72% of today's headlines are about breaking of the Rule of Law

Newspapers, like films, art, literature, reflects the time we live. With the increased literacy, people are asking questions why the they are not getting good education, civic services and employment. Politicians who promise many things before election, do not keep them. Newspapers, as the representatives of the people, find out why things go wrong. They are duty-bound to report all wrong-doings. Not that all newspapers do their duty by the public. There are newspapers who distort news and views to suit their ideological or sectarian interest. People are quite intelligent and they see through this distortion - ye public hai, sub janti hai. This one of the reasons for the explosion of public outburst in the internet.

Why majority of news in newspapers is about corruption, favourtism and breaking laws is because the journalists believe in the maxim, " When the dog bites a man, it is not news but when a man bites a dog, it is news". If trains or airlines run on time, it is not news. It is what is expected and so it not news-worthy but when there is some disruption, it is news and people would like to know what and why it happened. Newspapers are like messengers, they cannot be blamed for bad news.

What is really disturbing is, what is called "Paid News" which suppresses facts and suggests falsehood which is rampant during the election. The Election Commission has to be very vigilant about this gross abuse of news and newspapers. There is thin line between information and propaganda. 

The real problem with journalism is, it has ceased to be a mission as it was during the freedom struggle and has become profession which seeks to increase profit, not so much public welfare. See the number of advertisements and supplements which woo the readers with false claims. This makes many newspapers to gloss over many misdeeds of the companies and governments.

Newspapers should be run by trusts who do not seek profit but public welfare. These institutions could stand up to big governments and big industry. In the UK & USA, new type of journalism has emerged and it is called, Philnthro-journalism ( journalism promoted by a philanthropist), which was highlighted by the Economist of London in its issue dt.June 9,2012. This is of course in response to the decline of circulation of newspapers and advertisers due to TV and internet. This has affected investigative reporting as well. Even in the West big government and big industry manipulate news and newspapers.

In the meanwhile, Indian citizens have to be vigilant and express their views fearlessly in newspapers and magazines as well as in the internet. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

( Written in response to an item in karmayog.com website regarding negative news in newspapers).

October 22,2013.

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