NewsClick

NewsClick
  • हिन्दी
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Covid-19
  • Science
  • Culture
  • India
  • International
  • Sports
  • Articles
  • Videos
search
menu

INTERACTIVE ELECTION MAPS

image/svg+xml
  • All Articles
  • Newsclick Articles
  • All Videos
  • Newsclick Videos
  • हिन्दी
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Science
  • Culture
  • India
  • Sports
  • International
  • Africa
  • Latin America
  • Palestine
  • Nepal
  • Pakistan
  • Sri Lanka
  • US
  • West Asia
About us
Subscribe
Follow us Facebook - Newsclick Twitter - Newsclick RSS - Newsclick
close menu
×
For latest updates on nCOVID-19 around the world visit our INTERACTIVE COVID MAP
India

Tejpal : Symptom of a Deeper Disease

Seema Mustafa
03 Dec 2013

Journalists are sinking to new lows, with the Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal case still reverberating through India. The media itself is obsessive about the coverage, almost as if the publicity will atone for the sins. But all said and done Tejpal is the symptom of a malaise that is becoming deep rooted, and afflicts almost all media houses in one way or the other.

Journalism, a great profession, has fallen into disrepute because the media houses have moved away from the serious business of news gathering into the world of power, advertisements, glamour, mega-festivals, as editors and anchors and owners acquire celebrity status. One recalls the days when newspapers like The Statesman and The Patriot refused to give by-lines for even exclusive stories, looking at anonymity as an asset. While this might have been a little harsh for reporters seeking some recognition (after all this is all that one had in an era where wages in Delhi newspapers were as low as Rs 500 a month), the reversal today has really come as a major blow to serious journalism. Everyone wants to be a celebrity, preening and prancing in the limelight, even as hard and fair reporting takes a back seat altogether.

Proprietor-editors set the tone, and all others follow. Mixing business with journalism is a bad idea, as the latter eventually loses out with the money bags dominating. Governments now do not need to impose censorship, their capitalist cronies do it for them, determining who or what should be written about on a daily basis. And given the media houses fascination for the big bucks and high voltage celebrity events, the industrial houses manage the last word and news is eventually tailored to specific requirements.

Image Courtesy: wikipedia.org

The editors today are no longer the Mulgaonkars, Edatata Narayanans, Frank Moraes, Kuldip Nayars of yesterday. And that is certainly not an issue, except for the fact that the standards have fallen as have the priorities. For those named above, and many others of that tribe, news was a drug, facts sacrosanct, and professionalism a bare essential. They refused to compromise on these basics, and as young reporters we were witness to many an argument between the professional editor and the management about the placement of advertisements, indeed even the content of advertisements. These men (unfortunately very few women even then in top positions) stayed till the newspaper went to bed, guiding the process throughout the day and well into the early hours of the morning. There were no glitzy events, no glamour, just serious work tailored by the realization that news could make or break individuals and institutions, and hence a heavy responsibility rested on the editorial teams to check and re-check the facts.

There was a great deal of respect and camaraderie in news rooms those days, with the editors bringing in the professionalism. A couple of incidents apart, women reporters were secure and equal, and in fact reveled in the last. Editors had not turned into predators, as most seem to be today with the heady mix of glamour, power, money, more money, clearly proving to be more potent than their will. And proximity to women that most of them seem unable to manage at all.

The Tejpal incident has left a bad taste, more so as journalists are watch dogs, with the responsibility of protecting the vulnerable. It is a sad day indeed when editors violate this responsibility and prey on the vulnerable to a point of using physical force and rape. It is also particularly regrettable that instead of protecting the girl, and accompanying her to file a police case against the offending editor, others in the establishment sought to silence her and later even intimidate her. It is also very unfortunate that most of the media houses have not set up committees against sexual harassment as required by law, and thereby have left their employees vulnerable to such offences.

It is important for journalists to set the tone, and for the girl reporters to come out against those editors and seniors using their position and power for sexual advances. One has to respect and applaud the young reporter in Mumbai who, despite terrible trauma, has been fighting to ensure that the men who raped her are brought to task; and also the young reporter of Tehelka who is now leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the editor she once respected, pays the price for rape. Many senior journalists have crossed the line with the young people working in television and newspapers today, and this needs to be dealt with through the law. Instead of leaving their jobs, the young reporters should summon the courage to file and pursue cases against these powerful men and thereby ensure that justice is done. This will be their contribution to a world where women remain at the receiving end, and find it difficult to even seek justice because of the social stigma that somehow attaches itself to them.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the author's personal views, and do not necessarily represent the views of Newsclick

Get the latest reports & analysis with people's perspective on Protests, movements & deep analytical videos, discussions of the current affairs in your Telegram app. Subscribe to NewsClick's Telegram channel & get Real-Time updates on stories, as they get published on our website.
supreme court
Tehelka
Rape
Goa
Sexual Harrassment
Justice Verma
Molestation
Tejpal
Thinkfest
Vishaka Guidelines
Nirbahaya
Related Stories
Gautam navlakha.

Bhima Koregaon Case: SC to Hear Bail Plea of Gautam Navlakha on Wednesday

Priya Ramani

#MeToo's Victory Shines Like a Torch in These Dark Times: Priya Ramani

UP: With Dues Piling up, Sugarcane Farmers Await Prices for This Season

UP: With Dues Piling up, Sugarcane Farmers Await Prices for This Season

SC criticizes families’ rejection of inter-caste, inter-faith marriages; suggests counseling for police to manage such cases

SC Criticizes Families’ Rejection of Inter-caste, Inter-Faith Marriages; Suggests Counseling for Police to Manage Such Cases

Akhil Gogoi

Anti-CAA Protests Case: SC Denies Bail to Akhil Gogoi

SC Grants Shashi Tharoor, Senior Journalists Facing FIRs for Reports/Tweets Protection From Arrest

SC Grants Tharoor, Senior Journalists Facing FIRs for Reports/Tweets Protection From Arrest

SC throws out PIL seeking President’s rule in UP

SC Throws Out PIL Seeking President’s Rule in UP

Coal Mining in India

Meghalaya: Scourge of Illegal Coal Mining Persists Despite Ban

Graffiti in Shaheen Bagh, Source: Common Creative

Citizen to Criminal: Citizenship Determination in India and the Limits of Due Process

No compensation to family members of farmers who died in ongoing protest: agriculture minister Tomar

No Compensation to Family Members of Farmers Who Died in Ongoing Protest: Agriculture Minister Tomar

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare via EmailShare on RedditShare on KindlePrint
Share
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare via EmailShare on RedditShare on KindlePrint
Share

Related Stories

The Leaflet

Marked ‘D’ on Electoral rolls, 26 Individuals Seek Removal of tag; SC Issues Notice to Centre, EC, Assam Govt

04 March 2021
THE Supreme Court Wednesday issued notice to the Central Government, Election Commission and the Assam Government on a petition fi
Rohit Ghosh

Why is Unnao Making Headlines for Crimes Against Women?

03 March 2021
Three teenage dalit girls, who are cousins are found unconscious in an agricultural field in a village in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh in Februa
Newsclick Report

CJI Bobde’s ‘Will You Marry Her’ Question to Rape Accused Sparks Anger, Shock

02 March 2021
The Chief Justice of India SA Bobde asking a rape accused whether he would marry the woman he allegedly raped when she was a minor has sparked an o

Pagination

  • Next page ››

More

  • Kerala Elections 2021: After 14 Elections, Women Still Under-represented in State Assembly

    Kerala Elections 2021: After 14 Elections, Women Still Under-represented in State Assembly

  • Singareni Coal Workers Start Indefinite Dharna Against Commercial Mining

    Singareni Coal Workers Start Indefinite Dharna Against Commercial Mining

  • Sugarcane Farmers.

    Farmers in Western UP Hold Protest Against Irregularities in Weighing of Sugarcane

  • Haryana: Ahead of No-Trust Vote, Farmer Leaders Pin Hopes on ‘Good Conscience’ of MLAs

    Haryana: Ahead of No-Trust Vote, Farmer Leaders Pin Hopes on ‘Good Conscience’ of MLAs

  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with
about