Money, Media & Politics: Stenography to Power

Excerpts from lecture of P. Sainath (Editor: Agriculture & Rural Affairs, The Hindu) delivered at Venkatesh Chapalgaonkar Memorial Awards at Symbiosis, Pune on 6th June 2014

(Acknowledgement and thanks to Electronic Media Association, Pune ) 
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Money, Media and Politics: Understanding Stenography to power

By P. Sainath

Indian press is child of freedom struggle of India. Gandhi, Ambedkar, Tilak were great journalist who were use to print newspapers, magazines, journals. Even though number of printed copies or circulation of these publications was merely in thousands, but kind of impact it had on masses, on contemporary peers in media and on imperial government was unparalleled in history. Unfortunately, in today’s times, difference between journalism, public relations and stenography is becoming less and less.

Greatest speech in Indian history is unarguably that of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in Constituent Assembly: “We have given country Political Democracy but have we given country and its citizens the economic and social equality and democracy? If not, the tension is to be created in future because of impending inequality and thus the democracy is going to explode.” 

Media, supposedly fourth estate of democracy--is most undemocratic in its social representations, about transparency regarding its accounts and on its accountability towards the society they belong to. Today’s media is politically free but is imprisoned by profit. Not all media houses are party to this crime but increasing corporatisation, influence of neoliberal transactions within transnational MNCs which are acquiring media houses and the deep running connivance between different power structures are forcing the Americanisation of Indian media—is truly dangerous to Indian democracy.

To understand how media behaves one has to understand how corporates function because media is no longer singular in approach, linear in interests and traditional in its nature of operation. It has become so dynamic, finance driven, politically complicit and morally bankrupt about its role towards society that one cannot imagine how far the naked arrogance of its owners has travelled that they are not in news business but in advertising space. 

Beyond technological convergence, today’s media mark the convergence of elitist morality, indifferent conscience and inequitable economic vision for citizens and country at large. In a way, as Prabhat Patnaik has described “Moral Universe of Media has shifted away from people” and essentially “media seems to be more powerful when sided with powerful.” Normally, it does not like to stand against power. Whatever results come, they come due to individuals who fight risking their lives, reputation and independence.

Revolving doors in corporates, media and governments are creating not only permanent vested interests but also shaping structures nurturing sustainable culture of endless greed in our lives through different products they offer through media industry. Collusion amongst politics, corporates and big media does not care about the issues which really free, independent press needs to address. Today`s media is primarily hostage to Advertisers, Hollywood, Cricket/Celebrities/Corporate for its content and revenue, forcing audiences to chew only that.

Corporatisation of Media is creating new powerful monopolies of media houses not only in print, electronic media but also in digital domain. In fact, issue of monopoly is even more serious in digital world as only seven companies are controlling the internet in one way or another. Concentration of corporate, political interests in media industry is so intrinsically deep rooted that there is now little space for the problems of people to be discussed. In fact, all the major scams exposed recently are either done by constitutional bodies like CAG, ED or by small newspapers-magazines. Mainstream media, as we know it today, is falling behind in terms of raising questions, ensuring follow up of pertinent crucial issues needed to be addressed in real time through investigative journalism.  

Fight against monopoly is not only grave issue in India but also in Europe, USA. In fact, USA has a great tradition of anti-monopoly legislations dating back to 1920s and 1930 when monopoly of Rockefeller brothers and Hollywood was broken to create a competition friendly environment. Increasing insensitivity in media can be gauged from the fact that major or almost all mainstream media houses are slowly relinquishing beats or portfolio from its reporting/editing work related to rural, poverty, labour, and development issues. This is very disturbing trend considering major chunk of population in India is poor, labour driven, working in unorganised sector and struggling to get basic amenities of life they deserve to be getting from government.

So we have arrived at the stage where media is not only becoming conglomerate itself but also is becoming one of the arms of big, bigger MNCs who does not care about spirit of journalism and its role in society like ours. This is primarily because goals today’s corporate media espouses, dreams it instigates and vision it inspires is that of deep inequality in society and not of democratic socialism which our founding forefathers/foremothers have envisioned for us. This was imagined in directive principles of state policy stated in Constitution. It is often said that “We should speak truth to power. Time has come when we should ask ourselves: “Whether it is necessary to speak truth to power or shall we speak truth about power, which is increasingly being suppressed, diverted and abused by people who illegitimately benefit from silence. So, the process through which we can defend our rights, more broadly ‘Bill of Rights’ so as to describe, should be strengthened and this process can be revitalised through democratic protests, organising the voice of dissent and finally by giving voice to people who want their stories to be reported, written, recorded, screened, photographed, printed, aired. Larger people participation in documentation, journalism and broadcasting will ensure this pressure to COMPELL MEDIA TO BEHAVE so as to carry on the legacy of freedom fight and Freedom Press of that era which cared for fundamental issues of human lives, development, dignity and human rights.

Transcribed roughly by Rahul Mane, creativityindian@gmail.com, 09654093359 

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Resources:

a) Summary of Paid News Report:

http://presscouncil.nic.in/OldWebsite/CouncilReport.pdf

b) How original report was suppressed:

http://www.outlookindia.com/article/Paid-News-The-Buried-Report/266542 

c) Original Report comes in full on Press Council of India website

http://presscouncil.nic.in/Content/139_5_Reportsonpaidnews.aspx 

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