Kanchan Gupta is Editorial Director of NiTi Digital. He has worked at several newspapers, including The Telegraph, The Statesman and The Pioneer. During a break from journalism he served in the PMO as an aide to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and as Director of Maulana Azad Centre in Cairo.
There was a time when new entrants into journalism were taught the difference between information, misinformation and disinformation. The Editor would wag his finger at the young recruits and sternly warn them against indulging in peddling either misinformation or disinformation. Media’s job was to inform – those hurt by that information would take recourse to misinformation and disinformation. In response, it was the media’s job to expose both.
Such lessons are no longer given; many editors who now head news organisations have elected to forget the lesson they were given. This either suits their purpose to grab eyeballs or because theirs’ is a command performance. Like marionettes, they twist and turn as told to by their political masters. The naïve blame it on ideology. That would have required a certain amount of intellectual integrity – these are men and women who are intellectually (if not also morally) bankrupt.
And so it is that every story about Gujarat’s Chief Minister Narendra Modi must begin with “in a blow to Modi”, never mind if that story is actually laudatory to him. Or, ‘2002’ must be mentioned irrespective of whether or not it merits a mention. This past week, it’s fashionable to mention ‘Wharton’, even if the story has nothing to do with a business school of which few people in this country know or frankly care about.
On Sunday, Modi addressed, via video, a large number of NRIs in the US who are members of the Overseas Friends of BJP. The event had been planned months in advance and rescheduled at least once to fit it into the Chief Minister’s crammed schedule. Guess what these editors and their media houses surmised? That it had been scrambled in response to Wharton disinviting Modi which was a shameful thing to do, not the least because it makes a mockery of University of Pennsylvania’s claimed credentials.
That was not the end of it. DNA ran a story headlined “Narendra Modi chants ‘India First’ while talking about Wharton issue” and then went on to report that the Chief Minister “made no reference to the … Wharton controversy”. Another example: IBN Live, which has made Modi-bashing into a creed for CNN-IBN, had a story headlined “People will forgive ‘mistakes’ if govt serves them well: Narendra Modi” in which the channel intentionally distorts what Modi said to suit its own agenda. The issue of post-Godhra violence in 2002 was never raised during the interaction. Talking on governance, Modi said if a Government works diligently and delivers development, then any mistakes made in five years are usually overlooked, forgotten and forgiven by the people. The mistakes clearly relate to policy issues. But it was slyly insinuated that he was referring to 2002.
Such examples abound. It’s a pity that despite media’s bluff being called again and again, it remains immune to criticism and indifferent to the truth. Is it impunity that comes with political patronage of the Congress that makes misinformation and disinformation the staple of media’s coverage of events? Or is it sheer cussedness of these alleged journalists, who are secure in the knowledge that their media houses are too big to be touched and brought to book, that makes them into liars and charlatans?
“Is it impunity that comes with political patronage of the Congress that makes misinformation and disinformation the staple of media’s coverage of events? Or is it sheer cussedness of these alleged journalists, who are secure in the knowledge that their media houses are too big to be touched and brought to book, that makes them into liars and charlatans”?
It is BOTH.
The damage done by media in India has been colossal. Including tehelka.
Thank God to my knowledge Sri.Kanchan Gupta , Cho Ramaswamy , Swapan Dasgupta BOLDLY took the initiative in unmasking them.
while i totally agree to this but would like to point out that isn’t this the case with media supporting BJP or Modi too? for an example I can quote so many articles by you where you have interpreted or quoted others to suit your version of a incident. I have a huge respect for you and admire the well researched stories you do and would love to see the same kind of investigation and impartial stories which stand for truth and not political parties or personalities.
There is no end to this kind of vain arguments. Every other country is very clear & strict about electing its Leaders who would abide by their respective religions & ensure fair governance.
Why should India bitten by secoolar bug go on comparing? Do you think the damage done by tehelkas & barkha dutts can ever be remedied ? We the majority HINDUS want only Narendra Modi & Jayalalithaa. Congress & leftists should GO.
where will that end Rajalaxmi?? first they will divide you on religion and then on caste, states, city .. there is no end to it. so my personal view is that let governance be only about good governance ! and it might appear vain argument to you but th point i was making was simple and about journalism.. that let journalism stand only for truth and not parties or politician.
Surprised you are talking in future tense! Already the divisions along caste & various other lines mentioned by you are well entrenched. For all such fissures paid journalism finds HINDUS & HINDUISM the most convenient scapegoat. The most pliant punching bag.
If your quest is for TRUTH then don’t look for it among journalists like tehelka , NDTV & CNN-IBN.
Read what Sri.Kanchan Gupta himself has written a lot about his meeting with Sathyajit Ray , his interaction at the grassroots level with villagers & so on. HINDUS’ VEDAS predate aaashish khaitans & rajdeep sardesais. And SHALL OUTLIVE them also !
Good governance is what Narendra Modi HIMSELF has given. That has actually JOLTED most people around this world & WITHIN INDIA as Hindus have been written off as good for nothing fit to play only second fiddle & in need of upliftment by the congress , evangelicals ( White Man’s BURDEN) & communist terrorists like Karats & Yechurys.
What made so many marauders come seeking, attacking & looting Bharath ?
That HINDUS are reclaiming their legitimate dues & rights along with self esteem conquering their internal stoop gives the secoolarists & various inimicals INSOMNIA & DYSPEPSIA. Which get manifested in the form of verbal diarrhoea along the following lines-
I completely agree with Kanchan Gupta that media brings out what suits their agenda and not necessarily the real information.
But we must understand that media has become a business, so it cares purely for profit. So they would go with what is selling in the market.
Hence, I think it will be unrealistic to imagine media saying the truth entirely and not being biased to anyone. Even in the developed world news channels are clearly biased towards political parties, as they can increase viewership only by publishing what is appreciated by voters tilting towards a particular political party’s views.
I agree with Rajalakshmi that Leftists or anyone tilting towards left wing should clearly go as these people have done no good to our country.
Very well written piece, completely agree that media reports less of information these days, and more of what suits its agenda.
However, in MHO it would be unreasonable to expect media to be completely unbiased for 2 reasons:
1. It is a business and would publish what sells. Even in developed world it is the same case and many Indian media houses are part owned by western companies.
2. Newspapers or news channels generally represent one of the political idealogies. Even in the western world, for instance Fox News and CNN are clearly biased to their respective political parties, so it shouldnt be surprising that Indian channels follow suit.
I do agree with Rajalakshmi that the leftists or anyone tilting to left mentality should go away as they have not done any good to India. The only model that political parties should follow should be based on Development, and it is upto people to realize that and root out leftists and similar parties.
Information, Facts; all the Facts and nothing but the Facts. Not humanly possible to dispense.The art of cut and paste is as old as the creation is.
People will forgive mistakes if the government serves them well. Mistakes made in 10 years brings Godhra and Riots. Mention not the years, it is left to the imagination of the reader.
The remark “if the government serves well” is subjective!
"India is a very important neighbour."
Li Keqiang
Rajalakshmi
March 15, 2013 at 3:05 pm
Extremely needed article & well written!!
“Is it impunity that comes with political patronage of the Congress that makes misinformation and disinformation the staple of media’s coverage of events? Or is it sheer cussedness of these alleged journalists, who are secure in the knowledge that their media houses are too big to be touched and brought to book, that makes them into liars and charlatans”?
It is BOTH.
The damage done by media in India has been colossal. Including tehelka.
Thank God to my knowledge Sri.Kanchan Gupta , Cho Ramaswamy , Swapan Dasgupta BOLDLY took the initiative in unmasking them.
Rajesh
March 16, 2013 at 1:40 pm
while i totally agree to this but would like to point out that isn’t this the case with media supporting BJP or Modi too? for an example I can quote so many articles by you where you have interpreted or quoted others to suit your version of a incident. I have a huge respect for you and admire the well researched stories you do and would love to see the same kind of investigation and impartial stories which stand for truth and not political parties or personalities.
Rajalakshmi
March 16, 2013 at 2:55 pm
There is no end to this kind of vain arguments. Every other country is very clear & strict about electing its Leaders who would abide by their respective religions & ensure fair governance.
Why should India bitten by secoolar bug go on comparing? Do you think the damage done by tehelkas & barkha dutts can ever be remedied ? We the majority HINDUS want only Narendra Modi & Jayalalithaa. Congress & leftists should GO.
Rajesh
March 16, 2013 at 4:06 pm
where will that end Rajalaxmi?? first they will divide you on religion and then on caste, states, city .. there is no end to it. so my personal view is that let governance be only about good governance ! and it might appear vain argument to you but th point i was making was simple and about journalism.. that let journalism stand only for truth and not parties or politician.
Rajalakshmi
March 16, 2013 at 5:38 pm
Surprised you are talking in future tense! Already the divisions along caste & various other lines mentioned by you are well entrenched. For all such fissures paid journalism finds HINDUS & HINDUISM the most convenient scapegoat. The most pliant punching bag.
If your quest is for TRUTH then don’t look for it among journalists like tehelka , NDTV & CNN-IBN.
Read what Sri.Kanchan Gupta himself has written a lot about his meeting with Sathyajit Ray , his interaction at the grassroots level with villagers & so on. HINDUS’ VEDAS predate aaashish khaitans & rajdeep sardesais. And SHALL OUTLIVE them also !
Good governance is what Narendra Modi HIMSELF has given. That has actually JOLTED most people around this world & WITHIN INDIA as Hindus have been written off as good for nothing fit to play only second fiddle & in need of upliftment by the congress , evangelicals ( White Man’s BURDEN) & communist terrorists like Karats & Yechurys.
What made so many marauders come seeking, attacking & looting Bharath ?
That HINDUS are reclaiming their legitimate dues & rights along with self esteem conquering their internal stoop gives the secoolarists & various inimicals INSOMNIA & DYSPEPSIA. Which get manifested in the form of verbal diarrhoea along the following lines-
“..in another blow to Narendra Modi…”.
Nobody ever kicks a dead dog.
Kilroy
March 16, 2013 at 11:06 pm
How do you get more to comment on to these blogs?
Antariksh Bhardwaj
March 18, 2013 at 9:52 pm
Sad to Know that Media has also become complicit in crimes of Congress.
WakeupIndia!
March 31, 2013 at 3:49 pm
I completely agree with Kanchan Gupta that media brings out what suits their agenda and not necessarily the real information.
But we must understand that media has become a business, so it cares purely for profit. So they would go with what is selling in the market.
Hence, I think it will be unrealistic to imagine media saying the truth entirely and not being biased to anyone. Even in the developed world news channels are clearly biased towards political parties, as they can increase viewership only by publishing what is appreciated by voters tilting towards a particular political party’s views.
I agree with Rajalakshmi that Leftists or anyone tilting towards left wing should clearly go as these people have done no good to our country.
WakeupIndia
March 31, 2013 at 5:36 pm
Very well written piece, completely agree that media reports less of information these days, and more of what suits its agenda.
However, in MHO it would be unreasonable to expect media to be completely unbiased for 2 reasons:
1. It is a business and would publish what sells. Even in developed world it is the same case and many Indian media houses are part owned by western companies.
2. Newspapers or news channels generally represent one of the political idealogies. Even in the western world, for instance Fox News and CNN are clearly biased to their respective political parties, so it shouldnt be surprising that Indian channels follow suit.
I do agree with Rajalakshmi that the leftists or anyone tilting to left mentality should go away as they have not done any good to India. The only model that political parties should follow should be based on Development, and it is upto people to realize that and root out leftists and similar parties.
sohan
April 11, 2013 at 7:35 pm
Information, Facts; all the Facts and nothing but the Facts. Not humanly possible to dispense.The art of cut and paste is as old as the creation is.
People will forgive mistakes if the government serves them well. Mistakes made in 10 years brings Godhra and Riots. Mention not the years, it is left to the imagination of the reader.
The remark “if the government serves well” is subjective!