Media’s conduct must be above board
We must never forget that successive generations performed the duties required of them, towards society and the nation. That is how we achieved freedom. After Independence, the rights of citizens gained importance in public discourse. Unfortunately, over time we seem to have neglected our individual and collective sense of duty. This has in some way contributed to several ills that plague our society today. The need of the hour is to create a mass awakening towards “engaged, responsible, and aware citizens”. The civic sense of “entitlement” must be suitably balanced by a civic sense of “responsible engagement”. This should happen, of course, through our education system and the conduct of our political leaders. But the media, too, has a key role to play here.
Many of the newspapers that shaped the discourse for freedom were vernacular newspapers. In fact, the then British government was fearful of the Indian vernacular press. It was to muzzle vernacular newspapers, that the Vernacular Press Act was enacted in 1878.
In our diverse nation, the role of vernacular newspapers — newspapers published in regional languages — remains as important today as it was then. They carry content in a language easily understood by people. Very often, they cater to vulnerable and socially disadvantaged groups. Their strength, their impact, and thus, their responsibility can never be underestimated. They are the messengers of the intent and policies of the government, in farflung areas. Equally, they are the torchbearers of the thoughts, feelings and emotions of our people.
In this context, it is indeed heartening to note that today, among our vibrant print media, some of the largest selling newspapers, are published in the regional languages. Dina Thanthi is, of course, one among them. I have often heard people wonder as to how the amount of news that happens in the world every day always just exactly fits the newspaper.
On a serious note, we are all aware, there is just too much that happens in the world every day. It is the editors who select and decide what is important. They decide what should be given space on the first page, what should be given more space and what should be ignored. This, of course, casts upon them a great responsibility. Editorial freedom must be used wisely in public interest. Equally so, the freedom to write and to decide what is to be written does not include the freedom to be “less than accurate”, or “factually incorrect”. As Mahatma Gandhi himself told us: “The press is called the Fourth Estate. It is definitely a power, but to misuse that power is criminal.”
Even though media may be owned by private individuals, it serves a public purpose. As scholars say, it is an instrument to produce reform through peace rather than by force. Hence, it has as much social accountability as the elected government or the judiciary. And its conduct must be equally above board. To recall the words of the great saint Thiruvalluvar, “There is nothing in this world except ethics, which would bring both reputation and wealth together”.
Technology has brought about great change in the media. There was a time when the headlines of the day, written on a village blackboard, carried immense credibility. Today, our media spans the entire range, from that village blackboard to online bulletin boards.
Just as education now focuses a lot more on learning outcomes, our attitude towards consumption of content has changed. Today, every citizen analyses, discusses and attempts to crosscheck and verify the news that comes to him, through multiple sources. Media, therefore, must make an extra effort to maintain credibility. Healthy competition among credible media platforms is also good for the health of our democracy.
Renewed emphasis on credibility brings us to the subject of introspection. I firmly believe that reform in the media, whenever required, can only come from within, through introspection. Indeed, we have seen this process of introspection happen on some occasions such as the analysis of the reportage of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Perhaps, it should happen more often. I recall a quote our beloved former president, APJ Abdul Kalam: “We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?”
I observe that a lot of the media discourse today revolves around politics. It is only fair that politics be discussed at length in a democracy. However, India is more than just us politicians. It is the 125 crore Indians who make India what it is. I would be happy to see media focus a lot more on their stories and their achievements.
In this endeavour, every citizen with a mobile phone is your ally. Citizen reporting can be an important tool in the sharing and dissemination of success stories of individuals. It can also be of immense help in directing relief and rescue efforts in times of crisis, or natural disasters.
Let me also add that during times of natural disasters, media usually does its best to cover various aspects of the incident. Natural calamities seem to be occurring with increasing frequency and intensity across the world. Climate change is a challenge for each one of us. Can media take a lead in the battle against it? Can media devote just a little space or a fixed time daily to report, discuss, or increase awareness about what we can do to combat climate change?
I take this opportunity to appreciate the media’s response to the Swachh Bharat Mission. As we strive to achieve Swachh Bharat by 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, I am touched by the constructive role the media has played both in generating awareness and mass consciousness towards cleanliness. They have also pointed out the work that remains to be done before we can claim to have achieved our goal.
There is another key area where media can play an important role. This is the initiative of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat. Let me explain this with one example.
Can a newspaper devote just a few column inches of space, each day for one year, to this cause? Every day, they can write one simple sentence in their language of publication, along with its translation and transliteration, in all major Indian languages.
At the end of the year, readers of the newspaper will have been exposed to 365 such simple sentences in all major Indian languages. Imagine the positive impact this simple step can create. Further, schools can be encouraged to discuss this in their classrooms daily for a few minutes, so that children, too, are exposed to the strength and richness of our diversity. Hence, this step will not only serve a noble cause, but will also increase the strength of the publication itself.