My brush with Indian Journo types (developing story)

Something is seriously wrong with our TV news media (of course, print isn't excluded). Justice Katju has not said anything that should not be said. We may be a bit liberal about his remarks on educational qualification - read it as that we need quality journalists (who are ethical). But there is no reason for the media to attack him viciously for his views. You may differ, but questioning his motive, his appointment itself (which in any case, followed the due process) - is totally wrong. I was shocked by the arguments made by Ashutosh on CNNibn's FTN show. He went totally hyperbolic. I have(/d) high regard for him (,earlier), and never expected him to speak in that manner. Kumar Ketkar, Nalini Singh were the sane voices, even if they differed with Katju on some aspects.

Let me share a twitter incident, I am part of.

A few days ago, Pallavi Ghosh, CNNibn journalist, tweeted that she came to know of some journalists being on Congress payroll. She felt bad about it, and expressed her feeling to Dhanya Rajendran. I, took liberty, to interject and tweet why can't she reveal details. No response. My persistent tweeting to her, even once to Digvijay Singh, resulted in no response. Since Dhanya did not initiate it, I won't say much about her being silent. It's for her to decide how to react.  Kartikeya, of Headlines today, who broke the story on BJP official paying Rs. 500 to some journalists in MP, during LKA's Janchetana Yatra, too maintained silence to my tweet.

If you have courage to tweet, or break a story on one party, why NOT show the same courage to expose the people in ruling party. What prevented Rajdeep Sardesai (even he received my tweet on this topic), or Rahul Kanwal / Kartikeya of Headlines Today, to expose the corrupt among their fraternity? Is being paid by Congress  ethical, secular? While, BJP given currency notes smell communal?

Sorry to say this - these journalists do not have an iota of courage, respect for viewers, for democracy, and, for their profession. We question them, they ignore. If you persist, they block you on twitter, censor your views, comments on their sites.

But, when a person like Katju questions, they group and attack him, attribute motives. What kind of journalism is this? They go on hyperbolic arguments of what good work they have done. That is duty. Not a favour. When will they realize, that the public is paying them for their services. Is cheating them, an acceptable, ethical, practice? Is it lawful? What wrong did Mr. Katju do by holding a light? By speaking bluntly about an issue that has been ignored, shoved under carpet by Editor's guild, and other bodies.

When we read Indian news papers, or, watch channels, we do so to  see how hollow they are. How much they twist, muzzle, abuse their power. But, Twitter allows us to question them. They choose to ignore and carry on their acts unabated. Isn't that comparable to prostitution? May be those who are in that profession, have some ethics. They at least service their clients. But our media, which is paid for by the people doesn't even give that due.