By IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, 15 Nov 2014: When information for news is collected with the objective to sell it in the form of products and TRPs, it ends up jeopardizing the ethics of journalism, a meet here observed and sought creation of alternative media to face the challenge posed by market controlled news organizations.
“The profession of journalism needs an ideology. Now it is market driven journalism. Mahatma Gandhi did not start Harijan newspaper to earn money but spread consciousness among people. But a media house cannot be run on the basics of ideology but only TRP,” Rajya Sabha member Mohammad Adeeb told the meet jointly organized by Urdu daily Roznama Siyasat Mail and United Press Club – Uttar Pradesh to honour late Captain Abbas Ali, an associate of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia. Ali died on October 14, 2014 at the age of 94.
Recalling an incident Adeeb said that once there was a very serious debate – one of the best in his career as a parliamentarian- going inside the parliament on the role of judiciary. Arun Jaitley, now finance minister and Kapil Sibal then from the ruling party Congress along with P Chidambaram gave wonderful arguments on the issue.
“But as I went out after taking part in the debate a reporter of a reputed TV channel asked me how a particular Bollywood actress, who was also a Rajya Sabha member looking in Saari,” Adeeb recalled pointing out the decline in the profession of journalism.
Senior Janata Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi was of the opinion that “first a debate should be done on the role of media in spreading the venom of communalism then on its role in combating communalism.” He expressed concern that the news about farmers issues, minimum support price for farm produce, violence on Dalits and minorities have been completely blacked out my the mainstream media.
Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Gopal Rai said that it is not fair to expect the media to be the only source of positivism when the entire society is on the verge of decline, even as he asked the national newspapers to play role to spread positive nationalism.
Editor of Roznama Siyasat Mail Ameeque Jamei exhorted the media to play a positive role in development of society and appealed to journalist to use their pen to stop the triumphant march of communalism and communal politics in the country.
Echoing similar concerns, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, former president management committee Shibli College Azamgarh said: “Now it is a trade, a business and news information is collected in a way to cater to the interest of the market. The information is not to spread awareness about what is right or wrong but with an aim to sell as a product.”
“There is a need for creation of an alternative media. The present media organizations will not reform as they are already sold out. Only social media can play a constructive role if it is organized properly,” he said.
Noted Urdu scribe Qurban Ali, who had a long stint with BBC observed that “Media and newspaper can be used to manipulate political power,” in an apparent reference to the role of media in giving a virtual push to the campaign of Narendra Modi led Bhartiya Janata Party during the just concluded general elections. Ali is the son of late Captain Abbas Ali.
Ali recalled an incident of December 1990 when during the heightened communal tension in the country in the backdrop of Ram Mandir movement, virtually the entire western Uttar Pradesh was under grip of curfew.
“Three Hindi newspapers published a fake news item that 100 Hindu patients had been killed in the Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College of Aligarh Muslim University. Mr. Depak Mishra was the DM of Aligarh then. I and senior journalist Satish Jacob went there and found that nothing such had happened,” Ali said, adding that false news led to communal riots from Aligarh to Ranchi.
The vice president of AMU students union Syed Masoodul Hasan alleged that the media played a very negative role in spreading “misinformation” on the issue of girls being not allowed in the Maulana Azad Library of the varsity.
In Conversation: Vice president of AMU students union, Syed Masoodul Hasan
‘2,760 girls among 11,400 registered as members of AMU’s Maulana Azad Library’
What is your take on the girls being not allegedly allowed access to university library in AMU?
There was no controversy. It was unnecessarily sensationalized by the media. One of our reputed national newspapers wrote that girls are not allowed in Maulana Azad Library of AMU which is false and incorrect. In terms of statistics there are 11,400 students enrolled in Maulana Azad library. Out of which 2,760 are girls. So, the argument of the national daily was false. Only undergraduate girls are not allowed access as the Women’s College is four km away from the campus. Their entire department right from classes, dining hall are separate provided near their residences. There is an entire exclusive 100 acre campus for them. Thus for their security this rule has been made. If you talk about professional courses of PG and graduate courses like B.Tech. or BSW or MBA they are allowed access to the main university library. Even research scholars come and read during late evening.
The statement of vice chancellor was not on a good taste when he said that boys will overcrowd if girls are allowed access to the university library. What is your take on the statement?
The entire AMU students community has condemned the statement of the vice chancellor Zamiruddin Shah on the issue which created the controversy. He should not have given such a statement. Why he gave such a statement he should be questioned for that. But the media was talking about “narrow thinking in the Muslim varsity” like girls are restricted and their freedom is compromised is totally baseless. I am also a student of mass communication and without research journalism should not be practised.
So, how do you look at the role of media in the entire controversy?
Media played a very negative role and did not allow facts to come up. Media is the mirror of society as such it should act in the same manner. The idea of journalism should not to mix salt and pepper with news to create sensationalism and sell in the market.
