M E D I A

MEDIA

LAST fortnight two well known Indian editors talked about journalism. They have spent lifetime in the profession of their choice and have left an indelible mark. While H.K.Dua editor in chief of the Tribune spoke about how to cover conflicts, war and violence at a seminar in New Delhi, Chaitanya Kalbag, editor in chief of the Hindustan Times wrote about the 21st century media and what his newspaper was doing about it.

Chaitanya Kalbag, editor in chief of the Hindustan Times

H.K.Dua, editor in chief of the The Tribune

Both made important observations and we thought these would interest our readers. War reporting is now news thanks to how western media, particularly the American press has reported the wars in the Gulf and Iraq. Those interested in knowing how media sold lies  about the war bought out  from the White House  could log on to Bill Moyers documentary "Buying the War," there's good news: the full program and transcript are available online: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/btw/watch.html

Dua urged media persons to be sceptical in reporting the government-handed versions and casualty figures from a war zone.  During his talk on `Emerging media challenges amidst proliferation of conflicts', he remarked that truth often suffers in war reporting. ”Casualty figures given by the government should be taken with a little more than a pinch of salt. Everywhere, governments have, for centuries, been following the policy of exaggerating the casualty figures on the other side.''  Referring to the recent war reporting, Dua drew attention to the manner in which the credibility of the American Press was eroded during the US-led invasion of Iraq as the press accepted what was fed by the Bush administration. “How much credibility the American Press lost much of its creditability as it failed to question the claims about of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). Dua said that whenever there is a conflict, the media gets caught in the crossfire. "Journalists should report beyond the day's killings and look beyond the problem. Statistics make easy headlines because figures can be given in a short span.''

He called upon journalists entrusted with the coverage of conflict to be the voice of the people and focus on matters related to public interest. “We have to be on the side of the people, particularly those who are victims of violence. In a war, you need military passes. They have control over the area and the government would like you to go to places which are convenient for them. Everywhere in war, be it Britain, America, Russia, Sri Lanka, Baghdad or Nepal, attempts will be made to curb the freedom of expression of journalists lest truth come out.''

He said that conflicts and wars present the continuous challenge of getting to the bottom of the truth and presenting it objectively. “There comes a real moral challenge before journalists-whose side are we?''

 Posing a basic question, whether media should merely report conflict or create a world without conflict, he counselled, “Media has to see that patriotism does not slip into chauvinism. In every war, you will find a lot of disinformation. It is our job to create critical awareness among people so that the causes of conflict can be tackled. Let us examine the conflict and remove the causes of conflict. Let us not fan hatred.''

Kalbag wrote about new media, the Internet and many find it more democratic since it is more interactive. This is what many newspapers including the Hindustan Times were doing, making more participatory.  Kalbag, a former Managing Editor and Head of Editorial Operations of the Reuters wrote about his own experiences and what his newspaper was now doing.

“I experienced my epiphany about consumer media a couple of years ago on a Tokyo subway”, he wrote. “When I lived in Japan in the mid-1990s, commuters would be bent earnestly over their little pulp paperbacks or Manga comics. Now, just over a decade later, everyone’s fingers are flying over buttons on little machines that are no longer talking devices but multimedia tools. Terms like i-mode, FeliCa, Edy, and bitWallet are bandied about by young Generation Y users with extra-sensory perception who can perform multiple tasks while peering at tiny screens in their palms. Those mobile devices move seamlessly from internet browsing to shopping to payment tools to key cards to home management features. The average consumer in Japan is now using multiple media, and is “always on”; is always hungry for information, entertainment, and the probable thrill of being the first to hear the day’s big news.

“Some months later I was in Seoul, where “wired” is a passé concept for the world’s most connected country. Digital multimedia broadcasting had just been launched on snazzy handsets, broadband connections were ramping up to dizzying speeds, and South Korea’s 48 million people had their synapses crackling in unison.

“Asia is already at the forefront of many of these revolutionary changes. Another quiet revolution is taking shape in India, where we are in our second dotcom frenzy in a decade. Sometime last week, while most of you slept, www.hindustantimes.com took its first step across a technology threshold — and arrived in the 21st century.

“The Hindustan Times had already begun to look like a web-savvy newspaper six months ago, with bylines, accountability for all our writers, and email addresses so you could send your feedback on each story.

“Any good website has to be populated with good, eyeball-grabbing, click-inducing content, and this is where we hope www.hindustantimes.com will stand apart.

Rule Number One in an increasingly wired India and world is: Be Concise. So I will not belabour the good things you will behold and use except to say that the website will become part of your life and your lifestyle, on your desktop, your laptop, or your handheld mobile device.

“Easy-to-read fonts, fewer (and unobtrusive) ads, fast searches, quicker updates, and better archiving will be givens. You will also find a lot to chew on with our story packaging, pictures, slideshows, polls, streaming video, and interactivity.

“Interactivity? Now that is a word that will run like a spine through the website. You will be able to submit photographs, video, feedback, and see them published, with your name in lights. You can get RSS (really simple syndication) feeds on subjects you pick.”

BACK