Indian journalism's credibility crisis: Double standards in reporting, diluting or demonizing on the basis of person's name or faith is shameful
Shams Ur Rehman Alavi
Indian journalism is in a deep crisis. Just go through this example and see how incidents are reported--diluted, hushed up or hyped, sensationalized, selectively. A few days ago, this serious incident involving national security took place.
Amal Tiwari was arrested from Buxar. Not in hurried operation, but after long investigation & when a lot of information was obtained, especially, because it was a case that needed rigorous probe due to the sensitivity.
But the same media that is quick to sensationalize, avoided mentioning it as 'international terror plot' & no serious follow-up stories were published. No reports of ATS teams rushing or reports about NIA taking it up, crime branch or other wings' investigation.
And of course, no frenzy among journos who are seen rushing to police stations and pushing mikes in front of officers, as it happens in any such case. Generally, whenever such a major crime or expose is made, there is hysteric reporting in the case where there is just a suspect or even a claim about someone's involvement. Adjectives and prefixes are inserted with sensational headlines. But this serious case was turned into a mere 'security breach'. Nothing about modules or arrested person's links, no news about probe teams or what came out in the form of investigation report and no 'sources' mentioning what was found in search and nothing about family, past acts or other aspects. In one case, a name is thrown and everyone gets into frenzy, reporting day and night, throwing stories after stories, using sensational terms and getting actively involved. But on the other hand, paying little attention despite seriousness of the case. How?
There is a reason. The reporters and journalists, they have certain inherent inclinations or biases. They are unable to get rid of those perceptions. That case after case, one incident gets excessive focus and other is diluted.
In one case, the focus is extreme and even without much evidence, attempt is made to turn story sensational. But in other case, effort is to totally ignore the news or write in a manner that despite all the stuff, it should be relegated to inside pages and no serious follow-up reports.
In most countries, media faces criticism but in India, there is a higher and strong tendency to report stories based on 'who' is the suspect. The identity of the person who is involved, decides if the case will be on front page or the news would be relegated to an inside page.
If victim belongs to a particular section, his plight would be understood, otherwise, even the victim is not seen as victim. Besides, if a claim is made against a person who has an identity that doesn't gel with the mainstream idea of majoritarian forces, then, even the person will face media trial and character assassination. All journalistic ethics are thrown out of the window. False allegation is made, no arrest has taken place, but the person would be treated as a criminal and photographs would be published to destroy the image of the person.
This pattern continues because whenever a family suffers, they don't understand the mechanism and get under such huge pressure that for them, getting out of defamation campaign is more important than documenting the falsehoods of the newspapers and TV channels to later take action for false reporting.
A person who has not been involved in any office and just a false claim is made because of rumour or vested interests of a rival or if someone has made an allegation about the person, it is not mentioned in reports that this is 'alleged' or this is a claim.
The claim is presented as fact even if within days it is revealed that the charges were false. But by then, the person gets demonized and job prospects, future get damaged due to the sensationalism and the streak of media to target and defame. The worst aspect is that the other person who has not just been booked and arrested but convicted and jailed for a horrific crime, is termed as 'man released after ten years', not even a mention of charge or crime or prison. The template and the method is quite clear.
Even those who led mob and were convicted for mass murder and were sentenced to life term, but on their release from jail, the headline is simple: 'Man released after 15 years'. No mention that the person was involved in leading a mob that attacked a house or shop and raped, murdered the innocents.
Most newsrooms have this issue and the person writes story depending on his personal biases and thoughts, not on the basis of standard journalism practices. The standards should be the same. If a person is suspect, then he should be suspect and he should not be treated as criminal or convict. And it should be in all cases. Not just national security, but the worst cases of crimes too, it is seen that people report with zeal in one case and just ignore other case. Keep similar standards and basic practices, if not ideal as idealism is too tough to expect in the times we live.
Example of subtle ways to suppress or sensationalize reports and headlines:
-In an incident, a man assaults other person & its definitely a crime. But in headline his full name is mentioned and termed 'darinde ne apne ghar mein ye kiya'. -In other incident, a man killed his two daughters with an axe like weapon. But headline doesn't use the term 'darinda' or monster & there is no name in headline. Maintain certain standards in media. Assault or attack is not equivalent to murders. Further, if you have started practice of taking names of killers or assailants in headlines, then in each case, take the names, otherwise just don't take name in headline in each case. Not just that one in ten cases where it suits you, you will take complete name in headline. Otherwise, you will hide it. Media must be responsible. It has to act fair and should appear fair in practice. Reporting or journalism can't be done whimsical way. Report each incident as per the standards of journalistic ethics. It shouldn't be that you are paid to run a service to demonize a person in one case and act as PR manager of accused in other case or make the gravity of an offence lesser or turn an incident more serious depending on your mood swings.
Journalism must have a certain seriousness. Writing a pulp fiction style story for sensational crime magazine episode in one case and otherwise so soft just because you feel it that way or you have a particular motive!
The checks and balances that are needed, don't exist. Press council acts when complaint is made to it. But on regular basis, the extreme bias that is shown in reporting, continues to make lives difficult for innocents.