It is shameful to misguide people

"News" reports after August 30 and September 18 were fascinating in many ways. For one thing, there is not a single critical or negative line in any of them. Across hundreds of pages, the "news" consists solely of how wonderful particular candidates were, their achievements, and the progress of their campaigns. Nothing about the issues. Their rivals, people of fewer resources, did not exist in these newspaper pages except, perhaps, as fall guys.

http://beta.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/article69681.ece?homepage=true

I am surprsied that Sainath is "fascinated" by paid news. This has been rampant for the past 5-6 years - thanks to the cluttered market.However, what fascinates me is that a paper that sings paeans for China and and- to reuse Sainath's words- ensures "there is not a single critical or negative line" against China has no qualms whatsoever in lamenting the fall in journalistic standards. In a way, the paper in question is a pioneer in "customizing news" to please its masters.

It will be a classic case of missing the woods for the trees if one were to ponder whether the supplication is attributable to financial favours or ideological affinity.It appears that Sainath - and by extension his employers- are quite ok with manufacturing news if non-cash favours are returned. The paper in question regularly publishes "news" that consists solely of how wonderful China is and its achievements. Critics of Chinese policies, people of fewer resources, do not exist in its pages except, perhaps, as fall guys.Remember one Mr. Dalai Lama? What kind of coverage is extended to him? On what moral grounds can a veteran prostitute take offence to a young girl starting to sleep around to make a few quick bucks? Or is this a manifestation of a concern that competition is giving better bang for the buck (no pun intended!) ?

Double speak is nothing new for the paper in question. We read dozens of well written articles on human rights violation in Guantanamo Bay while precious little is said on Darfur or China's trackrecord on human rights, political and religious freedom. Not surprising given that the paper that swears by freedom of expression blacks out letters critical of its coverage and until recently did not even let readers comment on its stories online!

The LiC has on several occasions defended being a Chinese lapdog saying its his editorial prerogative and has sought to keep it beyond scrutiny. The editors of these Maharashtrian newspapers too exercised their editorial judgements and acted the way they have. Why then this sneering "holier-than-thou" posturing? It is shameful to misguide people. I hope the message gets across loud and clear to newsrooms not only in Maharashtra, but also in Chennai!