Your editorial ‘Restraint in the Media’, December 14, could not have been more appropriately timed. The umbrella of freedom of the press is enshrined in the Constitution and provides a wide platform to the media.It has been noticed time and again that even very senior members of the profession do not show a deeper concern for the consequences of their views. While dealing with the terrorist attacks in troubled Kashmir or Gujarat, they appear blatantly partial and sometimes over-enthusiastic to be the first with the news. The end result of such oneupmanship is often less than desirable. They also cross the limits of fairness and impartiality.
How do we fix responsibility if newspersons transgress the boundaries of propriety and legality, for no freedom is an unfettered right? What happened in Mumbai was also something that happened in Gujarat. Is this not an instance of editorial failure because what goes in the print or visual images is ultimately the responsibility of the Editor. Sadly, your editorial is silent on this aspect.
When the visual section of the media was reporting the Mumbai incidents, very senior mediapersons had arrived on the scene, some of them award-winners on various forums, but no restraint was observed for a full 72 hours. Can this be rectified or restrained by any law or even self-imposed controls? These are matters which require the urgent attention of the Fourth Estate first and then that of the country at large.
The reference to the running commentary on business channels is a true illustration of the malaise. Apart from the hidden interest of the popular anchor persons these roles indisputably influence the course of market movements. How well-informed are these prescriptions ? How knowledgeble and empirical are the comments?
Gyan Ranjan Saha, Kolkata
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