bhadas4media is a portal which is like a fresh wind in the stinking environment of decaying journalism : I would like to tender my apology for writing this in Engilsh. Several times I thought to write about the diminishing and vanishing ethics in journalism but I laid my idea off just because thinking that nothing is going to be changed. But this noon as I went through your soul searching article titled ‘In akhbaaron par thukein na to kya karein’ I get trembled and decided to write something about the absolute decaying of journalistic ethics. We can remember the role of journalists in the Indian freedom movement. At was in 1857 when Payam-e-Azadi started publication in Hindi and Urdu calling upon the people to fight against the British Rule. The paper was soon confiscated and any one found with a copy of the paper was persecuted for sedition.
Again, the first Hindi daily Samachar Sudhavarashan and two newspapers in Urdu and Persian respectively Doorbeen and Sultan-ul-Akhar, faced trial in 1957 for having published a ‘Firman’ by Bahadur Shah Zafar urging Indian to flush the British out ioIndia. This was followed by the notorious Gagging Act of Lord Canning under which restrictions were imposed on the newspapers and periodicals
There were several newspapers fighting for the cause of Independence India. So many Congress top leaders had been the editors of different newspapers. Ferozeshah Mehta had started the Bombay Chronicle and Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya used to edit Hindustan Hindi daily . He also helped the publication of leading Hindi daily Leader publishing from Allahabad. Moti Lal Nehru was the first Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Leader. Lala Lajpat Rai inspired the publication of three journals, the Punjabi, Bandematram and the People from Lahore. Mahatama Gandhi published Indian Opinion while staying in South Africa. As he settled in India he started to publish Young Indai, Navjeevan, Harijan, Harijan Sevak and Harijan Bandhu. Jawaharlal Nehru founded the National Herald. Subash Chandra Bose and C. R. Das were not journalists but they acquired the papers like Forward and Advance which later attained national status. At the time of Indendence social reformer and journalist Rajaram Mohan Roy arouse national awakening by writing his patriotic article and journals.Hindi journalist who has earned a name for his patriotism was Ganesh Shanker Vidyarthi. In 1913, he brought out weekly Pratap from Kanpur. In Bihar the tradition of national newspapers was carried forward by Sachidanand Sinha, who had started the publication of Searchlight under the editorship of Murtimanohar Sinha. Dev Brat Shastri started publication of ‘Nav Shakti and Rashtra Vani’. The weekly yogi and the Hunkar also contributed very much to the general awakening.
Giving so much details about the role of media in the Indian freedom movement is only intended to say that abovementioned names were those journalists and social reformers who never enjoyed the family comforts. They never ran after money or nurture the ghastly greed like todays’s journalists. They were honest and did their job without any self interest Their mission was to rescue the India from the shackles of British Rule through newspapers. They never aspire to get a plump post with the newspapers. They only served the words and the newspapers.
Lastly, India got her Independence and we the Indian too. But we can see what happened with our journalists and media houses. They never tried to take the lesson from those great persons. We can see media have become the tools of money minting machine. Newsprints come out in form of pamphlets praising a politician in the election. There is complete lack of journalistic ethics. Everywhere is looting in the name of planted news. Contents are being sold out to politicians in the name of package. Every media house is indulged in the plundering of money in the name of Media Marketing Initiatives by offering packages to the corrupt and moron politicians. Journalists have become so greedy that they can go to any extent for news bargaining. Gives and takes policy has touched the zenith in media. Pimp culture has gripped the entire media industry. Few pimps masquerading as a senior journalists (read editors) protecting the managements put the excuse that huge investments in a media house is only aimed at huge profit. They argue huge investments are not made for journalistic ethics. ‘Perform’ at any cost or ready to be fired. They even say today markets control everything. Right from a person choice to a woman wish to media news.They shamelessly even say if we don’t earn the revenue by advertisements (even Titanic K2, Japani Tel and Sahdaha ka Tel like ads are printed on front page) there is not need to publish a newspapers.
I would like to say you that your bhadas4media is a portal which is like a fresh wind in the stinking environment of decaying journalism. I would also like to tell those bhaduwa type senior journalists who lick the boot and ready to get their arse fucked by the higher management that please change the society by positive journalism, protect the juniors and don’t run after package. Again I would like to say those bhaduwa type journalists that don’t show their so called mardanagi on your wife in the bedroom. Be a mard not eunuch. That money and posts are not forever. Don’t compromise with the post. Win the hearts of juniors and show them right path. Come out and fight for the human cause and nation building.
At last I would like to conclude it by saying that now there is a need to fight for corrupt journalism. Time has come now. We have to stop them for selling packages and to the politicians with a view to save our democratic system otherwise only those politicians will win the elections who purchase the package. Honest politicians will left far behind. And only media and corrupt politician will rule the nation. One will get the government advertisements and other will get the publicity. For stopping this malpractices we need an organization where we can share our thoughts with regard to positive journalism. I know bhadas4media is not enough. Only few journalists read this portal. Not whole nation. What about the masses who read the newspapers. They don’t know which news is sponsored or which news is planted. They trust the news and the newsmen sensing that how a reporter or sampadak can be corrupt. It is we who know this. So please Yashwant Ji try to form an organization to raise our voices against growing tradition of package selling. Please discuss with Prabhas Joshi, Haribans Ji and Alok Tomar and the like of many senior journalists to save the dignity of newspaper and our democratic structure..
With regards
Prashant Kumaar
09308752440
Email: [email protected]
