Scribes attempt to salvage journalism from state interference

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Senior journalists and members of civil society said that they sought to understand and remedy ills plaguing the media today.

They made the comments at an event organised on the occasion of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh’s birth anniversary.

The programme was titled Gauri Day: Reconstructing the fourth estate. Gauri, the former editor of the Kannada publication Lankesh Patrike, was shot dead, reportedly by right wing extremists, on September 5, 2017 outside her Bengaluru home.

The event was moderated by scribe and civil rights activist Teesta Setalvad. Political editor of the Caravan magazine Hartosh Singh Bal, senior journalists Paranjoy GuhaThakurta and social activist Bhanwar Meghwanshi, among others participated in the programme.

They had gotten together for deliberations for two days prior in an attempt to find solutions to contemporary problems facing the media.

Hartosh Singh Bal said that much of what ails journalism arose from media ownership and senior journalistic positions being held by members of privileged castes.

He pointed out that a great many editors from legacy media were not just upper castes but Brahmin. Moreover, ownership was mostly in the hands of mercantile castes like the Baniyas and Marwaris.

“We are witnessing business interests aligning with the (nation) state. Moreover, this is the kind of country they (privileged castes) want. This is the result of the lack of diversity in the newsroom and media ownership,” Hartosh said.

He also warned against using journalism and media interchangeably, adding that journalism referred to the gathering and publishing of news that fell under the large superstructure of the media, which included print, broadcast – including radio and TV news – apart from social media.

(Sub-head) Media reinforcing Modi cult: Senior editor Bal pointed out that much of the news media had been singing the praises of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre.

He said that during his visit to Madhya Pradesh to cover the recent Assembly polls, he found that Hindu voters across caste lines felt that India had reached greater heights under Modi.

“I could say that dozens, if not hundreds of liberals said that the Ram Mandir had lost its appeal,” he said, adding that the relentless media coverage of the same essentially resurrected the movement. Hartosh also warned against not engaging with news media owned by big business. He pointed out that some of the best journalistic work had been done under “corporate journalistic organisations”.

“Ultimately, it is reportage that will change perceptions,” he said.

Meghwanshi also bemoaned the way both English and Hindi broadcast media had covered the consecration of the Ram Mandir recently.

Others flagged the Broadcast Bill floated by the Centre, which would make it even more difficult to start a news outlet in any medium.