As the role of media in a democracy has always been vital, the media – both print and electronic – receives due respect more for its norms and ethics than for its coverage. But as the lopsided growth of materialism would have it, some individuals, and in some cases some sections, of media are oftentimes alleged to have sold their ethics for petty gains. With Aam Aadmi Party convenor and former Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal’s recent allegations against some television channels of having received heavy amounts ‘to promote Modi’, the issue has come to the fore once again.
Kejriwal’s allegations have been blown out of proportion. Not only those accused by Kejriwal but also media self-regulatory bodies like the News Broadcasters Association, the Editor’s Guild of India, the Broadcast Editors Association and senior journalists have come out with sharp criticism against Kejriwal and his party. They dubbed the allegations as ‘irresponsible’, ‘unsubstantiated’ and ‘unverified’ and stressed their objectivity and fairness.
Kejriwal’s statement about ‘jailing media persons’ may be termed as uncalled for, but this ‘paid news’ phenomenon is nothing new; for there is more to it than meets the eye. It came to light during elections in 2004 and 2009. After the 2009 general elections there were widespread allegations of paid news and the Press Council of India formed a sub-committee to enquire into them. This once more-of-an-aberration-than-a-norm phenomenon has now become a more-of-a-norm-than-an-aberration one. It has gone beyond the corruption of some individual journalists and media houses. It seems to have become pervasive, structured and institutionalised and is thus manipulating the free press and undermining democracy in India. That the chairman of one of the media houses accused by Kejriwal is currently facing a case of using his channel’s news-gathering for blackmail shows that some sections of media have sunk to new lows in recent years.
This widespread misuse of free media, especially during election times, have given way to terminologies like ‘medianet’, ‘private treaties’ and ‘advertorials’. Not only anti-corruption activist Kejriwal but some other sections of our civil society, including those working in the media too, have already expressed their concern about the pernicious influence of such malpractices.
The Press Council of India as well as the Election Commission of India, in the light of legal provisions and judicial pronouncements vis-à-vis the problem of paid news, ought to take serious notice of this corruption in media and make concerted efforts to purge this fourth pillar of democracy to ensure freedom of press.