28/01/2010

Paid news debate

Editors guild of India wants that Election commission take strong action against those editors and reporters who publish the advertisements as news by taking money from leaders. Try to make the situation in their favour and publish the articles in their favour in such a way that the readers understand them like unaligned analysis and read. Likewise action be taken against those leaders too who make editors and reporters to publish “news” in their favour by giving them money. This debate in few newspapers started against “paid news” after previous elections of Maharashtra assembly. During the election campaign several Marathi newspapers published big but false reports in favour of the candidates by taking huge amounts of money from them. This debate English daily “The Hindu” started whose reporter P. Sainath presented the review of those newspapers whom candidates paid huge amounts of money to do their publicity and newspapers published their advertisements in the form of news.


Two aspects not understandable
Debate against paid news, i.e. news publishing for compensation is a healthy sign for the Indian politics. But from two aspects this debate is not understandable. 1. Election commission, Editors guild, some analysts and reporters took notice of paid news in such a way as if it is any unusual thing. Whereas the fact is that the publishing and influence to publish the advertising stuff as news is the old tradition here. This thing is not just limited to the political leaders and ministers only, trading companies do the same thing. 2. Debate is just limited upto the net payment. Where as there are many forms of the compensation. Very obvious form is bribe, it has many types. Gifts to journalists, cars, luxury stuff is a common thing. In this act even the state governments are involved. Plots, and flats allotment, journey facilities, editors and reporters force involvement in government foreign countries tours etc. This thing not only so called newspapers fake editors only do, but also the editors and reporters of big big newspapers too. Trading companies and business houses who publish the big news papers, issuing import and export licenses to them, land allotments, and tax exemption what is all this and what for.?


And this devil’s act ?
One more brutal and devil’s act, which concerned those on “paid news” do not look at, is the campaigning of media against religious communities. Participation of Indian media in American propaganda against Islam and Muslim ummah is without any benefit? It is true that any opportunity to defame muslims and Islam this
media does not loose, as those working in media have their own mentality, their narrow mindedness, personal dishonesty, which does not get them any compensation from anywhere; but when over very minor issues police arrest muslim youth without any proof or kill them then police and secret agencies stories media doesn’t spread just like that, but collects the compensation in one or the other form. And this daily “The Hindu” which is claiming to be fair in “paid news” matter, itself is involved in dishonesty. One it’s reporter, who claims himself “muslim terrorism” expert, presents secret agencies dubious “information” against muslim youth and fabricated groups as it is, showing as his own reports. Is editors guild or press council ever got concerned over this ? Is this any less evil than the paid news ?
28/01/10 khabar-O-Nazar by Parwaaz Rahmani, sehrozaDAWAT, translated by: Ibrahim Shaik

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