" Philanthro-journalism " - Is it the future of journalism ?
Newspapers in the West are in decline, thanks to the internet and TV
which provide instant news, 24-hours of the day. Now, newspapers too
are now available on the net. People need not wait for the morning
newspaper. Along with the readers, advertisers have also switched over
to the internet.This has affected not only reporting from abroad but
also investigative reporting,says the Economist of London (June
9,2012). In response to this new situation, a new type of journalism
has emerged in the West - " philanthro-journalism". Some
philanthropists have come to the rescue of journalism as watchdog of
public good by funding such efforts.
Under the headline, Reporters without orders, the Economist asks the
question, " Can journalism funded by private generosity compensate for
the decline of the commercial kind?" and concludes that
'philanthro-journalism' is not the complete answer to the decline of
newspapers.
ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
It is estimated that American foundations have contributed at least
$250 million to non-profit journalism ventures since 2005.
'Philantro-journalism' has given rise to investigative reporting in
the USA. The best example is, ProPublica, established four years ago,
and is led by Paul Steiger, former managing editor of the Wall Street
Journal and its managing editor is, Stephen Engelberg, former
investigative editor of the New York Times.It is funded by the Sandler
Foundation and has 34 working journalists. It invites other newspapers
to 'steal' its stories, of course with some conditions such as the
acknowledgement of the source, not changing the content etc.
It has published 110 investigative reports and 25 in partnership with
other media partners.It has won two Pulitzer prizes already. Some of
stories are : Money power in the the 2012 presidential election;
Fracking - drilling's threat to environment; Disposable Army -
Civilian contractors in Iraq & Afghanistan; Foreclosure - how banks
and the government failed homemakers; Dollars for Doctors - How
industry money reaches physicians; Presidential Pardons; Pakistan's
Terror Connection - 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai; Nuclear Safety
etc.
.Investigative journalism is too expensive to be sustained by the
commercial business model,observes Engelberg, and says it should be
considered to be a public good.This journalism does not seek to make
profit and try to ensure freedom from even the donors by inviting
public donations. It is more like the campaign of Anna Hazare against
corruption and of Baba Ramdev to bring black money deposited in
foreign banks.
The mission of ProPublica is : "To explore abuses of power and
betrayals of the public trust by government, business and other
institutions, using the moral force of investigative journalism to
spur reform through the sustained spotlighting of wrong-doing."
Another example is from UK. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
(BIJ) was established in 2010 and funded by David and Elaine Potter
Foundation, and is based at the City University in London.Its editor.
Lain Overton, believes that newspapers now lack time and budget to
hold the powerful to account. Some of its reports are : House for Hire
- Lords used to wine and dine clients; Political donations etc. Its
reports cover topics such as health, corporate watch, human rights and
open society. Since its launch, its 45 reports have been on the
front-pages of newspapers and some of them have won awards for the
reports in the web, radio and TV.
Indian journalism
India has some 70,000 newspapers and journals with a circulation of
ten crore. While the newspapers in USA and UK are facing decline in
circulation and in advertisement revenue, Indian newspapers are flush
with increased circulation and revenue. This is mainly because of the
widespread literacy in the last few decades and the economic growth
since the liberalization of the Indian economy. It is also due to the
low level of computer literacy and internet connection.
However, the media - daily newspapers,magazines and TV - have not
rendered any great service to the general public. Newspapers have
almost become tabloids devoting more pages to films and fashions than
on the problems of the common man in a country where almost one-third
of the population is poor. TV media seeks to increase its TRP by
sensationalism. There is 'breaking news' every day and sometimes every
hour which do not enlighten the viewers but create controversies with
selective quotes from speeches and interviews. The burden of informing
and educating people is shared by some journals - weeklies and
monthlies - who carry on serious discussion on the problems of the
people and the country. The newspapers and TV have trivialized the
public discourse.
Thousands of farmers commit suicide but there is no in-depth analysis
and when it is reported, there is no follow-up on the action taken by
the government, whether the situation has improved, if not, why not ?
Maharashtra is a drought-prone area but it has a large number of sugar
factories which encourage farmers to grow sugar-cane, a
water-intensive crop. It is recently reported that the state has spent
about Rs.70,000 crore on irrigation projects without even one percent
increase in irrigated land.
The media is also prone to 'paid news' which can be described as
'advertisement appearing as news'. This was exposed by some
journalists during the recent assembly elections in Maharashtra,
Haryana and UP. It started with gifts and junkets to reporters, now
the media organizations have 'private treaties' which provide stakes
in the companies who get free publicity. A Report on Paid News,
prepared by the Sub-Committee constituted by the Press Council of
India,has collected and compiled details on this from various sources,
and suggested some remedial measures.
No wonder, people have lost trust on the media.Edelman,an independent
public relations firm, in its 2010 report, Trust Barometer Survey ( in
22 countries) states that the Indian media has lost credibility and
trust among the people - from 61 percent to 40 percent in newspapers;
61 percent to 36 percent in TV; and 72 percent to 47 percent in
business magazines.This decline in trust was confirmed by another
survey conducted by the Readers' Digest magazine where the people
ranked journalists 30th among the 40 professionals listed in the
survey, next only to barbers and bus drivers.
How to regain the trust ?
During the freedom struggle, many patriots started news papers and
magazine to encourage people to participate in the movement started by
Mahatma Gandhi under the banner of Congress. At that time, journalism
was a mission. After Independence, journalism became a profession but
it continued its mission as well - the mission of economic development
of India.
During this time, the government tried to undermine the freedom of the
press through restricted import of newsprint and its distribution. It
also used advertisement of the government departments and the public
sector enterprises to discourage critical reporting on the ruling
dispensation.The newspapers who criticized the government were branded
as 'jute press' by the then prime minister. With a large circulation,
newspapers became an industry.
Today it has become not just an enterprise or a industry but a
profiteering industry. It is true that all enterprises have to sustain
themselves with a surplus but they cannot pollute the fountain of
public trust. Media is called the fourth estate because it is one of
the pillars of the democratic system along with the legislature, the
Constitution, the Court. The citizens should have access to unbiased
information to make an informed judgement on the issues of the day.
The daily newspapers and TV news should reflect all the viewpoints of
the various sections of the people. Our press has failed in this
primary task.
The newspapers should provide a platform for a dialogue and
discussion among the people. Our newspapers are like a lecture in a
school where the teacher talks and the students listen. No student is
encouraged to ask question. Our newspapers have little space for
readers to comment. While the newspapers in the Western countries
provide half-a-page for readers, our newspapers have only one column
for it. Now people use internet to express their views.
Can ' philanthro-journalism' be the answer to the lost trust of the
media ? Concerned citizens can come together to form a non-profit
organization with a contribution/donation every year to sustain
newspapers, magazines and TV for unbiased news and views in every
state and every language. India too should explore this avenue to
preserve its democratic system.
June 26,2012.
******
Newspapers in the West are in decline, thanks to the internet and TV
which provide instant news, 24-hours of the day. Now, newspapers too
are now available on the net. People need not wait for the morning
newspaper. Along with the readers, advertisers have also switched over
to the internet.This has affected not only reporting from abroad but
also investigative reporting,says the Economist of London (June
9,2012). In response to this new situation, a new type of journalism
has emerged in the West - " philanthro-journalism". Some
philanthropists have come to the rescue of journalism as watchdog of
public good by funding such efforts.
Under the headline, Reporters without orders, the Economist asks the
question, " Can journalism funded by private generosity compensate for
the decline of the commercial kind?" and concludes that
'philanthro-journalism' is not the complete answer to the decline of
newspapers.
ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
It is estimated that American foundations have contributed at least
$250 million to non-profit journalism ventures since 2005.
'Philantro-journalism' has given rise to investigative reporting in
the USA. The best example is, ProPublica, established four years ago,
and is led by Paul Steiger, former managing editor of the Wall Street
Journal and its managing editor is, Stephen Engelberg, former
investigative editor of the New York Times.It is funded by the Sandler
Foundation and has 34 working journalists. It invites other newspapers
to 'steal' its stories, of course with some conditions such as the
acknowledgement of the source, not changing the content etc.
It has published 110 investigative reports and 25 in partnership with
other media partners.It has won two Pulitzer prizes already. Some of
stories are : Money power in the the 2012 presidential election;
Fracking - drilling's threat to environment; Disposable Army -
Civilian contractors in Iraq & Afghanistan; Foreclosure - how banks
and the government failed homemakers; Dollars for Doctors - How
industry money reaches physicians; Presidential Pardons; Pakistan's
Terror Connection - 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai; Nuclear Safety
etc.
.Investigative journalism is too expensive to be sustained by the
commercial business model,observes Engelberg, and says it should be
considered to be a public good.This journalism does not seek to make
profit and try to ensure freedom from even the donors by inviting
public donations. It is more like the campaign of Anna Hazare against
corruption and of Baba Ramdev to bring black money deposited in
foreign banks.
The mission of ProPublica is : "To explore abuses of power and
betrayals of the public trust by government, business and other
institutions, using the moral force of investigative journalism to
spur reform through the sustained spotlighting of wrong-doing."
Another example is from UK. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
(BIJ) was established in 2010 and funded by David and Elaine Potter
Foundation, and is based at the City University in London.Its editor.
Lain Overton, believes that newspapers now lack time and budget to
hold the powerful to account. Some of its reports are : House for Hire
- Lords used to wine and dine clients; Political donations etc. Its
reports cover topics such as health, corporate watch, human rights and
open society. Since its launch, its 45 reports have been on the
front-pages of newspapers and some of them have won awards for the
reports in the web, radio and TV.
Indian journalism
India has some 70,000 newspapers and journals with a circulation of
ten crore. While the newspapers in USA and UK are facing decline in
circulation and in advertisement revenue, Indian newspapers are flush
with increased circulation and revenue. This is mainly because of the
widespread literacy in the last few decades and the economic growth
since the liberalization of the Indian economy. It is also due to the
low level of computer literacy and internet connection.
However, the media - daily newspapers,magazines and TV - have not
rendered any great service to the general public. Newspapers have
almost become tabloids devoting more pages to films and fashions than
on the problems of the common man in a country where almost one-third
of the population is poor. TV media seeks to increase its TRP by
sensationalism. There is 'breaking news' every day and sometimes every
hour which do not enlighten the viewers but create controversies with
selective quotes from speeches and interviews. The burden of informing
and educating people is shared by some journals - weeklies and
monthlies - who carry on serious discussion on the problems of the
people and the country. The newspapers and TV have trivialized the
public discourse.
Thousands of farmers commit suicide but there is no in-depth analysis
and when it is reported, there is no follow-up on the action taken by
the government, whether the situation has improved, if not, why not ?
Maharashtra is a drought-prone area but it has a large number of sugar
factories which encourage farmers to grow sugar-cane, a
water-intensive crop. It is recently reported that the state has spent
about Rs.70,000 crore on irrigation projects without even one percent
increase in irrigated land.
The media is also prone to 'paid news' which can be described as
'advertisement appearing as news'. This was exposed by some
journalists during the recent assembly elections in Maharashtra,
Haryana and UP. It started with gifts and junkets to reporters, now
the media organizations have 'private treaties' which provide stakes
in the companies who get free publicity. A Report on Paid News,
prepared by the Sub-Committee constituted by the Press Council of
India,has collected and compiled details on this from various sources,
and suggested some remedial measures.
No wonder, people have lost trust on the media.Edelman,an independent
public relations firm, in its 2010 report, Trust Barometer Survey ( in
22 countries) states that the Indian media has lost credibility and
trust among the people - from 61 percent to 40 percent in newspapers;
61 percent to 36 percent in TV; and 72 percent to 47 percent in
business magazines.This decline in trust was confirmed by another
survey conducted by the Readers' Digest magazine where the people
ranked journalists 30th among the 40 professionals listed in the
survey, next only to barbers and bus drivers.
How to regain the trust ?
During the freedom struggle, many patriots started news papers and
magazine to encourage people to participate in the movement started by
Mahatma Gandhi under the banner of Congress. At that time, journalism
was a mission. After Independence, journalism became a profession but
it continued its mission as well - the mission of economic development
of India.
During this time, the government tried to undermine the freedom of the
press through restricted import of newsprint and its distribution. It
also used advertisement of the government departments and the public
sector enterprises to discourage critical reporting on the ruling
dispensation.The newspapers who criticized the government were branded
as 'jute press' by the then prime minister. With a large circulation,
newspapers became an industry.
Today it has become not just an enterprise or a industry but a
profiteering industry. It is true that all enterprises have to sustain
themselves with a surplus but they cannot pollute the fountain of
public trust. Media is called the fourth estate because it is one of
the pillars of the democratic system along with the legislature, the
Constitution, the Court. The citizens should have access to unbiased
information to make an informed judgement on the issues of the day.
The daily newspapers and TV news should reflect all the viewpoints of
the various sections of the people. Our press has failed in this
primary task.
The newspapers should provide a platform for a dialogue and
discussion among the people. Our newspapers are like a lecture in a
school where the teacher talks and the students listen. No student is
encouraged to ask question. Our newspapers have little space for
readers to comment. While the newspapers in the Western countries
provide half-a-page for readers, our newspapers have only one column
for it. Now people use internet to express their views.
Can ' philanthro-journalism' be the answer to the lost trust of the
media ? Concerned citizens can come together to form a non-profit
organization with a contribution/donation every year to sustain
newspapers, magazines and TV for unbiased news and views in every
state and every language. India too should explore this avenue to
preserve its democratic system.
June 26,2012.
******
