An Open Letter to Indian News Media
Dear Indian Journalist, Media Reporters, Editors, Whom So Ever the Fuck it Concerned,
I am writing today to issue a plea on behalf my fellow Indians. It’s, admittedly, a move borne out of extreme anxiety and initiate from the minds of people who can’t see the light now.
We are a nation of diverse voices, opinions, religion, values, political beliefs, culture… I sure hope you know. In addition, we have many problems as people with fewer privileges, family to feed, petrol prices, interest rates, jobs, losing our friends in bomb blasts, fearing for our women, make ends meet, again a long list.
The Mass Media is often referred to as the fourth branch of government because of the power you wield and the oversight function you exercise. The media’s key role in democratic governance has been recognized since the late 17th century, and remains a fundamental principle of modern-day democratic theory and practice.
17th century, theorists had argued that exposure and openness provide the best protection against tyranny and the excesses of arbitrary rule. Thomas Jefferson, for all his bitterness against journalistic criticism celebrated the press, arguing that only through the exchange of information and opinion through the press would the truth emerge. Thus the famous Jeffersonian declaration:
Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without government, I should not hesitate to prefer the latter.
In a democratic country,like India,newspapers are the important means of forming public opinion.You comment on current events and criticise or appreciate the conduct of the Government. It is through them that the public comes to know the problems that face the country. Thus you educate the public mind and enable the people to have their own opinions on matters of public importance.
Your role in society is simple one.
- Give us facts
- Create and sustain revolutions, pleas
- Fight for what is right
- Guide us
- Amplify our problems/ voices so government can hear us
- Eventually you should be ‘Junta ki awaz’
- And become change agent
I hope we are clear yet. However, very sadly you are not doing anything at all.
What you in turn do is in reality is “pure bigoted, blasphemous and banal”.
Mumbai : You turned this incident in a bloody TRP war, where people’s live were as irrelevant as Barkha’s approach to ethical journalism.
Moral Police : Women were being physically abused and all you could do was to shoot the video so you can say “First Reported Here…”. Have you no fucking soul. What did your video do, advertised and propagated fear…Hurray a well lived day !
Raj Thackeray: This moron stand for everything I know to be wrong, and I am not alone, and what you do about it, nothing help him advance his agenda and have a debates like fucking primate morons on what he saying is right or wrong. Its wrong ask a 5 year old and they’ll tell you.
Religion : This is the funny part here, On August 25, a 29 year old Catholic nun was allegedly raped by a fanatic Hindu mob and paraded through the streets shouting Bharat mata Ki Jai- TOI, Mumbai, 4th October 2008
Free Speech : In an op-ed written over an year ago (unfortunately, due to site changes, it is inaccessible on Hindustan Times), Barkha Dutt, the managing editor of NDTV, had vented against anonymous blogger who espouse popular opinion which are ”often bigoted, blasphemous and banal.”
Now, not that I ran out of examples, its just enough to drive the point across. You have become too shallow, sleaze, sensationalist and superficial even for your own good, all I can say is people, we listen to you, so do your job properly.We don’t need you to be pimps for movies people and celebs. We don’t need your opinions, just a rational analysis, we don’t need your pointless debates and dumb followup questions. We need to you enable a democracy.
Finally all my friends when you read this please make sure at least one journalist, gets it.
Source: The role of the media in deepening democracy : Sheila s. Corone and A Few Indian Who Still Care.
