Years back noted film maker Mrinal Sen made a neo-classic movie about middle-class struggler and the youth trying to write an article on Kolkata for a newspaper.
The proprietor-cum-editor played by legendary Utpal Dutt throws up a one-liner : "This world is a big market and we all are salesmen... Just like people sell medicine, banana or potato... we sell News".
This example should serve as a guiding theme for this blog piece. This year too the National Press Day came and went off.
I spoke to a journalist-friend from northeast (not necessarily Nagaland) on Nov 16th. He asked me - how I was doing as a freelance journalist.
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| Blogger : ear-eyes on ground and a 'bag' |
Before, I could start by usual wailing --- this is not good, that is worse and payments delayed and one has to survive with pea-nuts etc etc -- he volunteered to answer his own question -
"This profession has lost it way completely.... when they pay pea-nuts, they forget they will get monkeys. That monkey is made to slog and he becomes Donkey.... There is nothing intellectual about being a smart journalist these days". He paused for a while and I responded saying - "Hello, you started so well... please carry on".
He shot back - "Are you being sarcastic....?" I assured him that his apprehension is erroneous.
Boosted by that he went on and we discussed at length what have we done by making a 'commodity' out of news.
We agreed - both news and news-analysis have lost its value in modern times.
Editors became more ambitious to be 'closer' to people in power. I then cited him the example of Donald Trump winning -- by actually challenging the mainstream media and making use of Social media and especially the X/Twitter as a tool. But my friend is smart enough he referred to Trump's decision to appoint a Fox News host Pete Hegseth as country's next Defence Secretary.
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| National Press Day - Nagaland : 2024 |
And a mischief protagonist my friend is - he added: “Barking of dogs doesn’t impact the beggars’ sustenance.”
Now it was my turn -- I shot back, saying -- "The quote is not original. I have also heard this before".
And yet again before I could place my argument - he said -- "Journalists are actually good salesman/woman... When we reach a destination to attend a conference, we look at each other and do not forget to collect the (Traveling Allowance) ..TA bill if any..... On occasions, you also get Dearness Allowance and then festival allowance etc".
I could not agree more ! He was bang on target.
In Delhi, PR agency girls used to often call - "Sir, you came for that event. We gave you a gift packet... when is the story coming".
The envelope culture has made journalists avoid asking 'uncomfortable' questions to corporate honchos, VIPs and Netas at places. And there are occasions when people develop extra ordinary enthusiasm to throw up questions -which could appear like grilling of a Chief Minister.
Let me not go state or city specifics, he said -- adding, "this also works so well in small states and towns".
Suddenly, I remembered an old quote from an old-timer Shashi Kumar Nair.
A PTI veteran and we were bosom room mates for long.
He used to say -- "Bloody journalism is like that .... You dance with the devil, Devil does not change but after a few years, you will find the stupid Devil has changed you".
In the new era what has really changed?
Social media has over the years due to technology and social influence have taken away their role as the gatekeepers of information !!
But when it came to 'fight' -- could the mainstream media deal with the challenge ?
Not really !
Nothing much was done to 'protect' the ground of mainstream media or to reclaim the role that was 'lost' as an institution. The media's chief defeat came in when it failed hold the powerful to account.
When a Chief Minister or his advisors or a Prime Minister or his Information Ministers think things can be managed ... this news will not be covered adequately or they can 'plant' a falsehood. Media lost its power !!
About a decade back a senior BJP leader - and now deceased - was called Bureau Chief. Everyone laughed - but that was an occasion to grief. In Delhi circle, people say - the legacy has now passed to a key Congress leader ! Guess who ?
But the fact of the matter is it is not the 'fault of journalists and editors' !!
During peak of Covid-inflected Crisis in 2021 - I used to get calls from international media organisations and websites -- saying "Look for negative stories... that will be swallowed globally".
Many media owners’ across the globe have changed the flavour of journalism. Some media organisations were bought and sold.
Trump benefited by his friendship with Elon Musk. It was certainly not just friendship as the definition of the word goes.
The business tycoons 'goal' these days are driven not by public interest but by profitability.
Is this the real tragedy ?
Torrential rains of falsehood and make believe distortion of facts and 'news' have turned the entire building site into a quagmire !
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| Common Indians - They say "we respect journalists" - Rural Nagaland |
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