Some thoughts on the media
Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Recently a lady journalist asked me about my opinion about Indian journalists, and I told her that instead of asking me she should ask several people selected at random about their opinion (without disclosing that she is a journalist). I am afraid the majority of the opinions may not be very palatable to journalists.
In a Rajya Sabha channel panel discussion, Madhu Kishwar, a senior journalist herself, said that Indian journalists are `bribable’ and `manipulable’ who got freebies of land, flats, etc. I do not agree entirely with Madhu Kishwar, because there are many honourable journalists doing their job excellently, but there is a different perception in the public about several others.
Traditionally, there were two roles of the media (1) to provide information to the public, and (2) to provide entertainment. In the transitional period of our history through which India is presently passing (from feudalism to a modern society), and which is a very painful period, there is a third role, that is, to give leadership to the people in the realm of ideas.
As regards the first two roles, no doubt the media should also provide some entertainment like music, sports, etc. apart from providing information, but when 90 percent of its coverage goes to entertainment and only 10 percent to the real issues which are basically socio-economic then clearly the Indian media has lost its sense of proportion.
Today 80 percent of the Indian people are living in horrible poverty, with massive problems of unemployment, price rise, healthcare, education, housing, etc. and social evils like ‘honour’ killing, dowry deaths, etc. Yet 90 percent of the media coverage (particularly the electronic media) goes to film stars, fashion parades, pop music, disco dancing, reality shows, cricket, etc. If I had not raised such a hue and cry I am quite sure the recent birth of a film star’s child would have been front page headlines, instead of being relegated to the seventh or eighth page due to my protest.
While reading John Steinbeck’s `The Grapes of Wrath’ (which was about the migration of Oklahoma farmers, who had lost their livelihood in the Great Depression in USA, to California) I was reminded of the terrible agricultural crisis in recent decades in India. Millions of farmers have lost their livelihood (as farming has become uneconomical for the poor and middle peasants) and have fled to cities for jobs which are not there. In England during the Industrial Revolution the displaced peasants got jobs in the newly arising industries. In India there has been in recent years a manufacturing decline or stagnation, and many factories have become real estate. The displaced peasants end up as domestic servants, street hawkers, criminals or beggars, and the girls as prostitutes. Farmers suicides (due to indebtedness, etc.) have crossed a quarter million in 15 years — the largest in world history — 47 suicides on an average every day, as recorded by the National Crime Records Bureau, which is under the Union Home Ministry, and this may be an underestimate. (See P Sainath’s video speech online `Inequality, the Agrarian Crises, and the Media’).
860 million Indians are living on 25 rupees a day, and 47 percent of our children are malnourished, a much higher percentage than in sub-Saharan African countries like Ethiopia and Somalia. The gulf between rich and poor has steeply widened in India in the last 20 years.
I need not go into the pitiable situation of unemployment, healthcare, etc. This being the sordid picture, is the media justified in devoting most of its coverage to film stars, fashion parades, pop music, cricket and astrology? Is the media not deliberately seeking to divert the attention of the people from the real issues facing the nation to non-issues? Is the Indian media not behaving like Queen Marie Antoinette, who when told that the people do not have bread said that they could eat cake. By promoting superstitions like astrology, instead of rational and scientific ideas, is the media not playing an anti-people role?
As regards the third role of the media, that is, giving leadership to the people in the realm of ideas, this is almost totally missing.
In the transition period in Europe, from the 17th to 19th centuries, the European media played a glorious historical role, and helped in the transition from feudalism to a modern society. Great writers like Voltaire, Rousseau, Thomas Paine, Junius, John Wilkes, etc. attacked feudal ideas e.g. religious bigotry and despotism, and propagated the (then) revolutionary ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity, and religious freedom. I would like the Indian media to play the same glorious role.
Some people say that the media should supply the people what they want. With respect I cannot agree. The media is not an ordinary business which deals in commodities, it deals with ideas. Hence instead of pandering to the low tastes of the Indian masses, who are largely still very backward and steeped in casteism, communalism and superstitions, the Indian media should try to uplift their mental level by spreading rational and scientific ideas, and thus make the Indian masses part of enlightened India. This will win the respect of the Indian people for the media.
The great Hindi poet Kabir wrote:
“Nindak neeray raakhiye,/aangan kuti chawaye”. The Indian media should look at my criticism in that spirit.
The writer is a retired justice of the Supreme Court of India, currently serving as chairman, Press Council of India.
Source: Dawn
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