Is Indian Media Corrupt or Principled?

According to some polls and studies Indian media topped in the list of most corrupt media in the world. Is the Indian media are corrupt?

Morality of Today’s Indian Media

The senior most journalists from old school of thoughts think present day media scene is corrupt to the core because it is owned by many rich and influential people with political connections and power. They can manipulate and manage any situation with the help of media. Be it political, commercial or social and economic situation, every issue can be managed by sponsored editorials and news. This is an unfolding story about the corrupt media that speaks volumes on the Editorial takes that we keep watching in TV debates and bias news bites. Investigative journalists and corrupt minds working in the media constantly keep claiming high moral positions; however that is simply a myth today. If not all, very few can claim to be clean, with high moral characters and true to their profession. Honesty and professional integrity are rare commodities in journalism today.

Corruption in media is not new. But this has now become institutionalized. It started with Page 3 and parties, to private treaties and now at the next level it has gone to the political sphere with candidates paying newspapers and TV channels to put out news.

It is a fraud that operates at three levels — the reader doesn’t know that what he is reading is paid for, the person paying is hiding this expense from the Election Commission, and the cash the media company is receiving is not disclosed in its balance sheet.  There are documented allegations against Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhaskar, Amar Ujala, Times of India, Hindustan, Eenadu, Sakshi, Lokmat and others. It also documents the claims and counter-claims made by representatives of the media.

But there is no evidence…

There is no clinching evidence because there is no transaction on paper. But there is a huge volume of circumstantial evidence. There are people on record saying that representatives of the Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhaskar, Punjab Kesri, Eenadu asked for money.

The only person who admitted that he paid — P Kodanda Rama Rao, a Loksatta party candidate from Andhra Pradesh — says he paid Rs 50,000 to Eenadu for favourable articles. The newspaper denied it. All of it follows a pattern.

What are the future aspects?

How can we take TV Channels at face value when they have debates which can be politically set, or orchestrated for political and monetary considerations? Today, the credibility of the media, journalists, Human rights Activists and political class has taken a beating and is at its lowest. And at the bottom of it is… Corruption at all levels. The responsible citizens of this country must make an educated choice and demand change in the corrupt system. Only civil society can do it if civil society wants to CHANGE INDIA FOR BETTER. The PCI (Press Council of India) has no power to penalize if more people become aware of this malpractice, if some of the names are shamed, then to some extent this short article would have achieved its purpose.

BY:

HARSHDEEP GROVER

INDORE INSTITUTE OF LAW