Paid News A Full Blown Media Cancer
By Nava Thakuria
24 January, 2011
Countercurrents.org
The Indian media in particular and Indian people in general have
started talking about the 'paid news syndrome' officially. The bygone
year had witnessed a series of discussions on the paid news culture in
the mainstream Indian media among civil society groups,
parliamentarians, the media watchdog and also the election commission
of the country.
The practice that involves money in acquiring media space by the
beneficiaries unethically remained an important issue in India for
many years now. But finally a large number of influential media
persons' and media organisations have shown their concern with the ill
practice of journalism in the country. Then the ‘tendency of a section
of media groups (both print and visual) to receive money for some
non-advertorial items in their media space’ was picked up by the Press
Council of India, the Election Commission of India and the Upper House
of Indian parliament.
The practice of offering envelopes to reporters remained visible
across Asian media and especially India and China for decades. But
lately the practice appears to be becoming institutionalised, not by
poverty-stricken reporters but by the publishers themselves. It is
alleged that many media houses in India irrespective of their volume
of business have started selling news space after some understandings
with the politicians and corporate people without clearly mentioning
that these items are advertisements.
The recent comment of concern by the Press Council chairman Justice
(retired) GN Roy admitting that the media in India has ‘terribly
deviated from its aims and objectives’ attracted the attention of
conscious citizens. Addressing a distinguished gathering at Agartala
on December 26, 2010, the former Supreme Court judge described that
some media groups had already emerged as the brand ambassadors of
corporate houses (or certain political parties), which is not at all
ethical in a democratic society.
Delivering his lecture in the meeting, organised by Tripura
Journalists Union at Agartala Press Club (which was also addressed by
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, PCI member SN Singh with others)
Roy agreed on principle that in India, anybody or everybody can go for
a media house with the required capital, but the practice, he
asserted, must not be considered as only a profit earning avenues.
Talking about a sub-committee, constituted by PCI last year, the
chairman reveals that it unearthed many shocking facts about some big
media houses’ involvement in the paid news scandal. From the South
Asia Free Media Association (India chapter) meeting in Mumbai two
years back to an important meeting of Editors' Guild of India last
year, the issue of paid news was debated and discussed widely. The
Indian editors' forum also sent a letter to all of them asking for
pledges that his/her 'publication/TV channel will not carry any paid
news' as the practice 'violates and undermines the principles of free
and fair journalism'.
Indian media otherwise is recognised as more sensitive, patriotic and
very much influential tool in the socio-political sphere since the
days of freedom movement. The father of Indian nation Mahatma Gandhi
initiated his movement with the moral power of active journalism.
Today, India with its billion population supports nearly 70,000
registered newspapers and over 450 Television channels (including some
24x7 news channels). The Indian media, as a whole, often plays the
role of constructive opposition in the Parliament as well as in
various Legislative Assemblies of the state. Journalists are, by and
large, honoured and accepted as the moral guide in the Indian society.
While the newspapers in Europe and America are losing their readership
annually, the Indian print media is still going stronger with huge
circulation figure and market avenues. For democratic India, the media
continues to be acclaimed as the fourth important pillar after
judiciary, parliament and bureaucratic set-up.
Unfortunately the paid news syndrome has surfaced as a full blown
cancer in the mainstream Indian media. Millions of rupees have been
transacted under this practice to the media houses, which was
initially diagnosed by veteran editor-journalists like Prabhash Joshi,
BG Verghese and few others. Then come P Sainath, the rural affairs
editor of The Hindu, who warned that the corporatisation of the media
world had simply threatened the existence of free media. Sainath
continued his endeavour to highlight the ill affect of paid news
through his regular columns in the prestigious newspaper.
"The proprietors now grant space for vivid coverage for the benefit of
their 'friendly politicians' in the newspapers," Sainath warned.
"Furthermore, to entertain their growing demands, many media groups
have even gone for arranging extra space (during election periods).
Let's finish the culture of paid news, otherwise it will finish us in
the coming days."
The PCI, a quasi-judicial body, earlier established a special
committee to examine violations of the journalistic code of fair and
objective reporting. The press council acknowledged that a section of
Indian media had 'indulged in monetary deals with some politicians and
candidates by publishing their views as news items and bringing out
negative news items against rival candidates' during the last
elections.'
A member of the PCI investigative committee, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta
said in an interview that the committee received many complains from
the journalists that a large number of newspapers and television
channels (in various languages) had been receiving money to provide
news space (and even editorials) for the benefit of politicians.
Speaking to this writer from New Delhi, the eminent media critic Guha
Thakurta claimed that the paid news culture clearly violates the
guidelines of the Election Commission (of India), which makes
restriction in the expenditure of a candidate (for any Legislative
Assembly or Parliamentary elections). "Amazingly, we have found that
some newspapers even prepared rate cards for the candidates in the
last few elections. There are different rates for positive news
coverage, interviews, editorials and also putting out damaging reports
against the opponents," Guha Thakurta asserted.
The Indian Election Commission also asked the Press Council of India
'to define what constitutes paid political news', so it can adopt
appropriate guidelines. It also directed the press council to
'formulate guidelines to the media house' to require that the money
involved be incorporated in the political party and candidate
expenditures.
Rajdeep Sardesai, the chief editor of the CNN-IBN television news
channel and also former president of Editors’ Guild said he was
'deeply shocked and seriously concerned at the increasing number
ofreports detailing the pernicious practice of publishing paid news by
some newspapers and television channels, especially during the recent
elections'.
"We strongly believe that the practice of putting out advertising as
news is a grave journalistic malpractice. Moreover the trend threatens
the foundation of journalism by eroding public faith in the
credibility and impartiality of news reporting. It also vitiated the
poll process and prevented a fair election, since richer candidates
who could pay for their publicity had a clear advantage," Sardesai
added.
While admitting the right of news media to go for advertisements in
various occasions, Sardesai insisted that the 'media houses should
distinguish the advertisements with full and proper disclosure norms,
so that no reader and viewer is tricked by any subterfuge of
advertisements published and broadcast in the same format, language
and style of news'.
The Indian Women's Press Corps, the Andhra Pradesh Union of Working
Journalists and the Network of Women in Media, India had also
expressed concern over the issue. Condemning the practice, NWMI, the
forum of women media professionals, stated in a release, "We strongly
believe that the present crisis in the media, of which paid news is a
grim symptom, requires urgent, serious intervention by media
professionals working together to safeguard the principles and values
of journalism and the credibility of the news media, which are both
critical factors for the effective functioning of our democracy."
The Union Information and Broadcasting minister Ambika Soni also
admitted that the practice of paid news is ´a serious matter as it
influences the functioning of a free press´. "The media acts as a
repository of public trust for conveying correct and true information
to the people. However, when paid information is presented as news
content, it could mislead the public and thereby hamper their judgment
to form a correct opinion. Thus, there is no denying the fact that
there is an urgent need to protect the public's right to correct and
unbiased information," Soni added.
Speaking to this writer, Hiten Mahanta, a Guwahati-based media
observer claims that many regional newspapers in Northeast India in
effect sell favourable reporting for extra income.
"You can find a number of examples in Guwahati, where the proprietors
of the media houses had misused the media space for their individual
benefits. It is amazing how some newspapers (and also news channels)
change their point of views towards a politician or party suddenly
after getting money (in cash or kind)," Mahanta said.
There are specific allegations that many journalists in Guwahati, who
are among the lowest paid in India with starting salaries as little as
US50 dollara month, enjoy regular payments like monthly lump sum
compensation from politicians in power. Licenses for wine shops are
offered to reporters (and accepted happily by many) with the inherent
understanding that they only write positive stories and if possible,
kill negative reports against their politician-financers.
However, the newspapers of Assam still maintain ethical values in
respect of editorial space, as those are not being utilised visibly
for earning extra hard cash till now, observers say. But how long it
will continue that remains a bigger question!
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