Odious Comparison
The Delhi media's almost hysterical coverage of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as possible Prime Minister was clearly not echoed in the state media, that remained largely preoccupied with regional issues and leaders.
Clipped Wings
Newspaper offices in Manipur have come to resemble fortresses today. After weeks and months of agitation for fear of their lives from rival insurgent groups in the tense state, journalists have managed to get some levels of security from the Manipur government. The result is that newspaper offices now have turned into high security buildings with journalists finding it difficult to operate with any level of independence. Several have been killed, and many more have survived assassination attempts. There are several scribes who have received bullet injuries for doing little more than their job
Politician or scribe?
It is not often that an Urdu newspaper is in the so called national news but editor and owner of Nai Duniya Shahid Siddiqui managed just that with his interview of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
In Full Glory
The other day I reluctantly agreed to participate in one of those excited bordering on the hysterical television debates. Reluctantly because these are usually a waste of time, with participants struggling to get a word in edgeways, and more often than not serious debate turning into a slanging match.
Perhaps, dissent muzzled
Despite large scale protests by the journalist community the Delhi police has not yet filed a chargesheet against Urdu journalist and commentator on Iran and Arab affairs, Syed Mohammad Ahmad Kazmi.
Who will watch the watchdogs?
Sometimes, it is embarrassing to be called a journalist. And one such occasion was just recently, when a newspaper devoted its entire front page; unprecedented in itself, to the movement of Army troops to Delhi as a possible "coup."
Wittingly incorrigible
The media did not do itself very proud in the coverage of the Assembly elections. The spotlight of course, was on Uttar Pradesh that seemed to hold the key to the Congress party's fortunes at the national level as well, and for the initial weeks into the campaign the media seemed mesmerised by Congress scion Rahul Gandhi.
From the news theatres
The year began with another media extravaganza. In Jaipur, during the over crowded and over hyped Rajasthan Literary festival. Closing into Oprah Winfrey, the 24 hour television channels and their print counterparts, were sufficiently distracted from the Talk show queen by a bunch of mullahs demanding the head of author Salman Rushdie.
No need for a censor
The publicity given to the reported use of social networking sites like Facebook in consolidating public opinion against the government in Egypt seems to have made even the government of Democratic India nervous.
Katju has a point
The war of words between the new Press Council of India chairman Justice Markandey Katju and various media organisations is unfortunate.
Let’s clean it up
“There is a great deal to clean within, and perhaps a start can be made to make the story more important than the reporter/anchorâ€
Hysteria on display
“It is important for television channels to realise that nothing attracts more than unbiased reportage of newsâ€
Lessons to learn...
It was a joy to see the so called media moghul Rupert Murdoch, his son James and their chief executive Rebekah Brooks grovel before the House of Commons media committee. Rubert Murdoch described it as the most “humble†day of his life, while all three tried to soft talk the British lawmakers into believing their innocence.
Why journalists are the soft targets...
A senior crime reporter, well known in all circles as a honest, hardworking journalist, is murdered in broad daylight. And all that the Mumbai police and the state home minister have to offer till date is conjecture and theories.
Issue Dated: Feb 5, 2017
