NDTV episode: Some answers in search of difficult questions

Much water has flown under the NDTV bridge: Social media exploded, the Editors Guild of India woke up, the Central Bureau of Investigation defended itself in public (before even defending itself in court) and the Union government got a bad headache.

However, none of the above managed to address certain uncomfortable questions — still hanging in the air because no one wants to answer these. But it is time we ask.

First, does the freedom of the press principle apply to the financials of a publicly listed company just because it runs a media outlet? Is the CFO’s cabin or the proprietor’s home the same thing as a studio or the newsroom? Isn’t freedom of press being impinged upon if the owner uses her/his staff journalists to save her/his skin, to publicly defend them against investigators and create a noise that drowns out due diligence and procedures?

A truly independent editorial team would have constituted its own special investigations team and probed, absolutely unbiasedly, whether irregularities took place or not — instead of ‘crying wolf’. That would have been true journalism and a true exercise of the Freedom of Press.

In a series of tweets on Wednesday night, Rajya Sabha MP and Essel Group Chairman Dr Subhash Chandra said: “If NDTV had committed any irregularity, then a proper investigation should take place. But calling it ‘assault on democracy’ just to shield NDTV from these charges, is wrong.” He added: “Some months ago, there was talk of blacking out NDTV for a day. But then there was a meeting, and everyone knows what happened there. Probably this time too something similar will happen.”

Editors Guild pic.twitter.com/ivsSIexSS6

— Dr. Subhash Chandra (@subhashchandra) June 6, 2017

Editors Guild deep concern’ NDTV  — Dr. Subhash Chandra (@subhashchandra) June 6, 2017

Agree “Entry of police & agencies into media offices is serious matter” so  NDTV  — Dr. Subhash Chandra (@subhashchandra) June 6, 2017

Journalists have a duty to speak truth to power. They owe it to the people of this democracy called India. A government which threatens that is doing a disservice to the nation. The raids on the proprietors of NDTV would be wrong if these were mere threats or just an injection of fear into its journalists and anchors. There has been an instance earlier, as mentioned in Dr Chandra’s tweet above, when the news outlet was supposed to be blacked out for a day. Life soon returned to normal for the channel after a meeting with a powerful Union minister. If the same happens again this time around, then the raids, as well as the CBI’s justifications for the same, will become farcical.

The Editors Guild came up with a strong defence of NDTV, stating: “While the Editors Guild maintains that no individual or institution is above the law, the Guild condemns any attempt to muzzle the media and calls upon the CBI to follow the due process of law and ensure there is no interference in the free functioning of news operations.” However, in the past, this venerable body had often decided when to act and when not to — leading to insinuations of it acting in an inconsistent manner.

On June 6, The Washington Post, which goes with the tagline ‘Democracy Dies In Darkness’, published online an article under the headline: ‘Crackdown on Indian news network sparks fear that press freedom is under threat.’ DNA columnist Minhaz Merchant tweeted out his sharp content analysis: “In 13-para report on @ndtv case, @washingtonpost devotes 1 para to govt view, 0 paras to CBI view. Exemplar of balanced journalism.” What’s more to be said?

There is need to insulate the newsroom from punitive governmental action or the threat thereof. At the same time, an ongoing investigation cannot be branded as an “assault” on the freedom of the press without ascertaining the facts of the case. Both pre-emptive political positioning and acting with a political motive are injurious to the health of a democracy. “Neither the media nor the government should fear each other,” says Dr Chandra in a tweet. That is the ideal environment, but it is often sullied by politics and power play at both ends.
 
The author is Editor-in-Chief of DNA