By Ranjona Banerji
I suppose it’s only fair. If journalists tell other people how to do their jobs; people are going to tell journalists how to do theirs. And it’s important. You have to listen to what your audience – readers, viewers, well-wishers, critics – thinks and wants.
But sadly, most of the advice or the outrage misses the mighty deodar and whizzes into the underbrush.
These are some of my favourites:
1. All journalists are reporters. This is an understandable error, because a name goes with the article you read and those names provide you with information. But that article – in a proper newsroom that is – has gone through a long process before you read it. Here’s a sample of what could happen: A group of editors has decided on what the article should contain. A senior person has briefed and then debriefed the reporter/correspondent on what the article should contain and assessed what was missed, what else is needed, how the angle may have changed with more information, especially in an ongoing event.
The article is written, vetted and then goes to the desk. Here the language and flow are corrected and confirmation is sought on information provided or unsubstantiated claims made. If the information or source are potentially controversial, legal opinion could be sought.
The finished product then goes to the page. Here, because of space considerations, any amount of chipping and chopping may be done. Sometimes to the benefit of the story and sadly sometimes to the detriment. The headline, intro and tagline are finetuned here. The reporter lost control once it when to the desk.
So what you as the reader see has gone through any number of changes. Therefore, emphatically, no, all journalists are not reporters. All editors may or may not have been reporters. According to the legendary Harold Evans (Editing by Design), to be a desk person is paramount. You start as a lowly sub-editor and you learn the craft of how to bring a journal together. You are or should be the lynchpin of a newsroom.
2 They do it for the money, they are all “paid media”.
This is an interesting allegation. Are journalists supposed to work for free? How many of our readers and viewers survive solely on fresh or polluted air, the virtue of voluntary work and the hot criticism of others? I know: none. Yes, employees of a newsroom get salaries, contributors get paid and so on.
The question is who they get paid by. If it’s not the employer, then that is unacceptable.
The other question is who is the employer paid by. Advertisers are integral parts of a newspaper and always have been. They put pressure on journals and always have and always will. How far does the employer give in or at all? These are the questions to ask.
And when the government is the sole advertiser and therefore has the power to exert maximum pressure? Then you reach the sort of situation you are in today.
This balance is not new, it is ongoing. The issue is how much pressure a newsroom can and will withstand.
3 People should be arrested for opinions. Take the recent rage over veteran journalist and current columnist Tavleen Singh for instance. Those calling for her arrest for an opinion are no different from those who arrested Umar Khalid for his views. I disagree with almost everything that Singh has written since she became a columnist. I do not agree with those who feel her support for rightwing supremacism reduced after her son’s OCI status was withdrawn. Her rare criticism of the Modi regime is meaningless in the context of the body of her work.
But arrest? That is dangerous and silly.
4 Opinions must be policed. How dare X journalist have an opinion? They should report and do their work.
Let’s go back to Point 1. Some journalists are reporters. Many are not. Some journalists have the opportunity to have their opinions showcased, as columns. Newspapers have edits. Those are the newspaper’s opinions. Viewpoints and perspectives are integral parts of the media. And as we know from social media, opinions have become democratized. Everyone has a voice and the right to feel their opinion is important.
The feeling of wanting to punish opinions is dependent solely on whether you agree with the opinion or not.
5 At no point am I saying that criticism is not valid. For more than a decade, I’ve made a living criticicing the media. For years, no one criticised or critiqued the media and that was to our own detriment. Now, there are informed and uninformed critics everywhere. That is how it should be. Keeps you on your toes.
The purpose of this column is to help you critique better!
Postscript: I know little of how television functions, so have not included it here. Do what you want with them!
Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal.