Is media independent?

Two weeks ago, on a Saturday afternoon as another hectic week at Citizen Matters had wound down, we received a phone call from one Mr G (name held back) asking us whether we could distribute the Citizen Matters print magazine in the Vijaynagar area of the city. He spoke in fluent Kannada and English, and from his voice it seemed he was in his late forties. At first it was not clear why we must take him seriously, since the only thing he would give away about himself was a first name, and that he was an ‘IT consultant’.

Let’s cut to the chase: Mr G, it turned out, was not a regular ‘IT consultant’. He was representing a political party and candidate for the assembly bye-election in Vijayanagar constituency. He was urging us to launch an edition of Citizen Matters with his candidate on the cover page in that area for one simple reason: that his candidate get more visibility. On being pressed, he gave in a little bit  with  “okay, you could cover other candidates too”.

Amongst other things, we let him know that Citizen Matters’ coverage on politics is not oriented to favour specific candidates. We’re independent and we want both our journalists and readers to cherish that. Clearly confused about the reply, he asked for a ‘yes/no’ and we said ‘no’.

This is not the first time. Several times in the past, secretaries and ‘handlers’ of MLA and MP candidates have asked our journalists about what our ‘fee’ was to interview their candidate.

In each case we’ve taken a simple line – we don’t take money.We cover politics because it must be covered, not because a candidate or two bankrolled us. Despite our own socio-economic and intellectual biases, we’re as independent as a media outlet will get in these parts.

One thing is clear: a number of newspapers are taking money from politicians in return for coverage. That’s why candidates are taken by surprise when Citizen Matters pushes back.

We sign off with this sobering note on our 62nd Independence day, a day we are to cherish the political freedoms our nation’s founders won for us: A press that charges for its articles isn’t really ‘free’. That won’t do, and must change.

References
 

Comments:

  1. Gautam says:

    Hats off to Citizens matters! I wish to add that there is a term that has become synonymous with such payments in media. Its called “Paid interviews” or “Paid articles”. I really have no clue whats the future of our media is, the way things are happening. But I sincerely wish you guys at citizens matters, the very best! When mainstream media has not lived upto the expectations of people, it is media like citizens matters that is a ray of hope and which can make all the difference.

  2. Aswin S says:

    Media and Journalism in our country is not what it used to be. Apart from a few institutions like CM, a majority of them are biased, to say the least. Many are even ‘owned’ by political parties that they always show the public only their side of the coin.

    Lasantha Wickrematunge, a former editor of Sunday Leader, a news organisation in Srilanka, showed the world what journalism truly means. This editorial was published three days after his death, as his last post.

    http://www.thesundayleader.lk/20090111/editorial-.htm

    I believe this is a must read for any wannabe journalist. Each of us must realize the legacy that we carry on our shoulders, and must know how great the call of duty is.

    By commercializing our interests, we must understand what kind of people we put to shame.

  3. Ravi Kaushik says:

    To ask a paper to compromise its editorial integrity is the equivalent of asking an engineer to build a flawed bridge or a doctor stealing kidneys…even ideological bias sometimes is fine but not intellectual dishonesty…kudos to you for standing up to them…

  4. Ammu Joseph says:

    This is a very revealing post, which should be widely circulated at least among media professionals. Let me know if I can help in that.

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