This question was shouted out to just rescued European survivors of a siege at Stanleyville in eastern Congo as they disembarked from US Air Force C-130s landing. It’s a title of war correspondent Edward Behr's memoirs.When I studied journalism, this used to be the text book for the “Ethics of journalism”. When I read it then, I almost felt, this was most hyped book ever. But when I practiced journalism though briefly, that too for a tabloid, I realized, the book was a true account.
Selfishness is what defines many things, in most professional as well as personal lives. Just remembered my DU prof. often preaching on the virtue of being selfish. But what about being harmful while achieving those virtues?
The morning followed by Benazir Bhutto's assassination, who expected to see Dhirubhai Ambani on the front page of India’s apparently-highest-circulated-newspaper? Bhutto who was known for her secular credentials in Muslim-dominated Pakistan. Is that the kind of responsibility we carry for our neighbouring country?
Let's talk of ultra publicity then, like the the free publicity Indian media gave to the 'Nano'! Even Rajnikanth's Shivaji had not got so much of it. Only a part of foreign media told us that most-loved 'Nano' may not meet International standards of fuel-emission, to add more to the air pollution.
And of course, how can we forget a reporter asking a son after his father was dead in the Rajdhani train accident in 2003: “How are you feeling?” Waw! We were told, there are no stupid questions, there can be only stupid answer… Anyone wants to contest this:)
And of course, how can we forget a reporter asking a son after his father was dead in the Rajdhani train accident in 2003: “How are you feeling?” Waw! We were told, there are no stupid questions, there can be only stupid answer… Anyone wants to contest this:)
1 comment:
Yes, I do sound old-fashioned. Today people read not for enlightenment but to obtain information or to discover ways of making money. Also, a section of the readership wants to be titillated. Many of the magazines are indeed meant for them. There is gossip as well as sex and violence. Masala journalism is the order of the day. There is also what I would like to call ‘metropolitan journalism,’ that is the journalism characteristic of cities like Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi (predominantly Mumbai). The pulp press catering to the commuter, the office-goer or the workingwoman represents this. This has inevitably trivialised the press in India.”
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