Can you trust India’s No.1 Newspaper?

In past two of my articles I have written extensively about India’s No.1 English Newspaper. When I mentioned it that way, i.e. as No.1 Newspaper, I was excessively skeptic as to whether my readers would able to recognize this paper or not. However, my qualm was retorted in the preeminent way, not just did they identify the paper but also embarked upon letters to them – Not once but twice. My deepest and heartfelt thanks all of them who dared to write to India’s most powerful newspaper without reservations. You indeed give me strength to fight them out. I am filled with further courage to go on my further assault.

By the way… why do you read newspaper? You buy a newspaper to learn about the happenings in your surrounding, don’t you think so? I am sure it is. Would you buy a newspaper if it is telling a lie? Or if it is misleading you with half baked information? One which is manipulated to suit their and their advertiser’s need? Would you buy a paper with a biased pose? The pose which is to work all against you? Would you buy a daily if it never had to guts to tell you the truth? I am sure, you answer would be certainly ‘No’! But that’s what these so called ‘No.1’ and ‘Mainline Newspapers’ all about.

Before I go into details let me make you understand some difference between a Business Organization and a Newspaper Organization. Business organization as a general rule exists to buy raw materials, manufacture goods, package and sell those in the markets to earn profits. Though the processes are akin to that of business organization in Newspaper business, there is one underlying distinction. The difference is in that of moral ethics and social responsibility.

While the moral responsibility of a business organization is very much limited to its own businesses, Newspaper’s morality is much broader. It is just not enough for a newspaper to take care of their moral responsibility but also to ensure that others are following it and report to the public if any organization or person(s) are failing to do so.

For existence though newspapers have to rely on business organization, but pertaining to the morality they have no obligation, whatsoever, to show favors to their advertisers. That is the reason why, traditionally, newspaper have kept their respective Editorial and Marketing departments different and parallel. This ‘Parallel’ method of functioning ensures that the news is never biased.

There can be nothing more dangerous than a biased and opportunist media, like our No.1 paper, gaining momentum to reign supreme. It’s a vogue newspaper, if not anything else. Let’s have a look at it. The first page talk about the news which are just like any other news paper, and then the 5^th page talks about spirituality cum editorial – from where they try to prove themselves as ‘Secular’ and eventually in the last page, mostly read by young readers, is filled with explicit photos of half-naked film stars and the like. While at page 5 they talk hardcore spirituality, where does it go by the last page arrives? I simply don’t understand this scrap. By the way can you assume that? It is a fundamental point to prove of theirs being a paper without ‘Values’. Would you read a paper without values?

By the way let’s look at the coverage this media had given to Sanjay Dutt, the star-actor of ‘Munna Bhai’ fame. 14 years back he had committed a blunder of possessing an AK57 assault rifle. The reason what he says is ‘for self defense’. However, what I am unable to understand and what question neither this nor any media arouses is as to why did he needed an AK57? why not any pistol or double barrel gun for which he could have easily availed a license? Forget asking the question, I wonder why many didn’t feel skeptic about the excessive support the newspapers and television channels gave to him?

By the way do you want to know why? It’s very simple. Let’s assume that you have a problem with the government or any particular organization where crores of your money or profit is involved. The government might not be interest to support you, but their support is imminent. What can you do? The only thing you might just attempt is to mobilize the public support. How do you do that? Simple, go to a newspaper office speak to someone in their respective marketing, or in our No.1 newspapers case ‘Response’, department and explain your problem. They might offer, in verbal only as in written they might just get in trouble, different budgets for arranging a writer and obtaining a particular column on a particular day(s). And there you are. The fee, will taken from you with a bill which will specify as been received for releasing a particular advertisement. The amount you may have to shell out might be anywhere between Rupees 100,000 to 2,500,000. Let’s re-ascertain Sanjay Dutt’s case, he has with him some incomplete films which worth crores of rupees. Should these films fail to come out the Producers are sure to be on the streets. So what can they do? The best thing is to mobilize public opinion and what better than newspapers and television. For a producer who can afford an actor asking 2 Crore, a 2,500,000 budget is almost a paltry sum and thus they use it. And they did use it! Else what has a media or you have to do with the actor? This point should be simply fair enough to prove that – these Medias are simply what we can best call ‘Opportunist’. So will you trust an opportunist newspaper to give you the facts as it is?

Our No.1 newspaper takes pride to call itself as a ‘Secularist’. What a beautiful word ‘Secularist’! Say that you are one and you almost get a license to fire any other religious organization left and right – except Islam. That’s very right. By the way don’t think that, or get mistaken, that these media organization have any sympathy towards the Muslims, many shout at them in public in a way which many of the right wing organization in the country wouldn’t be doing. The reason why they don’t write against the Muslims is due to the fanatics within them who are ever ready to give threat calls and give a big blow to any reporter writing anything against them or their religion.

Let me divert for a moment. I was been told about a story by a right-wing writer friend of mine, I don’t really know how true it is but it goes this way: Once a premier French writer was called on by RSS chief K S Sudarshan, and was asked as to how could the media be made to write their thoughts and ideologies. For this the French journalist said ‘Use the IRA (Irish Republican Army) strategy’ for those who don’t understand what IRA strategy is: Irish used to first threaten any journalist writing against them and later on hit him hard when the warning failed to work. Understanding the brutality Sudarshan was said to have denied this idea outright. Perhaps this is the reason why any reporter might feel easier to criticize the Hindutva organization than any other. I can swear to assure you that you can write anything against Hindutva and its reader and yet move freely even to RSS, VHP or Bajarang Dal Head Quarters.

However, insane as it is, not just they write against those organizations but even deny writing any good thing about them, even if testimony has been submitted. If you think that I am wrong, try that yourself. Go to your nearest RSS office and ask about their various projects – they do more charity and voluntary services than any other organization – let alone foreign missionaries. You will come to know how less true I was. Given this, isn’t that enough to prove that they are anti-Hindutva. And if they are, which they are, anti-Hindutva how can they claim to be ‘Secular’? They are Pseudo-Secular, and if they are so: Why should anyone buy such a paper? Why are you paying them Rupees 3?

Think about it. If they can’t speak the truth, if they have no values and are pseudo-secular what is the point in reading them? Do you pay any one to tell a lie? Well, if not, why are you paying three rupees to buy No.1 paper? Point to think. Let know what you think?

U Mahesh Prabhu | August 15, 2007 | indiamahesh@gmail.com