By D N Singh
A fresh battle has been waged by a political party against some TV anchors where the image of journalism faces many question marks.
In my over 35 years of journalism our mentors had initiated us to journalism somewhat like this.
A journalist is required to report what he or she sees on the ground and not to report what he is told to report.
And any reportage should be done without any bias and disaffection or extra affection towards any political dispensation of the day.
A journalist must not be a public relation conduit but a pure intermediary rather. When millions of people look up at the media for many issues related to their welfare.
As a viewer of the television news of the day, I have no hesitation to say that, since some years the TV anchors appear enacting as preachers with a palpable leaning in their tenor towards a political dispensation in power during the debates in the prime time slots.
And their disaffection towards the ones on the other side of the fence gets clearly reflected over many issues.
To start with a known media man of national repute, Jagdish Chandra, the CEO of a national Hindi news channel recently tweeted: “one nation, one modia.we support popular rulling govt and don’t feel shy saying this ‘aur kun nahi’ openly heard saying that their news channel is Pro ruling govt
Now coming to the face-off between the INDIA bloc and the TV anchors (boycotted), the issue is again a debatable one.
Without taking names it can well be said that, the overriding defense in their arguments during the debates for a political dispensation are so manifested and their disaffection towards the other panelists are also so explicit.
As if the said anchors are mentally pre-indisposed and have vowed as not to allow the debate influenced by any diabolic insinuation by the panelists from the opposition side.
Even the experts are so chosen to toe the line the anchors set for them.
It is not difficult to remember how an ex colleague of mine was so unceremoniously kicked out from a national Hindi channel for daring to run a bottom ticker which read that, the 9 pm bulletin was to show some inside facts of the PM’s weekly show known as Man ki bat. The journalist-cum very popular anchor had to make a hasty departure from the channel that night only.
If it was not an indifference towards dissent, then what?
Leanings of some channels and their anchors advocating for the political dispensation in power are so overt that it can unambiguously said that, the biases are predominant throughout.
Aforesaid observations by me have been done with a heavy heart as many of the listed anchors were my colleagues for years and I still hold them in high esteem as journalists.
From playing the roles of moderators to a kind of preachers do not fall within the ambit of fair journalism.
When the CWG and 2G scam were hot in the news circle during UPA, the media had no boundary and the alleged scams were reported with utmost alacrity and the television channels and the anchors there on the ground reporting with full-throated ease. But there was hardly any barrier of angst sounded from the UPA.
Two senior leaders Kalmadi and Raja were sent to the jail.
Likewise, two journalists of a Hindi channel, one of them in list of 14 anchors, had been in the jail for an alleged extortion case asking money from a leading Industrialist of India for certain favor.
Somehow, now, one cannot miss out on the inherent fear within the media if someone breathing down its neck or sword hanging over its head.
