenly. I was on a visit to Lahore
and was to return to India on July 2. On the
evening of July 1, I was talking to journalists there.
I was telling them that for all your countrys move-
ment against terrorists, it will be successful only
when your government takes action against ter-
rorists who are spreading terror in India. They
asked me whether I would like to meet Hafiz
Saeed and I agreed. They arranged for an early
morning meeting.
They (Indian media) say it was arranged by
our high commissioner. I dont even know where
the high commissioner was. And I dont need the
high commissioner. For the last 45 years, I have
been extensively visiting these neighboring coun-
tries. Most of the prime ministers and presidents
have been my friends.
Did you have any doubt before the meeting
since he is a terrorist?
No, I have met much more dangerous people be-
fore. When I was in Kabul University for my PhD,
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar was doing engineering,
and was junior to me. I am opposed to his ideol-
ogy. But we are also friends. Whenever I call him,
he is ready to meet me.
Interview Interview
Ved Pratap Vaidik
My stand is that I maintain good relations even
with people opposed to India or to me. Prab-
hakaran used to come to Delhi every month and
stayed in Ashoka hotel. I keep meeting Prachanda
and Baburam Bhattarai, the Maoist of Nepal.
Then there was Laldenga, Chief Minister of
Mizoram, who wanted to meet Ayub Khan of Pak-
istan and Mao Tse Tung and break up India. Ini-
tially, we had heated arguments, but it later turned
into a solid friendship and he used to come to my
home regularly. And I helped him when he had to
go to New York for treatment when he was diag-
nosed with cancer.
And the result of that friendship was that he
got connected to India. When Rajiv Gandhi dis-
missed his government, he threatened to pick up
arms again. But I reminded him that he was a
leader of national stature and Rajiv was young. I
urged him to forgive Rajiv. On my request,
Laldenga went to Punjab and talked to Sikhs who
were waging the Khalistan movement and talked
in support of India.
But in matters like this, how should a jour-
nalist strike a balance between freedom
and responsibilities?
I would have met them even if I hadnt been a
journalist. And its not necessary that you have to
write about it when you meet someone. And its
not necessary that you are a journalist 24 hours a
day. I have met hundreds of Mujahideens and Tal-
ibans and I havent written a word about that or
mentioned it. We need to meet them for our un-
derstanding of issues.
Many people think that in foreign policy for-
mulation, people like me have a great contribution
to make. I call this Super Track-I diplomacy. This
is much ahead of Track-II, even Track-I.
What was Hafiz Saeeds attitude towards
India? How did he react to your questions?
What impressed me most was that even though I
asked him such harsh questions, he didnt get
angry. I asked him why did you butcher innocent
people in Mumbai? He replied that he had no
knowledge of the Mumbai attack. He claimed it
was Pakistans former interior minister Rehman
Malik who was against him and wanted him to get
arrested for American aid. But the court dismissed
all the cases.
And it impressed me that Hafiz Saeed didnt
hide these things when he faced TV channels in
Pakistan. Here, journalists made a mountain out
of a molehill. As if I have done an act of treason.
Later, some thought meeting him was an act of
bravery. Both are extreme points of view. For me
its a routine thing. I have met hundreds of Hafiz
Saeeds since I started my career.
Now that the world is facing the IS threat,
how should one deal with that?
I am against the IS. But I have strong reservations
about what Obama is doing, Russia is opposing
him, so are Iran, Syria and China. The reason is
that US has power, and power makes the US blind.
They killed Saddam Hussain, who was innocent.
No chemical weapons were found. I would say
Bush is an assassin. He should be punished, the
US should be punished.
And how do we deal with the new Al Qaeda
threat in India?
We should deal very firmly with that. But at the
same time, we have to make our Muslim brethren
understand that whatever Al Qaeda wants to
achieve in India has nothing to do with Islam. The
viewpoint of a minuscule group is being wrong-
fully imposed on a large number of Muslims on
the strength of the gun.
What you call social media is an elite
media. Its mostly English speaking
people who are active on it...in the next
five years, Hindi social media in India
will outstrip its English counterpart.
The lack of training
among journalists
shows in the lop-sided
way they report news,
often with detrimental
consequences
BY RAJENDRA BAJPAI
f you want to be a doctor,
you must go to a medical col-
lege to get a degree. If you
want to be an engineer, you
must get an engineering degree.
But if you want to be a journalist,
just walk into an editors office and
ask for a job. Most of the thousands of
journalists in the country have no professional
degree and, in fact, many dont even have a proper
college education.
In the decades before independence, journal-
ism was a different ball game. All you needed then
was a commitment to back the struggle for inde-
pendence. Journalism was one way of joining the
freedom movement. Things have changed a lot
A LOUTS
PROFESSION?
Essay Journalism
Professional training
since then. Nearly 70 years later, the science and art
of journalism have changed a lot but for many,
journalism in India remains a louts profession.
If you are good for nothing, you are good for
journalism.
INEXPERIENCE SHOWS
It shows in the way some stories are written, and
the way news is selected and presented. Obviously,
nobody has told young journalists that brevity is a
virtue. They still ask long-winded questions that
sound like speeches. Or ask questions that are best
not asked. On innumerable occasions, I have seen
on television news channels reporters asking some-
one who has suffered bereavement: Aap ko kaisa
lag raha hai? My blood boils at questions like this.
Photos: AnilShakya
The quality of journalism in India, at best, is
suspect. Newspapers like The Times of India, The
Hindu and Hindustan Times and many other ver-
nacular papers published from metropolitan
towns can boast of some quality. They hire jour-
nalists who have degrees in journalism and com-
munications. But more than 70,000 newspapers
and magazines are published in the country and
most are bereft of any quality. Irresponsible re-
porting can cause a lot of trouble. For instance, in
recent weeks, Urdu newspapers have given wide
coverage to atrocities against Muslims in Burma
and Assam. The coverage has led to violence in
Kanpur, Lucknow and Allahabad.
A journalist who reported the coverage of
Urdu press under the pen-name of Kabir Ali in
The Hoot, a media watchdog website, said: The
reportage has subtly tried to give a message that it
is an all-out war on Muslims by the Bodos, largely
ignoring the actual nature of violence that has oc-
curred from both sides.
The emergence of 24-hour television news
channels is a recent development. But the pressure
of presenting news round-the-clock has taken its
toll. There are glaring errors and mistakes. Tele-
vision reporters, many fresh out of college, ignore
the basic principles of checking and double-
checking facts and sourcing stories.
Sevanti Ninan, editor of The Hoot, says: The
quality of gate-keeping within media organiza-
tions has dropped. Overall, newspapers are better
in terms of their breadth of news coverage than
TV but standards vary greatly. The Indian Express
still does some very sharp reporting, The Times of
India gives you the most stories from around the
country, but The Hindu today has no sharp USP.
She adds: TV news has even less gate-keeping in
what it puts out and many gaffes are served up on
a daily basis.
ON-THE-JOB TRAINING
Veteran journalist and columnist Inder Malhotra
says training is desirable but not compulsory.
Also, the training should not necessarily be in an
institute of communications. They are better off
getting trained properly on the job. Many col-
leagues who had no formal training did far better
than others with degrees in journalism from
famous foreign universities. The best method is to
carefully recruit apprentices and train them for
about a year within the institution, preferably on
the job, he says. After all, Indias best known and
most respected journalists like Frank Moraes, S
Mulgaonkar, M Chalapathy Rao, Edatata
Narayanan and George Verghese did not go to
schools of journalism.
An exceptional journalist in recent years was
Anil Agarwal. He graduated as a mechanical en-
gineer from IIT, Kanpur, in 1970, but decided to
become a journalist, joining the Hindustan Times
as a science correspondent. In later years, he cam-
paigned for a cleaner environment in India, saying
diesel engines in trucks and buses were a major
cause of air pollution. He was single-handedly re-
sponsible for forcing buses and trucks to use
CNG. He had no formal training as a journalist.
In todays context, potential journalists need to
be trained either on the job or in a school. Unfor-
tunately, far too many young men and women are
coming into the profession without any grounding
in the basics of journalism and that leads to all
sorts of problems.
HANDS ON EXPERIENCE
Rigorous on-the-job training
is more effective than a mere
degree for communications
professionals
Coomi Kapoor says nothing has changed at The Indian Express after
Shekhar Gupta quit as the editor-in-chief
BY SOMI DAS
Person
OOMI Kapoor, 67, began her career with The In-
dian Express. She went on to work with top publica-
tions like India Today, Sunday Mail and The Illustrated
Weekly. But it was only a matter of time before she re-
turned to The Indian Express. Currently, she is associated
with the newspaper as a contributing editor. Her official
bio on the papers website describes her as someone who
has witnessed the shifting power equations in the capitalfrom
Indira Gandhis regime to the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party.
Kapoor was with The Indian Express at a time when the publi-
cation became the sole voice of dissent against Emergency imposed
by Indira Gandhi in 1975. Her hus-
band, Virendra Kapoor, who was also
working with The Indian Express at
that time, was put under arrest.
Currently, she is occupied with
writing a book on the Emergency,
which she expects to finish by next year.
A political commentator par excellence,
she has stayed away from being part
Coomi Kapoor
of the experts bandwagon on television debates.
She prefers playing a game of bridge occasionally
at the Womens Press Club in her free time.
She may call herself semi-retired, but she con-
tinues to spice up our Sundays with her weekly col-
umn Inside Track with all the juicy tidbits from
around Lutyens Delhi and inside information that
sometimes surprises us.
Kapoor spoke to Views On News about press
censorship during the Emergency, her reluctance
to be on TV and social media, her opinion on the
talk-show format of TV journalism, and much
more. Excerpts:
How has the media as an industry and jour-
nalism as a profession changed during the
years you have been in the profession?
It has changed radically. It has really been a revo-
lution. When I started as a reporter, there were
less than half-a-dozen newspapers in Delhi. And
there was Doordarshan, which hardly had any-
thing to offer. Today, you have hundreds of TV
channels to choose from. You have social media.
So, communication has changed totally. I have
been so long in the media that things had to
change. There is far more choice today. Its much
more difficult to try and black out news. In the
old days, it was much easier because there were
very few publications.
Speaking of blacking out news, how did The
Indian Express deal with censorship during
the Emergency?
Censorship on the press continued till elections
were declared. But after that censorship was eased.
Once that happened, The Indian Express went full
throttle doing extensive stories against the Emer-
gency excesses.
Were there any repercussions that your or-
ganization faced? Were other publications
as vocal in their criticism of the Emergency?
There were many repercussions. The government
tried to cut off electricity, stop all bank loans, dis-
continue Samachar News Service and attempted to
declare a lockout on the Delhi office. We were
saved each time, thanks to the intervention of the
courts. Apart for The Indian Express, only The
Statesman spoke against the Emergency. The rest
of the media was more or less quiet.
Express has always been known for its jour-
nalism of courage. Do you sense any in the
functioning of the newspaper after Shekhar
Gupta left as the editor-in-chief?
The Indian Express is still doing pretty good.
There is a great deal of continuity because the
number two and number three in Shekhars time,
are now number one and number two. There is a
continuation in terms of policies. I dont think
most readers would be aware of the difference un-
less they are told that there has been a change at
the top editorial position.
TOUGH TIMES
The Indian Express had to face
several repercussions for
taking an anti-government
stand during the Emergency
imposed by Indira Gandhi
You are known for political commentary. Yet
you have stayed away from participating in
TV debates. Why?
I used to come occasionally but I have given it up.
I still get calls but I dont go now. I am not very
good at it. So I thought that its better not to go.
Do you watch news on television? What in
your opinion is the current state of TV jour-
nalism in India?
I dont see too much television. I
just skim through prime time
shows. I think we have overdone
the talk show format. It was okay
while the elections were going on
but now they are beginning to fall
a little flat.
We have overdone the acerbic
style of news reading, hitting out all
the time. Anchors have made an
overkill of it.
While many journalists of your
generation are quite active on
Twitter, you dont tweet at all.
Any particular reason for stee-
ring clear of the micro-blog-
ging site?
Technically, I am on Twitter but I
have never sent out a tweet. I am
not very tech-savvy. I have been
meaning to read updates on Twit-
ter much more than I do, but tem-
peramentally, I am not a person
who would send out tweets. But at
the same time, I realize that a media owner would
expect a journalist of today to be on Twitter.
But Twitter has also made journalists vulner-
able to abuse and name-calling. Have you
faced any harsh reaction from your readers?
See, earlier there was no medium for instant reac-
tion. The only way of communicating with a jour-
nalist was by way of a letter to the editor. I have
had some harsh letters from readers. But we really
didnt fear abusive letters. What journalists dreaded
the most were letters of denials from authorities on
whom a certain story had been done. Most of these
denials are fudged but you have no other way but
to respond to them.
During general elections we saw many jour-
nalists joining politics. What is your opinion
on that? Do they cease to be journalists once
they join politics?
Not really. There are plenty of examples of journal-
ists who are also in politics. If you make a clear
statement saying which party you belong to, that
should be fine.
Shouldnt the same rule apply to corporates
who are funding a news organization?.
Yes, if the financer of the publication has a particu-
lar interest, he should state it. I say this particularly
for TV news.
I am told that they do film reviews and puff sto-
ries on films which have been sponsored by the fi-
nancers of the news organization.
Which stories of yours do you rate among
the best?
I did a story on unpublished private letters between
Indira Gandhi and her son, Sanjay. A source
handed them over to me. Another would be the
Samba spy case (involving the Indian and Pakistan
armies) of 1979. Apart from that, an analysis of the
Rajiv Gandhi assassination inquiry report and sto-
ries on emergency excesses are also significant.
We have overdone the talk show format
on TV. We have overplayed the acerbic
style of news reading, hitting out all the
time. It is now beginning to fall flat.
Anchors have made an overkill of it.
Person
Coomi Kapoor
With the success of films
like Mary Komand Bhaag
Milka Bhaag, despite their
many flaws, Bollywood has
found the formula of
turning the lives of national
icons into money spinners
BY VISHVAK SEN
HE Priyanka Chopra-starrer Mary Kom hit theatres
on September 5 with much fanfare, and it couldnt
have done a better job of dividing opinion. While film
critics have deservedly savaged what is a poor movie, the
audiences dont seem to have noticed the criticism at all,
making Mary Kom the blockbuster of the season. The
only thing that both parties agree upon is that the story
of Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom deserves to be told.
Indias first female boxer of note, Kom won five out of the
first six world championships in womens boxing.
The big
biopic
formula
Entertainment
Sports biopics
T
Entertainment
Sports biopics
The film seems to have had
the unintended consequence
of opening up a rather impor-
tant debate on race. Kom, a
Manipuri with Mongoloid fea-
tures, is played by Priyanka
Chopra, an ethnic Punjabi to
whom she bears no resem-
blance. The irony is that
Priyanka Chopra is also the sole bright spark in
the film she really shouldn't have been in.
M
ost of the criticism regarding casting
is entirely valid and the makers of the
film really should have found an ac-
tress who looks more like the character. But it is
also worth pointing out that Chopra has turned
in the performance of her career, and in the
process, made an overly-dra-
matic, emotionally manipula-
tive snoozefest, almost
watchable.
Kom herself seems to have
no problem with the thought
process behind this decision.
Someone from the North-
east could have played my role
but then the movie might not have become a hit.
Everyone knows Priyanka Chopra as she is a su-
perstar, and that is why the film is receiving so
much attention. Had it not been her, the film
would not have been a hit, she says. Commenta-
tors and talking heads in the media are frothing
at the mouth over the issue, but fans of the film
arguemuch like Komthat this way the story
has reached the largest possible audience.
This is a contention which brings out the
larger scepter of an audience unwilling to accept
a national hero who doesnt look like the majority
of them. But the entire blame for the racist ten-
dencies of the Indian populace cant be laid at Bol-
lywoods doorstep.
The real problem with the filmand this is
something that is entirely Bollywoods faultis
that it is barely the story of Mary Kom. Having re-
moved any trace of socio-economic or political
context from the film, director Omung Kumar de-
livered a story about a generic female athlete. Sub-
stitute the pregnancy for a particularly bad injury
and this movie could have been about any boxer
on the planet. Again, the only saving grace is that
for whatever reason, Kom stands by it. It is a
commercial film and based on my life. Most part
of the story is the real story of my life, said Mary
Kom when asked about the veracity of the events
depicted.
If the first-time director feels the brickbats
coming his way are unjustified, he should feel free
to redirect them in the general direction of his cel-
ebrated producer, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who re-
ally should have known better. To be certain,
LOOSE ENDS
(Below) Chopra with Mary Kom.
Critics feel the Bollywood actor has
little resemblance to the boxer with
Mongoloid features
The national
anthem at the
end of Mary Kom
exemplifies the
exploitative
intent inherent
in these films.
UNI
Koms willingness to appear by the filmmakers
side at promotional events, has given them an in-
vincible shield of legitimacy that they are all too
willing to exploit.
T
he generic treatment of Mary Kom is
symptomatic of a trend affecting Bolly-
wood, in general. The industry has
woken up to the fact that national icons, particu-
larly sporting ones, are ripe for commercial ex-
ploitation. However, instead of making great films
celebrating their stories, the filmmakers are sin-
gle-mindedly engaged in the task of homogeniz-
ing their achievements.
If Mary Kom and last years Bhaag Milkha
Bhaag are anything to go by, the process is rather
simpleidentify a hero and boil the character
down until all that is left is a husk that can be
retro-fitted with the required amount of tricolor-
waving national pride. This results in the perfect
made-for-multiplex patriotism experience that
can be exchanged in any major city or town for
bags of money.
There have been voices in the media trying to
offer excuses. Sudhish Kamath of The Hindu
wrote a piece titled, Mary Kom: Why bring race
into it?, in which, in order to justify Mary Koms
casual racism, he jumps to the usual point of ref-
erence for all Indian decision-making: the western
world. Hollywood, he says has repeatedly been
guilty of the same sins. The fallacy of the they-
do-it-too logic is obvious, but going beyond that,
it is worth remembering that Hollywoods equiv-
alent of this phenomenon, black face, has been
largely extinct for decades now. Even Twilight had
the decency to cast actual native Americans for
roles that required them.
The national anthem at the end of Mary Kom,
at once the most manipulative film-making device
available, exemplifies the exploitative intent inher-
ent in these films. Such biopics might be offensive
and deplorable to the minority, who have long-
been admirers of the person in question, but they
will continue to be made as long as they are con-
doned by the popcorn-munching and coke-swill-
ing majority.
BOX OFFICE MANTRA
(From left) Farhan Akhtar as Milkha
Singh in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and
Irrfan Khan as Paan Singh Tomar in
the biopic. Bollywood has
invariably used national sports icons
for commercial exploitation
From the serious to the trivial, from riots to bikini auctionsthis
journalists life has been colorful, chaotic and complete
BY SOMI DAS & RAMESH MENON
AN Ajith Pillais book be called adven-
turous? It is adventurous, no doubt. But
it is much more than that. From the
dungeons of underworld dons to the
broodings of a rescued child prostitute,
Pillais book covers a wide canvas. From
the trivial to the tragicevery shade
finds a place in his book. Venturing into
unknown zones, Pillai tells stories of
various places with great panache communally divided Mumbai of
the 90s, the rough terrains of Kashmir, the kidney market of Chennai
and the corridors of power in Delhi.
Pillai is candid about the fact that not every event that a reporter
covers would leave an impact. There are also times when a reporter cov-
ers an event very reluctantly. Such unexciting assignments are part of a
journalists life. But thats no excuse for writing a dull story or no story
at all, he says.
In his trademark tongue-in-cheek style, Pillai mentions filing an ar-
ticle on bombshell Pooja Bedis bikini auction. The event was a complete
Diary of
an Intrepid
Reporter
Books Off the record
Ajith Pillai
C
drag and nothing like the spicy story he ended
up filing. Another chapter is on how the
plebian in him was shocked when his editor at
The Sunday Observer asked him to write a piece
on the uber-sophisticated La Rotisserie, a restau-
rant started by the Oberois and specializing in
French cuisine. In his usual self-mocking style,
he describes his uneasiness after meeting the
chef of the restaurant. Within an hour, I stood
completely exposeda veritable philistine in the
house of haute cuisine. Such tidbits add spice to
the honest narrative and are part of this intrepid
reporters diary.
Pillais book, on the whole, stands out for its
lucid and perceptive recording of major events
of the past two decadesthe hold of the under-
world on Mumbai, the bomb blasts there, the
riots post the Babri Masjid demolitions, NDAs
coming to power in 1999
SELF-EFFACING JOURNALIST
Unlike many celebrity journalists, his memoir is
not sprinkled with gossip and scandals of Bolly-
wood stars and political leaders. Nor does it
mention high contacts in the corridors of power.
He is self-effacing, leaving enough space for his
characters to directly interact with the reader. You
cant stop yourself from developing a liking for
fading mafia don, Varadarajan Mudaliar, when he
defends his criminal acts as social work. Now, tell
me whats wrong with selling sasta daaru? At the
end of a hard days labor, a man requires a drink
and the company of a woman to keep going. He
cant afford expensive whisky and the cheap coun-
try liquor that the government sells is dangerous.
Someone has to provide him with better alterna-
tives. Whats wrong with that? he asks.
The author chooses to completely move out of
the scene, giving you his protagonists views with-
out adding anything to his own commentary. So
completely is one subsumed in the narrative that
one almost empathizes with the gritty gangster
when he loses the battle against a tough cop and
dies of a heart attack.
Pillai is also sensitive. Read the story of child
prostitute Nasreen (name changed) who, after
being rescued, garners media attention and attains
celebrity status, only to meet a tragic end.
FAMOUS CONTACTS
My personal favorite is Sir VS Naipaul and the
Underworld. Being a crime reporter in Mumbai
has unusual perks. One of them is accompanying
renowned writer VS Naipaul and fixing his
LETHAL COMBO
Pillai and Vinod Mehta (right) at the
launch function of the book. He received
unstinted support of Mehta while
working as a reporter in Outlook
(Bottom left) Copies of the book
OFF THE RECORD
Untold stories from a
Reporters Diary
By Ajith Pillai
Hachette India
PAGES: 384
PRICE: `312
With brutal honesty, Pillai tells us
why his career as a reporter was cut
short after he did a series of stories
on nepotism and highhandedness in
the PMO during Vajpayees tenure.
meeting with an underworld gang. As a young re-
porter, its easy to get swayed by the opinions of a
celebrity writer. And Pillai agrees that he was in
awe of him, thus clearly showing the human side
of writers.
Pillai writes: He had been told that the mafia
in the city was made up of Muslims and Muslims
alone. As a community, they somehow seem to be
historically more drawn towards crime than all
the others, he observed. But unfortunately for
Naipaul, Pillai also took him to a Hindu-domi-
nated underworld gang. Surely things were not
going by Mr Naipauls pre-supposed script. The
half-a-dozen young men present in the room were
not from any Muslim ghetto off Mohammad Ali
Road. Many of them
not only spoke Eng-
lish but also claimed
that they had made
frequent visits to
England and were
familiar with Regent
Street, Hampstead
and even knew some of the night spots in Soho,
reveals Pillai.
And finally, with brutal honesty, he tells us why
his career as a reporter was cut short after he did
a series of stories on rampant nepotism and high-
handedness in the prime ministers office during
Atal Bihari Vajpayees tenure. The government re-
taliated by conducting several raids at the office
of Outlooks proprietor and the magazines office
in Mumbai. His editor, Vinod Mehta, advised him
to take a backseat.
WRATH OF THE SYSTEM
The raids had a direct impact on his career and
Outlooks anti-establishment stance. I was asked
to take care of current affairs and the political sec-
tion of the magazineorganize, ideate and
rewrite. It effectively put me out of action and
it did not take long for my contacts to begin ig-
noring me.... Could I have bounced back? Perhaps
I could have. The stories I did in the post-raid pe-
riod were reflective of thatthey were softer and
less hard-hitting. I got more involved in the back-
room operations.... But during the rest of the NDA
governments tenure, Outlook was relatively muted
in its anti-establishment stance.
The book in its prologue and final take
muses over the current state of journalism. The
conclusion is certainly not an encouraging one.
Pillai is futuristic in his doomsday analysis of the
mediawhat if corporate interests engulf the rel-
atively cheaper and free medium of Internet?
The book must be read for its candidness, for
showing the world of journalism as it is, without
any glamming up. It should be a handbook for all
aspiring journalists who want to make it big as a
reporter. Pillais journey is replete with examples
of what it takes to extract the story from tip-offs
and leads from sources. Going that extra mile,
going after stories at his own expense, rechecking
of facts from different sources, something arm-
chair journalists wouldnt do, gave Pillai the edge
as a reporter.
Pillais memoir is not sprinkled
with gossip and scandals of
Bollywood stars and political
leaders. Nor does it mention
high contacts in power circles.
ON THE WRONG SIDE OF POWER
The Outlook office was raided after
Pillai took on the PMO during
Vajpayees tenure. The magazine put
him out of action
Books Off the record
Ajith Pillai
PLAYING TO THE
GALLERY
SEPTEMBER22, 2014 100

MEDIA HYPE
MUCH ADO ABOUT
VIRAT AND ANUSHKA
FILMS
KATIYABAAZ: INDIAS
SCISSORHANDS
BEST DESIGNS
FROMTHE WORLD OF
ART AND MEDIA
THE CRITICAL EYE
In the current cacophony of
breaking news and hysterical TV
debates, is the Indian press in
danger of losing its credibility? 12
Anchor Review
bindi zction
Baat pate ki
BY DILIP BOBB
VIVIAN FERNANDES shows how the little guys
are challenging big media
RAJENDRA BAJPAI sees a tightening of news
noose
ANMOL DAR writes on the inside B2B
Superbrand story
PLUS
EXCLUSIVE VON-APN-TMM VOTER SURVEY
ALSO
1999 - 2014
The Best and
the Worst Ministers
TERRORISM
AS WORLD
THEATER:
ROBERT D KAPLAN
on beheading of
American journalists 28
16
24
4
4,
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your friends
Prime time television is all about grabbing eyeballs.
But two shows reveal why Arnab Goswami is all sound
and fury, while Barkha Dutt is substance
BY R PARVATHY
WO controversies, two top-notch
news channels and two anchors
hosting prime time shows. Their han-
dling of their subjects showed a vast dif-
ference in styles and personalities, so
much so that one came off looking more
professional than the other.
While one was Times Nows Arnab Goswami moder-
ating The Newshour Debate with freelance journalist
Dr Ved Pratap Vaidik as the chief guest on July 14, the
Television
News shows
A tale of
two anchors
other had NDTVs Barkha Dutt hosting The Buck Stops
Here with former Comptroller and Auditor General
Vinod Rai, exactly two months later.
Vaidik shot to fame when a controversial photo of him
with the 26/11 mastermind and Lashkar-e-Taiba chief,
Hafiz Saeed, emerged. His interview with the dreaded
terrorist became a national issue, as political parties ques-
tioned the motive behind his visit and newspapers, TV
channels and social networking sites gave their own spin
to it. Vinod Rai, on the other hand, wrote a book, Not Just
an AccountantThe Diary of the Nations Con-
science Keeper, which gave an explosive account of
the 2G spectrum and Coalgate scams. It analyzes
how former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh
had failed to check corruption and had documen-
tary evidence of the Commonwealth Games and
Air India scams.
DIFFERENT STROKES
Both the interviews had immense possibilities and
could have been informative and enlightening. In-
stead, one descended into a shrieking match, while
the other managed to salvage itself, thanks to the
maturity of the subject involved.
Times Now invited Vaidik, along with a distin-
guished panel comprising of advocate Mahesh Jeth-
malani, Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha, BJPs
national spokesperson Dr Sudanshu Trivedi, senior
advocate Yatin Oza and strategic affairs expert
Maroof Raza. Titled, #Tea with Terrorist, the debate
But instead of meeting these allegations head
on, Vaidik seemed unable to defend himself, mak-
ing one wonder if there was more to his meeting
than met the eye. For instance, when Jethmalani
rightly pointed out the seriousness of recording an
interview with a dreaded terrorist, Vaidik said that
in his whole career as a journalist, he had never
While Arnab Goswami looked like an immature bully for
denouncing Dr Ved Pratap Vaidiks meeting with Hafeez
Saeed, Barkha Dutts interview with Vinod Rai was sensible
and informative. It sought to enlighten viewers.
held promise, but within 12 minutes of the 56-min-
utes program, the cacophony was enough to drown
all sensible voices.
While Vaidik looked genial and rather pleased
with himself, Arnab brought him down in no time
by denouncing his meeting with Saeed and asking
for proof of the interview. What ensued was an
exchange of angry words as Vaidik called Arnab a
junior journalist and bad anchor and said he
was unjustified as he did not allow others to speak
on his show. While the last allegation wasnt un-
founded, what went against Vaidik was his weak
defense. Arnab retorted by describing Vaidiks in-
terview as a criminal activity for which he should
be tried for sedition. Strong words, indeed.
used a recording device. Moreover, he kept remi-
niscing about his earlier days and frequently re-
ferred to his interviews with former Afghan
President Babrak Karmal in 1981. He put up only
a feeble defense of his connection with Baba
Ramdev and the BJP government. Finally, refer-
ences to his luminous past irked the panelists and
Arnab so much that his voice was muted out.
One almost felt sorry for Vaidik, but Arnab
came out looking like an immature bully for
denouncing Vaidiks meeting as a criminal activity.
After all, any good journalist would have grabbed
such an opportunity. If meeting Saeed amounted
to criminal activity, what about Arundhati Roys
interviews with Maoists or Daniel Pearl
ON THE HOT SEAT
(Facing Page) Chief guest
Dr Ved Pratap Vaidik, anchor
Arnab Goswami and other panelists
on the The Newshour Debate on
Times Now; (above) Barkha Dutt
and ex-CAG Vinod Rai on Dutts
show The Buck Stops Here on NDTV
contacting associates of the Al-Qaeda? Journalists
meet all kinds of people who can give them a good
story, whether they are criminals, politicians, in-
dustrialists or beauty queens. Arnabs hysterical
reaction was unwarranted and in the process, the
most important pointwhere did Vaidik publish
the Saeed interviewwas lost.
MATURE RAI
On the other hand, in Barkhas interview with Rai,
he minced no words in calling a spade a spade. On
she also tried to put words into Rais mouth. When
Rai mentioned that he had sent some dozen letters
to Singh concerning media leaks on the 2G spec-
trum audit report for which he never got a re-
sponse, Barkha kept egging him to say something
sensational about it. However, Rai treaded cau-
tiously. He said his book was not about finding fault
with anyone; it was about transparency in govern-
ment procedures and holding people accountable.
He admitted though, that he faced pressure
from former Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar
and Congress MPs Sanjay Nirupam and Sandeep
Dikshit to keep the PMs name out of the CAG re-
port. He even worked on the assumption that his
phone was tapped, as scrutiny of government offi-
cials was not unusual. Without being scathing, he
spoke with clarity and termed former Civil Avia-
tion Minister Praful Patels decision to force Air
India to buy 40 extra planes for `1,300 crore apiece,
a commercial misjudgment. These were then sold
for `427 crore each to Etihad Airways.
Unlike Arnabs face-off with Vaidik, Barkhas
interview with Rai was civilized. Rai spoke with the
authority of a man who knew his work well. There
were no unnecessary interruptions, making the
show informative and refreshing. So if Arnab was
high on volume, rhetoric and drama and low on
information, Barkha came across as a sensible
anchor out to enlighten viewers.
CLARITY OF THOUGHT
Vinod Rai was very confident about
what he was saying about former
prime minister Manmohan Singh
and ex-civil aviation minister Praful
Patel (right) on the NDTV show
Television
News shows
All Vaidik could offer was feeble responses to
Arnabs allegations, while Rai held on to his
stand and spoke with clarity despite being
egged on to be sensational by Barkha.
being asked about Singhs role in the 2G scam, Rai
said that the former PM should have taken a
tougher stand and consulted his colleagues. By dis-
tancing himself when problems surfaced over tele-
com minister A Rajas allocation, Singh cut a sorry
figure for himself. But when someone from the au-
dience asked if Singh was an agent of UPAs high
command, Rai responded with maturity and said it
would be unfair to brand him in that way.
While Barkhas questions were fair and pointed,
Naseeruddin Shah was at his candid best on We The
People on NDTV, hosted by Barkha Dutt
BY SHOBHA JOHN
ND Then One Day, Naseeruddin
Shah revealed it allhis life, loves and
profession like no Bollywood actor
ever had the courage to. If the show
was meant to kindle interest in this
brilliant actors autobiography, it did
all that and more. It was gloriously
funny, frank and scandalizing in
parts. Along with Barkha Dutts gentle nudging and em-
pathy, the program achieved what it had tooto
enlighten and entertain.
Looking at Naseer with his curly white hair and
philosophically stroking his beard reminded one of a
venerable sage. He came across as arrogant, but in one so
brilliant, arrogance can be forgiven. Naseer had the
audience literally eating out of his hands.
Television
Interviews
Too brilliant for
BOLLYWOOD
Witness these moments: He first had sex at 14 for
which he paid. Asked if it was difficult to write these inti-
mate details, he says, It was fun. I recommend it. As the
audience bursts into laughter, he almost looks bashful. He
admitted later that he wanted to be adult, precocious. He
spoke of smoking ganja and said he became more aware
of himself during those phases. What if his kids came
home stoned? They have.I didnt say anything. Its their
choice, said the father in hindsight. He also spoke of his
troubled relationship with Heeba, his daughter from his
first marriage and admitted he was a callous father to her.
He looks pained. One understands.
There were funny moments too. Shakti Kapoor, he said,
was in his class (in Film Institute, Pune). We saw the same
movieshe learnt what he had to and I learnt what I had
to. Captivating stuff. He mentioned Geoffrey Kendal and
his dazzlingly good acting. I realized through him that
the essence of theater is the living actor on the stage. The-
ater should be stripped of everything that is not essential
just chuck all out. As for Barkha, she wasnt the diva she
usually is. It wouldnt have worked with Naseer.
And when it came to Bollywood, Naseer was cutting.
He admitted being a misfit there. Its the rare Hindi movie
that I really find entrancing or captivating, he said. The
formulae, clichs and aping of Hollywod rile him. He
thought he was altogether too good for Bollywood.
He wanted to play Gandhi in Richard Attenboroughs film
Gandhi. But he realized he was much too young and inex-
perienced to play him.
And therein lies the greatness of an actor who knows
his limits.
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62
Reporter Rohit
Channel Headlines Today
A
nother horror killing
came to light, this
time in Sheohar dis-
trict of Bihar.
Story: A boy, Raghav Nath,
ran away with a girl from his
own caste, but got caught by
the girls family. Te panchayat
asked Nath to pay a fne of
`51,000 to the girl and leave
the village. Afer that, Nath
went missing, and a few hours
Insight into
honor killing
Report on ISI
Reporter Shabbir Ahmed
Channel Times Now
A
fter the 26/11 attack
on Mumbai, sup-
posedly master-
minded by terrorists from
Pakistan, the Inter Services
Intelligence (ISI) is planning
another sinister act, con-
rmed by the arrest of a Pak-
istani spy.
Story: The spy, Selvarajan,
confessed that the plan was to
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later, was found hanging from
a tree near the panchayat. Te
police arrested the girlsbrother
and a few others, who were
against the panchayat decision.
Treatment: Te program had
some lacunae. When the re
erter knew Naths family
would not be able to under-
stand English, he should have
spoken in Hindi.
USP: Te reporter spoke to
both the families, making for a
balanced report.
disrupt Indo-Israel ties. Dur-
ing interrogation, he revealed
that he visited the Ofcers
Training Academy in Chen-
nai to recce the area and plot
a 26/11-type attack in Chen-
nai. The plan was to take as
many Israelis as hostages.
USP: The report said that the
ISI had built a network in
India with 30 modules in
south India. It was an exclu-
sive report given by Shabbir.
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||| ||
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SEPTEMBER 22, 2014 100
MEDIA HYPE
MUCH ADO ABOUT
VIRAT AND ANUSHKA
FILMS
KATIYABAAZ: INDIAS
SCISSORHANDS
BEST DESIGNS
FROM THE WORLD OF
ART AND MEDIA
THE CRITICAL EYE
In the current cacophony of
breaking news and hysterical TV
debates, is the Indian press in
danger of losing its credibility? 12
Anchor Review
bindi zction
Baat pate ki
BY DILIP BOBB
VIVIAN FERNANDES shows how the little guys
are challenging big media
RAJENDRA BAJPAI sees a tightening of news
noose
ANMOL DAR writes on the inside B2B
Superbrand story
PLUS
EXCLUSIVE VON-APN-TMM VOTER SURVEY
ALSO
1999 - 2014
The Best and
the Worst Ministers
TERRORISM
AS WORLD
THEATER:
ROBERT D KAPLAN
on beheading of
American journalists 28
16
24
4
4,
...starting page 62
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VIEWS ON NEWS October 7, 2014
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T
he news anchor at Headlines Today, Shiv Aroor, comes
across as someone with promise and confdence. He
looks presentable with his round face and good voice.
But what creates a barrier between him and the audience is his
urgency to move on to the next story at breakneck speed. He
hardly seems to take a pause, which makes the audience lose
interest in what he is saying. Something similar happened in
his 11 am bulletin on Wednesday. Moreover, what jarred the
viewers also was his attirea coat with a neck tie, in which he
clearly looked uncomfortable.
uatin Aroors urgency masks his positive attributes
as an anchor. Our TMMpanel gives him a 4 out of 10.
Always a
class apart
When speed
kills quality
C
NN-IBN is the most-awarded English
news channel and has some of the best
anchors and reporters. One of them is
Shreya Dhoundial, whose credibility is seen in
reporting as well as anchoring.
Her fuency with words is admirable and
her western attire suits her personality. She can
do with better grooming and should pay more
attention to her expressions.
uatin Shreyas impeccable anchoring
gets her a 6 out of 10 by our TMMpanel.
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N
D
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E
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L
STORIES THAT COUNT
August 31, 2014
`100 www.indialegalonline.com
I
Who shot the collegium?
Sex and the judge
www.indi Phoolan: Killers
comeuppance
R
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5
7
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C
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VICTED
JU
VEN
ILES
S
h
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a
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N
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STORIES THAT COUNT
Medical Crimes:
Can victims ever get justice?
September 15, 2014
`100
www.indialegalonline.com
I
The putrefying Ganges is Indias national disgrace. Can Modi deliver on his
campaign promise to revive the worlds holiest river?
Baby-killer Sisters:
In cold blood
R
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C
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Who will be hit worst by Courts
Coalgate crackdown?
Doshipura: Shia-Sunni imbroglio
At Last: weeding out antiquated bills
Bribes-for-bank-loans scam surfaces
Vanishing Birds:
Can laws save them?
ALSO
14
40
44
32
74
AND
Should parents encourage kids to play with tablet APPS?
26
36
60 OOOU U
AT CO
NT N
OOOU U
AT COOU O
NNT N
e.comm
The pppu puut uttr ut ef
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Who will be hit woorrs st rst t by
Coalgate crackdownn?????
Doshipura: Shia-Sunnni ni i
nni iim mb
At Last: weeding out aan nt
antt ntiiq iqua
i
Bribes-for-bank-loans ssc c sccaaam
a
ALSO
1144 1
AND
Should parents encourage ee kkkkids
ki
NDIA EGAL
L
STORIES THAT COUNT
Film courtrooms:
Reel vakils
September 30, 2014 100
www.indialegalonline.com
I
The courts step in to
control rampant misuse
of the much-needed
anti-dowry laws as
weapons of vindictive
persecution
Kerala liquor law:
Bottoms down
P
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WHO ARE THE
VICTIMS?
CBI MESS:
Directors directories
SHANTI BHUSHAN:
Facing the heat
SEX WORKERS:
Green light ahead
Lions and the law:
Rip-roaring rumpus
ALSO
HOW WILL
THE US TAME
ITS OWN
MONSTER?
SECTION 498A
ISLAMIC STATE
PLUS
Will J&K see a
Hindu CM?
The politics
of toilets
EVERY FORTNIGHT INDIA LEGAL WILL BRING YOU NEWS, ANALYSES AND
OPINION FROM THE SHARPEST INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS AND MOST
INCISIVE LEGAL MINDS IN THE NATION ON MATTERS THAT MATTER TO YOU
ENC
ONLY THE STORIES
THAT COUNT
.
RN No. UPBL/2007/22571

Views On News: Issue: 07 October 2014

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