Whose side are you on Mr.Editor?

“The greatest battle lies within” ---Spider man(3)

"A hammer in hand makes every problem a nail" Abraham Maslow

A 28 second kiss between holly-bollywood celebrities is repeatedly thrown on the television audience. A film stars wedding is given weeks coverage by the media even though they are not invited plus the photojournalists are kicked and punched in the stomach.. Thank God our journalists are not crazy like the paparazzi's and journalists in developed nations.God knows what would had happened then.

A prince fallen into a bore well near Delhi is highlighted and whole nation comes to his rescue and prayers are chanted everywhere plus the boy gets bundle of money and chocolates from the government. But when another prince falls in a bore well in some never never land. No one is bothered ,because it has become a fad now for media to give more importance to such events.

But isn't only after pasting few glamorous pictures on the font page of a magazine or newspaper, you grab the attention of the masses who after a tiring Indian-work want some masala gossip or news to cool or warm themselves up. And in the same magazine we put the news of the marginalized people in some corner. This way aren't we conveying the message about these margininalized people also.? The circulation of the magazine newspapers , and television rating also goes up. After all who is ready to buy a magazine , where the cover page shows the widow of the farmer who has committed suicide, folding her hand and tears trickling on her cheeks. Programs like "Saas Bhi Kabhi bahu thi" are enough to make us sentimental.Indians are so used to such things that they don't want it in their news also.

Does this mean that that poor and marginalized are always right?. To say they are right is a sentimental approach towards them. People say that media is very urban centric to make the money. Media justifies by saying that that they don't take any sides because they have to consider the market also. "Politicians are friendly to the marginalized people i means the dalits only because for the votes" says Vinod Mehta Editor-in-chief of Outlook magazine.

In a recent session on farmer suicides in the parliament only 26 out of 540 MP"s turned up to discuss the issue. So it poses a question why should 21st century media be concerned about the adavasis, dalits, etc. ?Shouldn't they give importance to the Mittal's who even though rarely come to India or other Indian origin Indians who have done great stuff in wonderlands like US and UK. No need to go to muddy villages to see the poverty . we can see it when the the vehicles stops during the traffic light. we can see it when we come out of the huge shopping malls and software buildings.

Gandhi himself being a journalist cum politician and a brilliant user of mass media and only his voice was heard allover India . His idea of non violence will hardly matter today when a country like US can afford to spend 500 billion dollars for the Iraq war ,we can imagine how many universities can be formed for the poor with that money.. "Society instead of spending money for peace , sprays it for the war, says M.J Akbar, author and Editor of Asian Age. Does this mean that media is a big business today? Page three parties or Ashwarya marrying a tree cannot be there in the papers or TV, or Internet unless and until we are interested in such kind of stuff.

Media's main job is empowerment. some say you can have newspaper without editor and reader, but you cannot have newpaper without morality.

But Media cannot take sides it has to earn its bread and butter as well. why should media give importance to the marginalized? Is it Nobility? "Forget it says M.J Akbar. Media has to address the issues of the marginalized because if they don't it is going to bring a big calamity". Media has unravelled so many mysteries that were quite hidden from the "aaam aadmi" like the recent Sacha report which revelas the economic deprivation of marginalized. or highlighting the astonishing form of slavery in India through caste system. But at the same time it throws visual obscenity when it asks a crying mother whose son has died, live on Camera "Aap Ko kaisa Lagraha Hai" ?( how are you feeling after your sons death?). or Rushing to the adoption house when Rakhi Sawant spreads the news to adopt children. All this just to gain fame. It took time for media to highlight the discrimination that took place in giving aid for the Gujarat-riot-victims.

So we should say that media always has to be on the side of the truth " But Truth has many sides. one's justice is someone Else's injustice" Says John T. Thomas a journalist who currently teaches journalism at IIJNM, Bangalore .An important person is considered as CIP ( commercial important person) when he boards an aeroplane. similarly in media the source of money is called as ARS ( Ad relevant segment)

Media has to take steps according to the demand of the society. they have to keep on changing the formula. An agriculture pump won't be printed in an urban newspaper ,Gluco biscuits will only be advertised in villages. As Kellogg's is not popular in rural India

Good news for journalists is that they will find their stories in the rural areas all that5 need is to present their stuff nicely. then no editor will reject their story. Above all citizens are becoming more aware about their rights. they are watching you.

In the year 1993, Kevin Carter a photojournalist witnessed the horrors of famine in Sudan. He took photographs of the starving famine victims. He saw a emaciated toddler ,whimpering on the ground. A vulture had landed and it was waiting for the girl to die. Carter waited for 20 minutes anticipating for some action to happen. But he didn't made any attempt to save the girl. His haunting photograph was sold to NYT and it won Pulitzer award for him. Later on He committed suicide.

(Discussion at 13th national journalists conference, may 5, 2007 Bangalore)