Is media becoming an extra-constitutional authority? What is the role of the
media in the society? Are we using people or are we being used? Strange
questions you might feel, coming from someone who has spent a couple of years
more than a decade in media world.
At the onset, let me assure you that these are questions which have bothered
me time and again in the journey, which started as a cub reporter. But what has
probably brought this to forefront are some instances that happened with us,
that is The DQ Week, and also that which unfolded at the national level in the
third phase of polling.
What triggered it off was the dismal polling figures that were recorded in
Mumbai. I vividly recall the great outpouring of public anger post-26/11 and
they all used the media for venting it out. The city and its populace were hurt.
They took it out on national television. Once the place was sanitized, a lot of
them came out and made all sorts of hate groups against certain media personnel,
who covered the tragedy, for milking it.
So come elections and the same people who were hurting and wanted justice –
what did they do? They made the best use of the extended holiday and chose not
to vote. Rightly so, the electronic and the print media went to town slamming
the city, which chose not to vote. The reason being bandied was it was too hot
to vote. Really? Surely some days down the line they will come out and make more
hate groups on Orkut against the people who will write scathing pieces about
this lack of responsibility of the populace.
The same happens with us at alarming regularity. A few weeks ago, I listened
incredulous to a gentleman, shouting on the phone about a story that we had done
on their organization and he ended the conversation by saying that “Media should
play a more responsible role”. Well to tell you frankly we had forewarned the
same gentleman about the story, waited a month for them to get back to us and
then carried the story. They sent me a letter, which nowhere refuted our story,
but just showcased the fact that they were hurt by our supposed 'negative'
story.
The same was repeated by the representative of one of the biggest vendors in
the country today, who told me that media should be more accommodating. This
knowing fully well that all times in past we have approached them for their
version of any controversy and have stated their kind of stories. But if you buy
time to block stories-are you playing fair? And if you are not fair, what right
do you have to demand fairness from us.
Repeating what has been said so often “Media is nothing but a mirror of what
you do”. If you are ethical, can we cook up something on you and survive. I
doubt most people will sue you in no time for defamation. So if we are bringing
to light, what is clearly the true picture, then why get offended? You want a PR
piece, go pay for it. I am sure there are some people who will more than happily
oblige, but there are many out there who will still stand by what is the real
and true picture and will not hesitate to showcase it. We have done it for more
than a decade, and will continue to do so. If you want to start a hate club
against us on Orkut or Facebook-just be sure to add me to it.
Shivangi Yadav
shivangiy@cybermedia.co.in