There is a report on the Worst Journalists of India, 2014.
I am posting excerpts below.
Mean while,one should remember Media is also a part of the Society in which we live.
Just as they used to show in films about Judges as the ones beyond Human failings of corruption,which is not a fact as we know at least now, we , unfortunately still believe that the Journalists are as pure as driven snow and are beyond corruption and partisan views.
The fact is they are so , so are we.
Burkha Dutt
Under the circumstances, I do not follow or listen to one Journalist or another.
I watch all of them, independently verify stories from different sources and arrive at a conclusion on my own.
The perception that some are worst or good is a subjective .
Let me leave it at that.
But to expect some journalist to be of the standard of say GK.Reddy, even he was biased, is too much to expect especially after Rai tapes implicating Burkha Dutt, Vir Sanghvi, (Check for audio under Radia Tapes)
However I have a few impressions of some Journalists.
Arnab Goswamy, though he is overly aggressive, forms opinions for himself , wants others merely to endorse him , by and large is as independent as The channel allows him.
Karan Thapar,Arrasive to the point of repugnancy, yet he makes the people whom he interviews squirm and generally make an ass of themselves.
In the process, in both these Journalists cases, the people spill the beans.
That’s it for me.
Now to the worst Journalist of the year 2014.
You would find most of them to be tainted.
”
10. S. Varadarajan (New entrant)
Till recently S. Varadarajan or “Varadabhai” as I fondly call him, was the editor of ‘The Hindu’ which is famous for its anti-Hindu articles. Lately, Varadabhai is a TV panellist who helps to continue pounding the redundant theory that Modi abetted the 2002 riots. He came out strongly in support of Rahul Gandhi’s bogus allegations on January 27 with Arnab Goswami. Incidentally, RG stated journalists told him Gujarat govt was involved in the riots. I guess RG just missed naming Varadabhai directly. Peddling opinions as news articles was one of the reasons the anti-Hindu claimed he was sacked from the newspaper. The most hilarious article carried in the The Hindu under Varadabhai was one which more or less claimed the “masculine pose” by Swami Vivekananda was one of the causes of rapes in India. So if Varadabhai ever strikes that pose I don’t want to venture a guess on what’s on his mind.
KK stays where he was last time. He retains his old habits of hate-RSS, hate-Hindutva and anything remotely connected with BJP. Of course, most would remember he’s also a former speech writer for Congress. Lately, he’s an “acting” defence lawyer for the AAP party. Following the anarchic acts of Arvind Kejriwal & Co. outside Rail Bhawan in January 2014 Ketkar quickly defended them by telling CNN-IBN India has always been anarchic. He recalled events like the Ayodhya movement to defend Kejriwal’s stupidity. KK has a rare distinction though. He’s one of those media heroes who has been provided police protection following police complaints and threats for abusing a certain caste in Maharashtra. And that contempt is because he hated a certain politician. There’s also a case relating to defamatory articlesagainst the RSS and also abusing judiciary. It’s unlikely the man will change. A hate-filled heart remains the same.
8. Nikhil Wagle (New entrant)
Frankly, this media moron is in the bad news not so much for journalism but for his filthy tweets and some allegations by one Nitin Rane. I haven’t watched him on IBN Lokmat nor have I had the misfortune to read anything he may have ever written. Like some others in this list he is most known for peddling of untruths. His most stupid outburst was against the middle class people. Hetweeted in March 2012: “I am surprised by the low IQ of middle class in this country. Their understanding of politics is so dismal that they vote BJP. God save!” In another tweet he brazenly claims “Not a single PM of India has defended communal riots directly or indirectly. If @narendramodi dreams to become PM he should know this!” Of course, this Congress crony apparently backs what Rajiv Gandhi said justifying killing of Sikhs with a great tree falling. While Wagle often screams about corruption, readers and voters are quite aware of his bosses being alleged to be involved in the Coal scam. I don’t see any reason why Wagle why will ever move out of this list.
The “Larger picture” has made progress and has gone up the list. If she is angling for a permanent spot among India’s worst then she’s doing just the right things. With a permanent scowl on her face and permanent contempt for some panellists, her show called “Left, right, centre” is nothing more than filler on NDTV. Sort of bench-warming for passing the “buck”. Nidhi delivered one of the most shameful episodes on Indian TV in her mindless rant against a British MP for inviting Narendra Modi to speak in the British parliament. She even claimed she had the right to “question” SC judgements. If you watch the video of that shameless spectacle Nidhi mentions “controversial/controversy” as many times as Rahul Gandhi mentions empowerment or systems in his speeches. A thorough disgrace to journalism.
6. Karan Thapar (6)
India’s only “bow-tie” journalist (he often reminds me of thebow-tie killer). He has earned the nickname ‘The Tool’ after infamously ridiculing PA Sangma, the presidential candidate, of being a tool in the hands of some political parties. His standard pose is the dangerous “masculine” pose that The Hindu warns us of as the cause of rapes. Often also called a Paki-Tool, KT sort of proved it when he was handed a quote of Nawaz Sharif about friendship with India. This quote was planted by the Pak news agencies after Sharif became PM and KT grandly discussed the “hand of friendship” on his show. It just turned out the statement was made by Sharif to none other than KT earlier (before Sharif became PM again) and the Pakis made KT a “useful idiot” to peddle that old statement in the midst of LOC violations. The other thing KT is fond of is making others (like Sibal, Jaitley) sit in his chair and play Devil’s Advocate and pay him compliments. His 2007 statement hoping for a “sudden removal of Modi” may hold more interest now in many quarters.
5. Rajdeep Sardesai (3)
If Rajdeep has fallen one place it’s only because a bigger disgrace has made a grand debut in this list. “Point taken, fair enough” is now the standard defence RS offers when zapped by a panellist (much like Nidhi’s “larger picture” diversion). From defending Robert Vadra and the Gandhis, RS is now seen as grand campaigner for the AAP party. The number of interviews and promotions of Arvind Kejriwal on CNN-IBN and the whole IBN group would stand as proof. His most famous event in the past two years would be the incompetent interview with Modi on the bus floor. Modi even, deliberately or inadvertently, called him “Sar-ka-dard-esai”. Under RS the IBN group has hit rock bottom with many employees being sacked and the channel hitting new lows in TRP. Quite unfortunate considering CNN-IBN does have some of the best journalists on TV. Rajdeep’s judgement and prudence can be measured by the fact that most of his IOTY nominees have ended up as disasters. If the “top” is bad then no number of good journalists can shore up a failing channel.
KT: So in other words you buckled under media pressure?
JJ: No, not at all. It was misunderstood by many people. It was not an anti-conversion law, it was an anti forcible conversion law.
KT: But it was misunderstood for almost two years. You could have repealed it earlier, you didn’t. You only repealed it after you failed to win seats.
JJ: It has nothing to do with that. If you insist on giving this interpretation I can’t help it.
KT: What about the…
JJ: (Intervenes) As to why the media is biased, that is because I am a self-made woman. Politics has for long been a male bastion. Mrs. Indira Gandhi changed all that, but still you must remember that Mrs. Indira Gandhi had all the inbuilt advantages. She had the advantage of being born in the…
KT: (Intervenes) You’re saying that media picks on you?
JJ: I do think so.
KT: Because you are a woman?
JJ: You are not allowing me to finish anything I want to say.
I have posted extensively on the 2 G scam involving A.aja, Kanimozhi,Kalaignar TV,Nira Radia Tapes,Tatas, efforts of the PMO’s office in holding No Minutes Discussions with P.Chidambaram, the pressures brought on the Officials,Karunanidhi‘s wealth in many blogs in detail.including the the Radia Tapes.
2G scam, How much did it cost India?
Now the JPC report has been placed in the Parliament yesterday,9/12/2013.
DMK the main culprit disturbed the proceedings of the House on the ground that it has not been consulted before tabling the report!
I have been able to get hold of some Documents detailing the CBI enquiry into the 2 G Scam.
Why can’t they file a case against’ OutLook’ which has released the Audio tapes of Radia and Burkha?
They could have at least denied that the voice in the Audio was not that of Burkha.
Tamil Poet Bharatiar said Demons were to Rule ,Moral Codes shall eat Corpses’
”பேய் ஆண்டால்,பிணம் தின்னும் சாத்திரங்கள் ‘
There have been unconfirmed news reports about big payoffs to two journalists through Radia [ Link : The rise and rise of Niira Radia ] for services rendered (no names mentioned yet). Radia herself is said to have fled to London earlier this year when the news of her meddling around and batting for A. Raja broke. However, she apparently reached out to her vast network of powerful contacts, arranged that she won’t be unduly hassled or arrested on this account and returned to India about two months later. Apparently, recently she has been interrogated at length by the ED [ ED grills Niira Radia for 8 hours in 2G scam ]
After several days of silence, hoping that a collective blackout by the self-proclaimed mainstream media will ‘kill’ the story, Barkha Dutt first came out and tweeted a rebuttal. This singular fact alone should make many wonder about her level of maturity and her standing as a credible, balanced and ethical journalist, leave alone a News Editor. Subsequently, ND TV & Barkha Dutt have also threatened to initiate legal action against OPEN magazine [ Link ] for carrying the leaked ‘audio’ clips. One wonders why OUTLOOK, which also carried them, has not been threatened similarly.
During 26/11, Barkha Dutt and some of her colleagues were thought to have endangered the lives of some of the victims through their thoughtless, insensitive and unprofessional ways, all for the sake of sensationalism and a jump in TRPs apparently. When this was blogged about by an individual [ Link about Cheytanya Kunte’s blog piece after 26/11 ], he was threatened similarly with a defamation lawsuit, forcing him to issue an apology on his site and withdraw the ‘piece’ (naturally he must have felt that it was way beyond him to take on NDTV and its news editor Barkha Dutt singlehandedly). There were hardly any murmurs from the rest of the mainstream media about this episode.
Contrast this with the fact that Barkha Dutt and NDTV have, time and time again, mounted sting operations and let loose volleys of innuendoes and allegations against various personalities, based on hearsay and little tidbits of information, often without detailed corroboration and ratification, merely to spice up their news, sensationalize the item and as a result achieve consistently high TRP ratings. News Channels on Indian TV are generally packaged commercial products, surviving and thriving on ad revenues and attracting mass viewership nationally by playing to the lowest common denominators of political gossip, Bollywood and cricket.
Niira Radia taped conversation has been a talk of the town, and has become a byword for journalists lobbying the ministry for personal benefits. It is needless to say, how outstandingly this amoral act has tarred the image of the Fourth Estate that the masses bank upon for the truthful representation.
Radia tape evinces the fact that journalists now act from expediency, not from principle, though they are reckoned to be a watchdog of governing agencies. They have forgot their social responsibility and shunned their obligation to serve the society by putting up and doing what is right & true and what is for the interests of the masses.
But none of those involved have denied that it was not their voice nor have they denied the Stories.
Notice
A press release on the 2G scam was issued by AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa in Chennai on April 28, 2010. The Hindu is unable to verify the authenticity of a 14-page document purporting to be an official account of intercepted phone conversations and is, therefore, taking it off its website.
Promoting an individual to be a Minister,blocking an elected candidate to become a cabinet Minister,threatening through lobbyist a Minister, if he grants Licence to a competitor,attempt to benefit from a land scam,planting stories in the Media,control of Media funds and with holding it,donating (? )Hospital Equipment…
all this ‘official secrets’?
Since when Tata did become part of the Government?
( or he is?)
On the same logic, even Terrorists can claim to privacy as it involves destabilization of the Government?
Here Radia talks to Chandolia on the ways the Tatas can fund a hospital in Perambalur, A. Raja’s hometown. Later, the Tata Foundation allotted Rs 9 crore to upgrade hospitals in the district.
‘(Tatas) can provide either equipment or some wards.’
NR: I did speak to Krishna Kumar, I did speak to him, he was supposed to tell the…take the…you see, let me tell you where they are coming from…they’re going ahead, they want to do that, they (are) doing the hospital in Perambalur, no problem right? But what they want to do is, and because the charter of the trust allows them to do it only in a particular manner, what they have to do is, they have to provide equipment for the hospital.
Radia talks to Venkat, who is a part of Ratan Tata’s office, about getting a clearance from Tata on a meeting (possibly Sunil Mittal) at a neutral place – at the Chambers or Radia’s residence. Venkat also says he (Tata) doesn’t want her to come to his (Sunil Mittal’s) office as he is worried someone might take undue media advantage (seeing her at Mittal’s office). Radia says she can handle the media. She also asks Venkat if he has spoken to his boss (Ratan Tata) about Noel (Tata)
Chandolia.
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