Barkha Dutt, Vir Sanghvi -- Examples Of India's Unethical Money-Driven Media

[kesav 127]

Lobby scandal tars competitive media

India's fiercely competitive and hungry free press has become the rising nation's watchdog, unearthing a long list of banking scandals, real estate scams and, most recently, extensive government corruption during the international Commonwealth Games.

But in recent days, Indian journalists have also been accused of wrongdoing, including having inappropriate conversations with a corporate lobbyist and acting more like power brokers in recordings released as part of an investigation into an alleged high-stakes swindle - considered the biggest scandal to hit the new India.

At the heart of the controversy is Andimuthu Raja, a little-known regional politician who became the powerful telecommunications minister in the world's fastest-growing mobile phone market. During his first stint as minister, he was accused of selling lucrative mobile telephone licenses at dirt-cheap prices, costing the Indian treasury as much as $40 billion, according to a government investigative report released last week.

Raja quit last week, denying allegations that he had undersold licenses in the mobile phone industry, which has half a billion subscribers in India and is an engine of the country's economic growth.

The incident was the latest in a string of corruption scandals to hit Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Congress Party. While allegations of widespread graft are nothing new in India, the accusations that seemed to cause the most surprise were the revelations that some of India's most influential journalists were taped having chummy conversations with high-powered Indian lobbyist Nira Radia about Raja's second appointment as minister. The journalists allegedly promised that they would offer opinions and advice for the government formation after the 2009 general elections.

Despite a high-level investigation into the allegations against Raja, he was reappointed to head the ministry. Business leaders who are alleged to have benefited from the low-priced licenses seemed to go out of their way to hire lobbyists to talk to well-known media personalities, among others, to ensure that Raja remained in the telecom ministry, said Manoj Mitta, a founding member of India's Foundation for Media Professionals.

While the journalists have not been accused of giving or receiving bribes, the recorded conversations raise questions about ethics in the Indian media and its coziness with corporate and political bigwigs, especially at a time of unprecedented economic growth.

The incident suggests that India's free press may not be free from pressure to act as a go-between for India's government and corporate leaders.

"In India's ultra-competitive journalism world, the lobbyists are gatekeepers to getting interviews with industrialists," Mitta said. "The quid pro quo seems to be that the lobbyist will give access for interviews with the big industrialists to the journalist, who is then able to do them a good turn by conveying the lobbyist's needs to ruling party leaders. In the process, it's the journalists that are getting compromised and the Indian public that therefore suffers."

Indian journalists also increasingly serve as advisers for companies and as brand strategists on five-star hotel advisory boards. They are often paid by think tanks and are alleged to be paid sometimes to write stories by interested parties, media experts say.

"The list is endless. It's a life of world capital-hopping, freebies, networking and seminars and summits," said Viranda Gopinath, a columnist who wrote in the New Delhi tabloid Mail Today, one of the few mainstream newspapers to carry a double-page spread about the media's role in the mobile phone controversy. "Let's not hoodwink ourselves to believe that this morally pornographic journalism is objective, fair and exact. All of it stinks, in varying degrees of severity and phoniness."

The recorded conversations suggest that two of India's leading journalists, Vir Sanghvi, the advisory editorial director of the Hindustan Times, and NDTV talk show powerhouse Barkha Dutt said they would lobby for Raja with Congress Party kingpins.

Both journalists have released statements saying they did nothing more than participate in political chatter and did nothing wrong. The transcripts were published in two Indian newsmagazines: Open and Outlook.

Those who defend Dutt and Sanghvi argue that many journalists around the world say things to encourage people to open up about their views and elicit information, building their confidence, even if they don't fulfill their promises.

Many of India's newspapers and television stations have kept away from the issue, saying the story had too many holes and was vague. Some critics have accused the mainstream media of a seemingly orchestrated blackout.

Filling the gap has been social media, which is proving to be a popular and high-impact venue, even in a country with relatively low Internet usage. Facebook now has a group called "Barkhagate," referring to Barkha Dutt's alleged role.

Twitter has played an important role in launching what has become an international conversation on the issue, with the Indian diaspora weighing in.

Dutt, known as India's Oprah, has been defending her reputation through her Twitter account.

"Struck by the bizarre irony of being accused of favouring a man i have never met (raja) and have always attacked in print and on TV. Gnite!" read one of her tweets.

"Program after program has been scathingly critical and hardhitting on the Raja controversy. THAT is the barometer of ones independence," read another Dutt tweet.

Several media experts say the good news is that the incident will inspire some soul-searching about guidelines for acceptable behavior in the growing Indian media, whose stated goal is to be a pillar of truth in the country's vibrant democracy.

This summer, a government investigation showed that regional journalists working in India's many midsize cities and smaller towns report stories for cash - often during elections - in a practice known as "paid news."

"This malpractice has become widespread and now cuts across newspapers and television channels, small and large in different languages and located in different parts of the country," read the 70-page report, titled "Paid News: How corruption in the Indian media undermines democracy."

In the wake of the Raja allegations, the Foundation for Media Professionals will host a conference on journalists as power brokers this week, with the hope that something good can come out of the controversy, Mitta said.

"We are actually happy that these practices have come out in the open," Mitta said. "It forces us to address the problem. We as journalists sit in judgment of others all the time. We should hold ourselves to a higher standard."

source :: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/22/AR2010112206732.html

It's totally unethical for media houses to retain these tainted journalists in their package.

The most sriking aspect in this issue is absolute silence by entire media(inc. regional media) on such a devasting scandal ever seen in the history of Indian media.

If the same would have been any politicians or people from other walks of life, each and every media would have run a 24-hr playback of recorded conversations.

It's shameful to Indians to tolerate such unethical people in the media.

Until Barkha Dutt, Vir Sanghvi resign, boycott NDTV & Hindustan Times?

In the free world, media has to be unbiased. We must make it clear that protecting the corrupt cannot be tolerated.

NDTV and Hindustan Times are great organizations providing a good service to consumers and employment to thousands. They must now show integrity and strong character, protect their brands, encourage a positive value system and must not support the corrupt likes of Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi.

We as Indians deserve a strong, ethical and honest media. Should we as Indians boycott NDTV and Hindustan Times until the corrupt are forced to step down?

Inviting your comments.

Help expose the corrupt, share this on Facebook and Twitter:

source :: http://www.newspostindia.com/2010-11-20-until-barkha-dutt-vir-sanghvi-resign-boycott-ndtv-hindustan-times

A very valid cry from a frustrated Indian.

Barkha, Vir Sanghvi under scrutiny by netizens

BANGALORE, INDIA: The recent case of leak of the tapes, which dragged leading journalists of the country like Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi to controversy, is finding little mention in the mainstream media but has become the big question in social media by breaking all conventions.

The leaked documents doing the round has also pointed fingers towards many a giant in the Indian telecom industry and some unholy nexus.

On Twitter, the new revelation has earned the name of #barkhhagate similar to the Watergate scandal. These topics have become the trending topic for almost three days in a row.

One of the Twitter users said, “It's going to be 5 days since the #barkhagate issue popped up. Let's face it, Indian media lacks balls to report against their own.”

Another tweet mentions: There has been orchestrated, well-planned media blackout of #barkhagate. Our Democratic Republic is in danger. The 4th Pillar is compromised.

“Famous quote from #Barkhagate ‘What Do You Want Me To Tell Them (The Congress)? Tell Me. I’ll talk To Them.” read one tweet, while another went on to say, “@BDUTT Laughing at your self-righteous indignation. Like a cat caught drinking milk with its eyes closed. Shouting does not help.”

In fact, Barkha Dutta herself sent out a tweet through her Twitter account (@BDUTT), “For the record: I think EVERY journo has the right to engage a source, it's NO CRIME. am just questioning selective standards of commentary.”

But the matter of worry and anxiety is the silence of media giants.

Only a few newspapers like Deccan Herald, Indian Express have dared to write an editorial about the case. While some other newspapers like HT Media, Mint (the business newspaper owned by HT media) and NDTV played the balancing act by saying “the authenticity of these transcripts cannot be ascertained”.

NDTV said in its clarification note: At every stage effective journalism involves engagement with a multitude of characters in the process of gathering news and information. To call this process "lobbying" is a serious and defamatory distortion of journalistic practices.

And the link that connects all these personalities in the 2G soup is Neera Radia, the chief of Vaishnavi Corporate Communications, which handles the media affairs of many firms including Tata Teleservices, the name of which has also been dragged into the controversy. She is the one who allegedly contacted the journalists to lobby in the case. However, Vaishnavi refuted the allegations.

“We strongly condemn the unsubstantiated, baseless and reckless allegations being indiscriminately levelled by some media properties against our group, chairperson, officers and our only client in the telecom space, Tata Teleservices,” it said in a statement.

But as long as they are all proved innocent they all have a black mark among the netizens who are on a path of fearlessness.

source :: http://www.ciol.com/News/News/News-Reports/2G-scam-Netizens-bark-at-Barkha-Vir-Sanghvi/143737/0/

It's worst behaviour from media house to defend its tainted journalist when even a first class student can understand the core purpose of that lobbying(to reinstall Mr. Raja).

Edited November 23, 2010 by kesav

[rajanmehta 4,056]

Hear all the tapes!! You will be shocked by what goes on behind the scenes!! That much i can guarantee!!!

Open all the links below and click on Red Arrow icons to listen to each taping individually!!

The Raja Radia Tapes

The Kanimozhi Radia Tapes

The Vir Sanghavi Niira Radia Tapes

The Ratan Tata Burkha Dutt and Other Tapes

The Power Tapes Ambani Brothers

[Honest 836]

Oh my God.....what's happening in Indian Media.

Its really shocking.

Ab toh Raam He Raakhey Hai !

[copperco2 24]

Oh my God.....what's happening in Indian Media.

Its really shocking.

Ab toh Raam He Raakhey Hai !

Raam? 

he belongs to which party or the media..

[shadaabsharik 10]

i.hate.Barkha.dutt.for.no.reason,infact.i.dont.find.her.a.HUMAN,every.time.i.watch.news.and.see.her.i.switch.to.another.channel

[KumaarShah 143]

Oh my God.....what's happening in Indian Media.

Its really shocking.

Ab toh Raam He Raakhey Hai !

Raam?

he belongs to which party or the media..

N Ram belongs to "THE HINDU" LOLzzzzzzzzzzz

[_Kailash_ 63]

Ram Hi Rhaakhey

[kesav 127]

It's totally funny to see Barkha Dutt reporting gleefully on Bihar Election Results today.

What a shameless woman she is.....

Doesn't she have any iota of morality and sense of guilt?

Are these people made of human skin or buffalo(may be Rhino's)skin?

Just grinning in the newsroom will not cleanse her sins.

The sins commited by her can't be punished in court of law due to want of evidences.

It's more of moral sins and polluting her noble profession of journalism.

Hope one day these non-humans will become humans and self sacrifice (may be exiling out of journalism) themselves for their sins.

Only then this dirty river of fourth state can hope for some trust from Indian public.

Edited November 24, 2010 by kesav

[rajanmehta 4,056]

It is very easy to blame the journalists for all the ills and scandals we have in India. Not so say that they are following the highest ethics of journalism now a days. Yes they carry a different persona when in front of the Camera and when talking on the phone.

But what about the politicians who have allowed them to be the part of all the power games and backroom negotiations. If they had any Character left, all this journalists would not have had any role to play.

Just listen to all the tapes in my post no 2 of this thread. Everyone including Mr. Raja, Kanimozhi are there discussing gleefully the portfolios they are interested in, how to convince Mr. Karunanidhi about excluding or including someone with the same journalists and the dirty family politics about excluding Dayanidhi Maran!! And Mr. Karunanidhi perhaps runs the biggest family enterprise in Indian Politics. What a fall for a guy whose leftist leanings, rational anti religion ideas, no caste beliefs were at one point of time the folklore of Tamilnadu Politics.

I have always noticed that all Politicians with supposed to be Leftist leanings are more hypocrite. For the Right Wing, you atleast know them very well at the outset.

I have seen Iruvar (The original Tamil Version) which is perhaps Mani Ratnam's best work till date and potrays the life and times of Mr. Karunanidhi and M.G.Ramchandran in Tamilnadu Politics. If you compare Today's Karunanidhi, he is merely a caricature of what he was earlier.

Listen to the tapes. Journalists are obviously guilty but primarily it's the Politicians who are to be blamed for things to come to such a pass.

And i have no vested interest in Tamilnadu Politics. I am a Gujarati.

[kesav 127]

In a democracy, the fourth state should function to more morality when other organs fail.

It's the least expected out of media.

We very well know our politicians are corrupt. That's already subscribed. No futher discussion required on it.

There is no point in taking shelter by quoting our politicians' bad ways.

Media should set moral values for themselves before advocating to others.

Just imagine now, if Vir/Barkha interviews some politicians and asks questions on corruption and morality, what will be viewers thought process? what will be so interviewed politicians' thought process?

There are thousand number of ways to make money. If anyone has money in mind, please don't enter media and pollute noble profession.

Media is a watchdog for other functions of democracy.

After all 80% of literate population in India trusts what has been potrayed in media as always true.

If others(Judiciary, Legislative, Executive) become corrupt, media can correct.

If media becomes corrput then nobody can correct it because media is not designed by constitution.

Do these journalists deserve any place in this society for what they've done?

I've seen in most cases, good journalists and their publications are always subdued by bad journalists like these since these parrots are spooned by equally bad politicians and bad corporates.

Edited November 24, 2010 by kesav

[KumaarShah 143]

I have seen Iruvar (The original Tamil Version) which is perhaps Mani Ratnam's best work till date and potrays the life and times of Mr. Karunanidhi and M.G.Ramchandran in Tamilnadu Politics. If you compare Today's Karunanidhi, he is merely a caricature of what he was earlier.

Listen to the tapes. Journalists are obviously guilty but primarily it's the Politicians who are to be blamed for things to come to such a pass.

And i have no vested interest in Tamilnadu Politics. I am a Gujarati.

Do you know Tamil by any chance? (like KMM)

[rajanmehta 4,056]

Do you know Tamil by any chance? (like KMM)

No. I got Original Tamil DVD from Big Flix. Then had to download English Subtitle file from the net. Whom are you referring to by KMM?

[kesav 127]

Follow

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=37165432771

http://www.facebook.com/indiamediawatch

http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23barkagate

Edited November 25, 2010 by kesav

[kesav 127]

I was just wondering if not for freedom of internet, the whole scandal by these journalists might have been completely wrapped under carpet by close-knit media houses.

Till today no media has guts to report this media scandal of the millennium....Just astonishing......

Long live Internet !!

[Greens 21]

^

I agree with you. Without a free media like internet, common public would have been kept in dark.

[commonman 228]

Except for The Hindu, no newspaper has also reported. And these same people ran pages after pages of so called campaign against corruption.

What hypocrites.

[Greens 21]

Latest updates:

http://www.ndtv.com/page/?type=barkha-statement

http://www.virsanghvi.com/CounterPoint-ArticleDetail.aspx?ID=582

http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/voices/this-is-not-journalism-as-we-know-it

http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/voices/the-buck-stops-here-too

http://blogs.outlookindia.com/default.aspx?ddm=10&pid=2390

[Greens 21]

"But the truth is that the media is able to take on the Government because the Government has become a minor advertiser. The new governments of our times are giant corporations and they very efficiently control all media. The most outrageous aspect of journalism is its very revenue model—advertisements.

In this whole media game, its consumers, we the people, are not fully excused. Journalism is expensive and if people really want good journalism, they should be willing to spend on content. Otherwise you get what you paid for."

Manu Joseph became a journalist because he didn’t have to crack any objective-type entrance exam to be one. His first novel, Serious Men, has won The Hindu Best Fiction Award 2010. He is the editor of Open.

[kesav 127]

The defense put out by Vir and Barkha are identical(exact copy-cat) and ridiculous.

"It's part of journalism...,I'm not lobbying....., I've reported lot many times against Raja....I've not met Raja..."

It clearly shows nexus between these "journalistic" culprits.

If you play these tapes even to KG student, the kid can make out what is the purpose of the conversation.

Is it for journalism that you try to fix a minister?

Is it for journalism that you develop such a nexus with known lobbyist?

Is it for journalism that you speak to people in Congress on DMK's portfolios?

Come On !!

Do they think entire country is filled with empty heads????

Contention that "I've carried reports against Raja, so I could not have lobbied for Raja" is foolish defense.

We'll know through tapes that you've lobbied for Raja only for the sake of Radia(read as TATA).

We'll know that you don't have love for Raja but only love for Radia.

Why can't it be possible you switched sides immediately after government formation?

Why can't it be possible that you started hating Radia since she has not "paid enough" for your "journalistic task"?

Why can't it be possible that you carried reports against Raja for your next "journalistic task" from different(anti-Raja) camp?

I absolutely doubt there must have been something done as quid-pro-quo for these journalists' "sincere" work.

Let us hope it'll come out one day or the other. Let us always trust in the power of truth.

Edited November 29, 2010 by kesav

[sgiitk 32]

We have had Vote for Cash for ages, so why not Support for cash! There have been rumours for a long time, now a major paper has come out with an expose.

[dkaile 1,051]

[csmart 472]

what to say??

earlier media was bridge between corporates and govt. now media is partner with govt. and corporate...

India is in very bad shape.. all states have one or the other scams.. i think we should change name of country from India to "SCAMDIA"

[copperco2 24]

Oh my God.....what's happening in Indian Media.

Its really shocking.

Ab toh Raam He Raakhey Hai !

Raam?

he belongs to which party or the media..

N Ram belongs to "THE HINDU" LOLzzzzzzzzzzz

N Ram is a distinguished gentleman but since his newspaper "The hindu", for a novice it takes sometimes a whole day to read the newspaper, is read by a select creed of individuals who consider themselves elite and do not participate in the democratic process actively or are students preparing for competetive studies..who will drop the newspaper once they clear it..

so there can not be much mass education or cleansing of the society expected by N. Ram.

He was there, he is there, he will be there.. but more than that ,, i doubt it.

[KumaarShah 143]

Do you know Tamil by any chance? (like KMM)

No. I got Original Tamil DVD from Big Flix. Then had to download English Subtitle file from the net. Whom are you referring to by KMM?

Sorry for the delay in response.

By KMM, I mean Kunal (Greatest). He shares the same initials with Dr. Mufaddal also.

But I meant Greatest - he knows Tamil language as he was a Chennai resident till some time back. Correct me if wrong...

[kesav 127]

Telecom case: SC directs that tapes be handed over to it

Supreme Court on Wednesday directed that the original tapes containing the conversation between corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and others pertaining to the 2G spectrum allocation case be handed over to it in a sealed cover.

“We direct that the original records and tapes/ CDs be submitted in a sealed cover after preparing the copies. It will be kept in the lockers of the Supreme Court registry and if required, it will be considered for its use,” the court said.

The direction came from a bench comprising justices G.S. Singhvi and A.K. Ganguly after government submitted that it has no objection in handing over the complete set of tapes in the wake of apprehensions that the tapes may be destroyed.

Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium said that he has got instructions that there was no objection in handing over the tapes and the court can give direction for preserving them in whatever way it thinks best.

The apex court had yesterday asked the government to respond to the plea for preserving the tapes containing conversation between Radia and others relating to the 2G spectrum scam.

The bench had asked the Solicitor General to take instructions from the authorities on the plea made by NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL).

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who had appeared for the NGO, had made the plea that the tapes prepared by the Director General of Income Tax containing conversation of Radia and others should be preserved while voicing apprehensions that the tapes may be tampered with.

While hearing the issue yesterday, the court had described the “pollution” as “mind-boggling“.

Bhushan spoke about the nexus between politicians, bureaucrats, industrialists and journalists as “exposed” in the tapes.

source :: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article925376.ece