From – TheWire
For any media house to take back it’s words on what it has actually released on print few years back is a shameful thing to do. And TIME Magazine has done just that this time. One begs to question why write what it wrote back then.
From Why Modi matters to a complete 360 degree turn saying he is a Divider in Chief, one of the world’s most prestigious media houses has come a long way. Sadly making a U Turn is not what media professionals are made for. One of the cardinal rules about journalism that I was taught at my alma mater was that have the conviction to tell a story and stick with it at all costs.
Secondly we also learnt that without a basis do not write or say something as a mediaperson, for which one might have to repent at a later stage. It is also in some ways a signal of the times ahead and I won’t be surprised if some other big names gradually take it upon themselves to now take a reverse gear on their once soft stance on India’s current premier.
It is always nice that biases aside one keep an impartial view in journalism. In this case I reckon it could be a dent on the credibility of an organization, that is well recorded to analyze and rank people as best on a scale of 1 to 100.
My question is whether it is correct to say that a politician matters more than the democratically empowered public. Does TIME now have the locus standi to speak on issues of note? Does the Bhakt brigade still believe that they have done the right thing by being one sided in their reportage. As journalists we will have to tread with caution. We cannot write things in praise.
Our job is to question the establishment, if not target or criticise them. We must know that we are supposed to build our stories on facts and leave the fiction storyteller job to someone adept at that. For the media at home I often ask myself, if May 23 does not spring a surprise for the current regime then who is the media for.
The ruling elite or the poor junta. Is it about telling the stories of India in full transparency or brushing facts under the carpet?Ask yourselves because divisions happen when public and media both are blinded by the razzle dazzle of power hungry people.
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