Let me play the devil's advocate and present a slightly mischievous argument challenging the very basis of this special issue of Outlook. All too often, good news is bad journalism. It's not very challenging to write about the good; to cover the bad and the ugly is tough. At worst, good news is nothing more than public relations disguised as journalism; at best, easy, flattering writing. As an experienced hack who has been at it for more than two decades, I argue that if we all started writing only about good, inspirational things, we will lose the ability to ask questions, the ability to get to the bottom of the rot around us. In particular, we political reporters could well end up doing puff jobs.
Part of the bad news, in fact, is that far too many journalists do puff jobs anyway. Standards in journalism are dismal and they continue to fall. Instead of challenging power, many journalists seek proximity to power: giving out advisories to authority instead of questioning and scrutinising its actions probably gives them an ego-boost. The way I understand it, a good journalist cultivates good sources but maintains a somewhat adversarial relationship with both politicians and business houses.
As a political correspondent, how do I write adoringly about the wonderful institution our Parliament is when over the last decade I have seen business subvert the system by getting MPs on parliamentary committees to steer policies to serve specific interests? That kind of story is harder to do than writing about young, well-heeled MPs making nice little speeches.
And what of rural reporting? Let's face it: most of us have already lost the battle to write about the real transformations that have occurred in the countryside. First, mainstream media simply does not give us the space or time to do justice to these themes. Second, if we are at all given the luxury of slumming it in the hinterlands, shouldn't we use the opportunity to report on the many things going wrong there, the sickening exploitation and the subversion of systems than on the one good guy doing some good out there?
I'm not arguing that good news is no news. In December 1992, after rubble was all that remained of the Babri Masjid and many of us feared that the forces of Hindutva were set to transform the Indian republic, I set off on a journey across India for two years to write on little traditions, shrines and individuals that represented pluralism and synthesis. I was searching for good news in bad times with a missionary zeal and I found it. In my twenties then, I was fortunate to find space in a paper to write a fortnightly column as a freelancer. I still consider that series some of my best work, for many of the traditions I chronicled were completely unknown. But to do that project, I had to leave a steady job.
Within the framework of mainstream journalism, however, I always feel vaguely embarrassed when I write nice things about people. For instance, in May 2008, I wrote a piece on how Nitish Kumar is the consummate method man, setting a development agenda. When the piece came out, I agonised over it being a puff job although subsequent events in Bihar revealed it was a valid story. But it was not particularly challenging to do. I just had to spend some time observing Nitish at work and speak to some talking heads.
If I look back at my innings at Outlook, the stories I am proud of would include the 2004 expose of the sale of the Juhu Centaur by the disinvestment ministry headed by Arun Shourie. It required legwork, speaking to bankers, bureaucrats, and scrutiny of documents; it created a stir in Parliament, the sale had to be re-examined. In 2009, an investigation into the multi-crore sale of Waqf lands culminated in a PIL and the UPA promising a law to change things. Again, it required poring over files in musty Waqf offices.
As a political reporter, we all walk the thin line. In my career, I remember displeasing Atal Behari Vajpayee so much that he asked our editor to remove me from the BJP beat. It goes to the editor's credit that he did not. I remember feeling under pressure and tense in those days. But when I look back, I get greater satisfaction from having annoyed a prime minister and survived than from the friendly call Nitish made to me after I wrote that nice little story.
AUTHORS: SABA NAQVI
TAGS: MEDIA | GOOD NEWS | JOURNALISTS
SECTION: SOCIETY
SUBSECTION: OPINION
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AUG 18, 2011 07:08 PM 51 | The phrases "good news" and "bad news" can be very confusing because these beg the question, " Good ( or bad) for whom ?" The right words would seem to be "good journalism", and " poor or bad journalism". Good journalism of course would include exposing scams of all kinds, granted that exposing a significant scam may not be up to many journalists' street. Equally importantly, "good journalism" would also include exposing -- or being committing to exposing-- (i) acts of corruption encountered by the public in everyday life , whether at the street corners or inside govt. offices , and(ii) inefficiency or non-performance by civic agencies and other authorities , whether seen in reeking roadsides ( no public conveniences or garbage removal), poorly maintained public parks and other public places, big traffic jams at road-crossings and other places (non-functioning traffic signals or absent traffic constables, or traffic police halting the trucks to collect their periodical "dues"), badly maintained roads and roads becoming impassable because of encroachments, etc. Add to this long list the report last month that a large percentage of the Municipal Corporation schools in the capital had neither drinking water for their pupils nor water in the toilets. Reporting stories like this -- whether in Delhi, Gurgaon, Lucknow, or Jaipur-- would any day be "good journalism"because it would serve great PUBLIC INTEREST. And these stories are not that difficult to report. But sadly most newspaper reporters and editors, lacking any idea of what their profession is really about, pay scant attention to such topics. The result is that year after year, there is little improvement in the state of roads, sanitation, hygiene etc of our cities as also in the delivery of services by the police and other agencies. ( Of course, the dacoities, robberies, kidnappings, rapes and other crimes do get ROYAL TREATMENT, obviously because of their sensational element.) So, Ms Sada Naqvi will be happy to note that reporting the so-called "bad stories" is actually "good journalism" in some people's book. What is" bad or poor journalism" ? I will mention here only one example of it : neglecting to include the areas highlighted above in the "beats" of their journalists is one major instance of "bad journalism" practised by our media, particularly newspapers. |
AUG 17, 2011 07:14 PM 50 | After reading all the comments,it has been confrmed that she is good for nothing. |
AUG 17, 2011 02:46 PM 49 | How ridiculous is when Saba naqvi talks about quality journalism in India.She is one journalist unique in herself where she will devote nine out of her ten stories only to dig at the BJP.RSS or any Hindu interests.Looks like she is doing this under the instructions of Dibvijay Singh.Who knows. I may be axed by the administrator of this forum for having said the above as the present medi ain India thinks talking about the Hindus is communalism and talking aginst the Hindus is secularism. how many journalists on any Indian media who wen to the homes of those killed in the Godhra train carnage before they talk about the Gujarat riots. |
AUG 17, 2011 01:08 PM 48 | Journalists in India face a unique problem; not seen anywhere in the developed world. As a society we always suck up to the rich and powerful and feel overawed by their presence amidst us. Journalists too come from that same society and suddenly when they see high and mighty cosying up with them they are overwhelmed by the whole turn of events. Here is the politician who has the world at his feet and he is "friends" with you. This is too much for a journalist to handle and he ends up eating from the very person's hands whom he needs to bring to the task. We always escape from asking troubling questions. Not one person has dared to ask a simple question to the current PM: Have you ever thought of resigning in these tough circumstances? This says it all |
AUG 16, 2011 08:45 PM 47 | Couldnt resist commenting on Saba's pic. She looks like this ! |
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