By Ranjona Banerji
The extent to which the current administration controls the media is clear in the reactions to the announcement that a special session of Parliament has been convened in September. Of course, the rumour mills are rife with grain being pounded. But given that what used to be political correspondents have become pap-fed babies, it is very hard to separate the chaff from the wheat.
One newspaper even admitted that its “sources” were not clear on the agenda.
What is the point of “sources” if they know zilch? The whole idea of cultivating “sources’ is for “sources” to tell you what’s happening. The era of the annoying all-knowing smug political pundit is over.
What you have now is an even more annoying press release publicist in an editor’s chair.
If I or you as a reader have to make up reasons for ourselves, then why do we need political correspondents at all?
Poor things.
The tight hold that the PMO keeps on information was demonstrated to us as long ago as 2016, when on November 8 the Prime Minister made that horrific announcement that over 85 per cent of India’s legal tender had been made illegal. The economy has still not recovered from that masterstroke. No one’s “sources” had given us any fair warning.
Journalists serve many purposes. But for the past nine years, their main purposes have been worship and regurgitation.
You may want to give props to the BJP for running such a tight ship. But it is still a slap in the face for those canny colleagues of mine.
Or of course, maybe they do know and they’re just terrified to share what they know. Not just because of what might happen to our democracy, but also what might happen to them if they spill the beans. Legitimate fears, wouldn’t you say?
Should we move on to “investigative journalism”? You know, where reporters burrow deep down into government claims and open up the ground for us to see the extent of deceit and fraud hidden from us?
You know that except for a few digital platforms, most of our “legacy” media can’t do that either.
Ever since the Hindenburg Report into the Adani Group broke in January this year, the Government of India has done whatever it could to try and get the report discredited, covered up, destroyed, removed from Indian platforms. As it did with the BBC documentary on the Gujarat riots of 2002.
Adani Group: How The World’s 3rd Richest Man Is Pulling The Largest Con In Corporate History
The stock market responded at the time with more honesty than most of the Indian media.
Since then, we have been “assured” that the Securities and Exchange Board of India has been preparing a report on the Adani Group, but before it could reveal its own coverup – did I really write that? I didn’t mean it obviously – more information is revealed, almost nine months later.
And by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), not brave TV channels like Aaj Tak, Times Now and such.
Details of the OCCRP report were carried exclusively by The Guardian and The Financial Times. Where it appears that Hindenburg’s conclusions of shady dealings were correct.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/31/modi-linked-adani-family-secretly-invested-in-own-shares-documents-suggest-india
https://www.ft.com/content/8d46b435-9725-46d4-80be-2cb3e276c4c9
The answer of the Indian media, especially that owned by the Adani Group, was to blame George Soros, the Hungarian-American hedge fund investor and business tycoon, known for his left leanings.
https://www.forbes.com/profile/george-soros/?sh=2cc0a9b2024c
What they also suggest is that the Indian media is trapped.
A few at least can report after the fact.
https://www.telegraphindia.com/business/investigative-report-shows-mystery-duo-linked-to-vinod-adani-scooped-up-adani-stocks/cid/1963021
Most of the others, like they ignored the ongoing anarchy in Manipur for months, will either defend the government and Adani, or look away.
Perhaps that is a kinder option than whipping up the flames of hatred day after day?
Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal.