During
the last 15 days, before I pen these experiences, I had the
occasion to watch closely three important media elections.
These were elections to the Indian Newspaper Society, the
Indian Languages Newspapers Association and the Audit Bureau
of Circulation. I was deeply perturbed and sad to note that
these polls too demonstrated how media was being divided
against itself and offering itself to serfdom of political
parties even in its own internal and organisational affairs.
There were clear efforts to expose the Fourth Estate to
politicalisation and subservience to one or the other
political party. Reason seemed to be that some of the biggest
media operators were now keen to seek brands and products
rather than news and information.
It was enlightening when I asked a very
respectable and ageing intellectual about which newspaper he
reads and why? He said he bought two newspapers to get to the
bottom of the fact and truth. One major national daily seemed
to toe the BJP line and the other Congress line. He read them
both and then formed his own conclusions about where did the
truth lie.
Profit, marketing and brandishing of brands
have become the new pollutants and enemies of the Fourth
Estate. In order to save the media, we will have to take a
U-turn and return to the days of news and truth with our
loyalty to the people and not to the media managers and
manipulators. We have to avoid the ridiculous situation and
the absurd extent to which the bidders for profit and
competition could go. In anguish, I can only appeal — media,
media, heal thyself.
