The recent allegations made against eminent journalists of the country tarnish the image of the press as a whole. At least, that seems to be the perception.
The uproar caused by the publication of phone conversations, in particular between NDTV Group Editor Barkha Dutt and lobbyist Niira Radia, is an indication of the strength of feeling on the issue of corruption among journalists. NDTV rubbished the allegations, calling it gathering of information; but the curious silence maintained initially by the press as a whole made the scene murky. Questions arose in the minds of the people as to why and how the Fourth Estate of democracy found its reputation dragged into a political scam.
NDTV later organised a show where several prominent journalists openly questioned Barkha Dutt regarding the issue. The editor of Open magazine, Manu Joseph, who was on the panel, was clearly dissatisfied with her justifications.
Vir Sanghvi and Prabhu Chawla, who also figured in the tapped phone conversations, were interrogated in another show conducted by Headlines Today. CNN-IBN’s Face the Nation programme also conducted similar discussions but chose to steer clear of getting to the core of the matter.
Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, who was on the Press Council’s sub-committee that prepared a report on the paid news phenomenon, says proximity to people in positions of power or wealth “feeds the ego of certain journalists, and they feel as powerful and influential as the people they are with”. This perhaps explains why journalists land in such situations. They tread a fragile line where they have to clearly understand the difference between collection of information from sources and violation of journalistic ethics. Journalists who violate ethics may roll in the riches today but the crime of sullying the image of the press will definitely catch up with them tomorrow.
What corrective steps can be taken? Perhaps there is need for an impartial panel to investigate and bring to book all those individuals who bring disrepute and shame to the media. Influential companies are now willing to pay huge prices to get coverage, and so temptations are on the rise. Hard-earned reputations are at stake. Just as important, aspiring journalists may get all the wrong ideas. So all those who believe in the tenets of journalism must get together and ensure that such episodes never occur again.
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