Media is only doing its job

From Watergate to Adarshgate — journalists the world over have been a thorn in the side of politicians. It's been so ever since newspapers started reporting scandals. In the media's relentless pursuit for truth, a politician's pejorative is only obvious. When Vilasrao Deshmukh and Ajit Pawar slammed the media, we in the media were quite pleased.

After all, it is an endorsement of our commitment to bring to our readers not what we think was correct or erroneous, but what they ought to know in order to come to a conclusion about their chosen representatives. In doing so, if barbs from the deputy chief minister or the Union minister for heavy industries come our way, we have no qualms taking them in our stride.

To be forthright, the media's power is frail, as former Philippines president, Corazon Aquino said. It strength comes from being backed by the people and from its independence. Otherwise, how many of the current scams plaguing the country would have come to the fore? The media does not pander to the politicians' will nor does it serve up news that all is hunky dory and god is seated happily in his heavenly abode. That is not what the people have entrusted the media to do. Its purpose is to let the people know what is going on in the country.

In that vein, the question for Ajit Pawar is simple: instead of advocating a ban on or caning of journalists, why don't you give us a state that is bereft of gross aberrations? Ajit Pawar is better off without his impertinent hauteur. Incidentally, Ajit's uncle, Sharad Pawar, also didn't give the media an easy time as agriculture minister. He had complained about the media's role, thereby missing the point. If the media is highlighting the plight of farmers, Pawar would have been better off alleviating their plight and thus depriving the media of an opportunity to report on their conditions.

If Sharad Pawar believes that the farmers' situation is a “trivial” issue, then clearly he needs to rethink his portfolio. Sharad Pawar has said it pays to be a “toughie” in politics, but one wishes he that he used his toughness to give people their due.

Deshmukh has complained that media persons merely fill their glasses in the evening. But, if I may say so, sir, we do so with our own money. We have neither a stake in Adarsh, nor have we anything to do with moneylenders in Vidarbha and farmers’ suicides. And we are not so insensitive as to take a filmmaker on a tour of the Taj Mahal hotel when the city was still to recover from the 26/11 attacks.

The heart of the matter is that the media does not produce stories: it simply reports them. They may be facts, or stories from which facts may be deduced. Prime minister Manmohan Singh asked the media not to portray India as a scam-ridden country. We in the media would have many positive stories to report if our politicians didn’t keep giving us scams or if they at least worked to stop them.