The Niira Radia tapes have been making news, even as the electronic media has chosen to ignore them, especially the ones that feature two leading television journalists – Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi. The tapes suggest that there was extensive lobbying to make A Raja the telecommunications minister for the second term of the UPA and Niira Radia, a Public Relations professional, was at the center of this lobbying.
Now, this in itself is not any news frankly. “Lobbying” is no secret or crime; it’s called “Public Affairs” by most of the Public Relations consultancy companies and they proudly put it up under the “services” section on their websites. Take for example the following paragraph that appears on the website of IPAN, one of the leading PR agencies of India:
“Among our successful campaigns are those on behalf of STAR TV (to beat back a discriminatory cable TV regulation bill), the Soaps and Toiletries Manufacturers Association (to secure reduction in duties on cosmetics), the Express Industry Council of India (to stall a bill designed to protect the monopoly of the post office), the All India Meat and Livestock Exporters Association (to counter militant vegetarian groups seeking the closure of mechanized abattoirs producing meat for exports) and the Tea Packeters Association of India (to secure removal of excise duty on packaged tea).”
From the above paragraph, one can conclude, and (s)he would technically be not wrong, that some corporates paid money (unless IPAN carried out those campaigns out of some goodwill) to “beat back” and “stall” bills (inside or outside the parliament?) and decide excise duties that determine the revenue receipt of the government.
Should we be outraged that this is how policies of our nation are framed?
It depends upon how do you look at this whole public affairs thingy; clearly it’s not “illegal” in the present scheme of things. PR companies indulge in it, and more often than not, they depend upon bureaucrats, politicians and journalists in their “network” to carry out such “campaigns”.
But the problem in the current case is that Niira Radia’s company Vaishnavi doesn’t make a mention of this “achievement” of making A Raja the cabinet minister again on its website (in fact, there is no mention of “successful campaigns” on the website at all). There is an element of “secrecy” that has now suddenly come to light with Open magazine making Radia’s telephonic conversations with industrialists, politicians and journalists public.
Talking in terms of a purely public affairs campaign, it seems that the “deliverable” of the campaign that Niira Radia was heading was to install A Raja as the union cabinet minister. But it’s yet not clear who was the “client” or set of clients who “commissioned” this campaign and what were the clients’ motives (to reward A Raja for having carried out “successful” 2G spectrum allocation a year back?).
Clearly, if it was “just another” public affairs campaign, Niira Radia would have spoken out by now. Only she knows the truth and she is missing in action. We need to know who the “clients” were and what “strategies” were used, and of course, the professional “payments” that took place; we need a full case study and not just disconnected case facts (to use b-school lingo).
Unfortunately all the focus is on Barkha Dutt right now. Not that her involvement should be ignored, as has been blissfully ignored by the electronic media, but she’s not really the kingpin of this whole drama.
To the extent I could understand the transcripts related to both Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi, one thing is quite clear that both of them were acting as a conduit between Niira Radia and Congress leaders (for trading information) over the issue of cabinet formation when UPA came back to power last year.
Now both of them, in their defense, have claimed that this was a “normal” part of their job as a journalist – to talk to all kinds of people in order to glean information. Sounds plausible to me, for I’ve been a journalist myself.
But at the same time, there is a tone of “willingness” to be a messenger between Congress and Radia by both of these reputed journalists, which has cast aspersions on their motives. The tone and content of the discussions (in the leaked telephonic talks) points to the following three possibilities:
- Smooth-talking by them to win over the confidence of Radia and get more information – a normal part of a journalist’s job and nothing unethical about that (Barkha Dutt claims Radia was a “valid news source” on DMK affairs).
- They believed and trusted Radia in good faith and were being manipulated and used as pawns by her (to strategize against Congress?) as part of her campaign to install A Raja as cabinet minister again. They had no idea of what Radia was up to.
- They knew the details of the campaign (lobbying) and were willingly a party to it (party to the campaign of making A Raja minister again, and not any party to the 2G scam; there is nothing in the tapes to suggest that) i.e. they were lobbying for A Raja.
Funnily, or rather tragically, we’d never be able to know the truth unless this issue is raised in a court of law, which means either Barkha Dutt or Vir Sanghvi has to sue one of the publications for defamation. (added on 20 Nov 2010 at 00:30 AM – and of course, Niira Radia can tell the truth, if we can trust her with that) I don’t think any publication has categorically accused these journalists of being hand-in-glove with Radia and being a party to the scam; most of them have uploaded the transcripts and asked people to draw their own conclusions. And no, please don’t sue me; I am not drawing any conclusions here!
In fact, I’d like people to stop drawing conclusions on Barkha and Sanghvi for the moment and not let the focus get away from the scam and the ring-masters of the scam. That’s the bigger issue.
Also, we must know why were the phones being tapped at all? Clearly it couldn’t have been done without the approval by the government and their knowledge, else it is illegal. If it’s legal, the government knew that there was a campaign to install A Raja as minister again. So they knew about the 2G scam, its ring masters, and kept quiet, something even the courts have suggested now.
Some conspiracy theorist can as well claim that these tapes were selectively leaked to shift the public focus on these two journalists and shield the real scamsters and ring masters. Quiet possible.
But that doesn’t mean that we completely ignore the involvement (in whatever capacity) of journalists (yeah, only Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi’s names are not there) and it’s really sad to see a complete blackout of the news by the electronic media and most of the print media except 3-4 publications (Open, Outlook and Mid-Day are the ones I know).
Silence will only make the whole thing appear fishier and erode the creditability of media, especially the electronic media, even further.
Unfortunately, this is not for the first time when media has refused to look inwards. Earlier, Press Council of India had showed some courage and had spoken against the menace of “paid news” but the whole issue was weakened and swept under the carpet.
Media organizations have often shown zero tolerance and have responded with threats when someone asks them uncomfortable questions or shows the ugly side of theirs. On many occasions, all of the media organizations have ganged up to suppress and silence criticism. Blogs like warfornews and mediaah were threatened and told to shut up and a website like Bhadaas has received legal notices from media organizations for publishing “news” against them.
If the Indian Army can accept that there were black sheep within their ranks who could be involved in human rights abuse, land grabs and other forms of corruption, why is media running away from the truth?
One can feel sad for Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi, as their credibility and integrity is being questioned based on vague speculations, but if the public, especially on Twitter, is behaving like a lynch mob, somewhere this incestuous and ostrich like behavior by media on the earlier occasions is responsible.
I don’t know how media could redeem itself in this particular situation. Someone could argue that just like politicians are asked to resign due to negative perception in the public, should the journalists not do the same?
But for that, media, especially the electronic media, has to feel itself as being answerable to the public. Unfortunately most of the television journalists don’t feel like that.
I don’t know if you guys recall, but this aspect was shown in the movie Peepli Live, where this “socially conscious” local print journalist named Rakesh (who dies in the movie towards the end) shares his frustration with media sensationalism over Natha’s suicide with Nandita, the hotshot English speaking television journalist. Nandita asks Rakesh not to fret over such issues and reconcile to the “fact” that journalism was just another profession like engineering, banking, etc.
Having been a television journalist myself, I can guarantee that many of the journalists today think the same way, it’s just another profession for them, and maybe there is nothing wrong with that.
But in that case, they’d be treated as just another professional, who must not be given any special privileges and treatment for the “nature” of their job. That’s what the mob is doing right now.
Bang on Target, “If the Indian Army can accept that there were black sheep within their ranks who could be involved in human rights abuse, land grabs and other forms of corruption, why is media running away from the truth?” You hit the nail there!!
agree
perfect !!!!
Yes we must not lose sight of the bigger game here and concentrate only on these exposed journos. However the anger of people is understandable, it was Barkha Dutt who rode this wave of “personality” driven news. Finding her party to such deals( in spite of her “slant” towards the Congress before) sure comes as a shocker. Had she blatantly claimed her bias and lobbied openly, it would not have raised eyebrows. But her cultivated image of this “high priestess” of Indian media and her deeds expose her hypocrisy.
The tapes seem fairly indicting. If she had to only gather information, why did she ask Radia ‘Tell me what to ask…” She was clearly offering to relay messages as you mentioned in Point 3 and you do not have to wield influence on the high command to play messenger boy/girl. I found Sanghvi more repulsive – taking a dictation to impart a slant to his story.
How critical was the news story of portfolio assignment ? Did the nation really wait with bated breath to know its new leaders ? I do not remember NDTV creating a hype and developing a sustained hour by hour news story over it.
I found this hoot article http://thehoot.org/web/home/story.php?storyid=4954&mod=1&pg=1§ionId=10&valid=true quite relevant to the shifting attitude of these journo types as they rub shoulders with people in power.
The comment that “it means they wield so much of influence on Congress high-command” was my personal afterthought and not a conclusion or pre-requisite for that possibility to be real; have removed it just in case it created that kind of confusion.
I had the same doubt as ft above. What was the urgency & the desperation to know who the Telecom minister (not PM, HM or FM) would be? Was it going to be some big ‘exclusive’, ‘breaking’ news?
Is it possible to subscribe to comments on your blog posts? If you don’t mind please let me know. @ketpan is my Twitter handle. Thanks!
Wonderfully written. Now Barkha or Vir should show their “socially conscious” character and resign on moral grounds till they are cleared of the charges.
Well Said!
I am not sure whether you have heard of Mitrokhin Archieve or not. Mitrokhin was a KGB officer who leaked several secret documents. (http://www.indianexpress.com/storyOld.php?storyId=78398) These documents rips apart Indira Govt. It is alleged that Indira Gandhi received huge sums of money so that she remains a puppet of USSR. Most importantly, KGB “PLANTED” stories in the media to keep public opinion in favor of Mrs Gandhi !!
So this manipulation of story is not a new phenomenon. Majority (not all!) of stories are biased to favor a particular party/person. A brilliant example is the current BarkhaGate tape, they can show ‘What a particular actor ALLEGEDLY said or did’ but they dont have the courage to show these alleged tapes!!
Though some people doubts the creditability of these documents, but why would Mitrokhin try to defame congress,Indian Media etc?
It is not a good excuse to say that both Barkha and Vir were sourcing information from Niira and it was part of their job. If hear the whole conversation carefully, you will clearly see that they violated the ethical standards of professional journalists.
Also, many electronic reporters may feel that they are not answerable to public, but the fact of the matter is that they are answerable. The Press Council of India has clear guidelines regarding this.
Moreover, a profession is a profession. i.e it gets governed by its respective professional society and norms. For e.g. doctors and engineers are governed by ethical standards. And the famous professionals from these professions are primarily known for their high ethical standards. Both Barkha and Vir Sanghvi have failed miserably on that count.
Yes the focus is shifting from the real story to Barkha Dutt. Luckily Outlook has maintained a clear perspective of the issue at hand. I do not know if you have had access to some documents in the public domain belonging to the CBI marked top secret with disturbing details of the issue. Heres the link http://indiasreport.com/magazine/data/the-radia-papers-raja-tata-ambani-connection/ actually the most disturbing fact is that it has been online since may and no media sources have covered it with the same will that they show for big boss.
I agree with the written post. Sanity has prevailed over the “lynch mobs”. However, there is something reprehensible about Barkha Dutt. It is not related to her character assassination but the way she thinks that she can steamroll the “popular voice”. There had been no documented “wrong doing” on her part except for this issue being made public.
Of course, there are myriad ways she can choose to justify her stance. Like everything, this too shall pass. No one would remember this after awhile. She would still be awarded the padma crap. Yet, it leaves a huge question mark over her public propriety including the profession that you speak of here.
If Engineers screwed up making a bridge or civil infrastructure or Doctors screwed up in managing a patient, it cannot be reconciled with “just another job”. In similar vein, the journalist cannot be “reconciled” as “another job”. It comes with it’s own set of ethics and responsibilities. Yet, more importantly, those responsibilities need to be tapered and understood and accepted as part of what the society in general deems it to be acceptable.
As a reader, I expect the media to report an incident, it’s implications and without resorting to a bias towards a defined/prevailing political ideology. Barkha’s “success” came in through televised media during war where shrill reporting got a new meaning; and by betraying the Indian firing positions to the enemy. In similar vein her coverage of Mumbai’s attacks seemed to be a direct relay to the controllers across the border who just had to tune in NDTV and save on Satellite phone costs!
Thats where it bugs the ordinary mortal like me because there is no institutional mechanism to bring these idiots to book. I don’t watch NDTV (or it’s sister channels) for the same reason because all they air is the “chaddi banian” kind of advertisements while pandering to notion of “intellectual stimulation”.
Hence, when these people “slip from their high moral ground”, the collective force of people “lynches” them. Hence I more than agree that had it been an honest admission about “lobbying” for vested interests, no one would have cared. It is the “dark secrecy” that pervades any rational discourse on who gets to meet whom to discuss matters of “placements”.
It’s pathetic. It stinks. But this is the same society that has spawned the likes of Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi who appear to be larger than life, courtesy their public profiles. To mix up the heady metaphor or “power with politics” is not justified because they are minions and front end for more “powerful” forces who never make a public appearance. Dig deeper and the trail would go no where.
Hence, it is best to ignore these rabble rousers. Apologies for this rather longish comments.
Ah, no need to be apologetic for this “rather longish” comment, in fact, I’m thankful to you for coming up with this as your comment represents the resentment that a “common man” has towards the media.
As a reader, your expectations from media as “to report an incident, it’s implications and without resorting to a bias towards a defined/prevailing political ideology” is nowhere misplaced and this is how it should be.
And in my personal opinion, I do NOT want journalism to be “just another job”. It’s a very important institution and the journalists must feel the burden of that responsibility. If they take it like “just another job”, Peepli Live happens, and sanity/mission of journalism (represented by the character named Rakesh) is the victim.
Exactly. These are the sentiments faced by majority of the journalists I have come across. As it happens there are some people who have hijacked the whole process to their advantage. The familiar faces you see on NDTV are no better than the teleprompters in front of them. Their “knowledge” base or grasp of the issue is clearly reflected during one on one “chat shows” that they proudly host.
The quality of programming, content and thought process is pedestrian and useless. Many a times, Barkha (and her ilk) are trying really hard to encompass everything but before any conclusion can be reached, the speakers (or the audience) is bankrolled.
One can understand the demands on air time or the need to punctuate it with advertisements. However, any lack of content is made up by shrill discourse.
Instead of having a voluntary toothless body like Press Council of India or a media “watchdog” like The Hoot (I think it remains a one person show), it is more prudent that exposures like these need to be debated within the journalistic communities.
To start with, NDTV should relieve itself from Barkha Dutt, for star reporters have limited shelf life. They fail to understand that with such people within the ranks would no doubt be hazardous for hard earned reputations. It would send a loud signal to all to limit themselves to what their job really is. Fixing and lobbying is part of the ‘democratic process’ and doing this under the garb of a journalist is detrimental to both and more so for the profession.
A corrupt doctor does not mean that one tars the entire profession with the same brush; in similar vein, a strong message needs to go out to get rid of the rotten apples.
Keeping them in the midst would only strengthen the belief that there are more people who don’t wish to come out in public or the institution has something to hide.
This would only assuage the strong feeling that there is a rule and a law of the land that is supreme over individuals. No one likes long messy legal discourses. But then this is just a suggestion.
SHIT.This all Radia Stuff has taken the focus away from me.
Wait, I ain’t no journalist but it can be some kind of embedded journalism, only they attached themselves with politicians and not military this time.
Please also read this if you have not read.. http://www.countercurrents.org/sainath090810.htm (via greatbong.net/2010/11/20/the-great-indian-loot/ )
I once joked, i read faking news to follow the news stories, for entertainment I watch TV news. I guess for faking news I now watch TV news.
The silence maintained by the TV media is jarring. If they came across a tape of 14 yr old dead girl, Aarushi’s last conversation with her bf, would they not be playing it again and again on an endless loop?
I am very sure that the leak of these tapes might have some vested interests behind it. But do remember, the tapes have been in public domain for a few months now. It is only now that it has raised an online storm. But the truth behind the same, will not even begin to explored, if the players who are on tape remain quiet, beyond their rehearsed press releases.
Clearly the media has double standards when it comes to holding itself accountable. To quote Rajdeep Sardesai out of context, “Iss hamaam mein sab nange hai”
Unless viewers or live audience members continually raise their voice and questions on live shows and berate them into answering, they can quite coolly afford to let this storm pass them by. And thats the tragedy of this.
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I checked out Vir Sanghvi’s reply on his blog and there’s not a single comment? Is that fear or is that “moderation” ?
I represent a small startup in telecom space in India. As this scam unfolds, I wonder if we have chosen the wrong way to make money. The right way is easy – act smooth, get your connections and relay messages!
This is a very well put together set of views. One of the best ‘opinion pieces’ I have read on the issue till now. Thanks!
It is funny the way they reacted at the news of Rupee symbol. For fucksake, even Mongolia has it’s currency symbol. Many countries have a currency symbol, but the news became almost linked to India’s economic prosperity ( Prosperity, which is again very debatable). Economic Times reported India to be the 5th country in the world to get a symbol, yes sir , front page and everyone believes it. No body bothers to use any sort of Intelligence or reasoning or analysis for there own selves. We have become a Nation of self-congratulatory fools. I was amazed how people could not stop ravishing bout CWG opening ceremony, or Obama’s remark. I mean CWG at best remains a scam which will be completely forgotten in a month or so, and Obama well honestly it;s another debate and am just angered at the way we deal with our foreign policy.
Now, what has this to do with your article? The point is News Media – Published or electronic – is not only reporting news but also reporting the stand that needs to be taken with it. All our journalist are ‘emo’s and am amazed at their emotional highs every night, they well should be awarded a Filmfare for their performance.
In a scenario like this a journalist like BD (with her history of suing left right and centre, this gives me a legal exit ) and VS, I mean with the gift of gab and well crafted public image they immediately become spokesperson for common people, and common people think that there spokesperson is cheating them and therefore this rage, plus twitter or FB is the easiest and laziest and the most non effective way to do this.
Random blabbering, am an Indian and studying abroad and I only follow your website to keep in touch with what is happening in there, thanks for the work you do!
once in a while there comes a scandal which shakes the moral ground we, the average indians stand on, in the illusion that the powers-that-be are working for the country’s growth and development… about as real a phenomenon as the popular notion of santa claus and his reindeer (gifted to mankind on christmas by the advertisers of coca cola) that people almost make a religeous affair out of!
all i’m trying to say, that we humans are quite pathetic in that way, constantly deluding ourselves with the illusions, false promises and outright lies that feel good, or at least better than the trappings of our monotonous and ineffective lives.
call me a cynic, or anti-social if you would, but we are a rather myopic people with equally short memories, which may be the reason why we just react in a predictable wave about anything that we are fed. the intellectuals may discuss it on talk-shows (missing this time), crowds may bay for blood (usually paid for by the opposition) and editorials may be published… it has hardly ever been of any use in bringing about a result that changed history. and let me not even get started on how our ‘history’ is written or dictated!
frankly, i don’t think any of us really know how the world is being run, if we are so shocked and appalled at this recent development; which is not even recent, considering that the stuff has been around for months, but only got the spotlight now for some good reason that none of us is sure about.
we live in a fake world, taken in by the public images that are so carefully cultivated by those who have the means, for the faces that are hungry for power. these are just pawns in the game; the faces we once respected, adored and now lynch are not really the kingpins behind this deep, dark and ancient game. politics is a major playground, but not the that’s only the show you are watching. this match is fixed, my lovelies, and in way we don’t really want to know. we won’t be able to deal with the truth, and so long as we have a little bit of hope and faith left, we might as well live our familiar little lives in the ambition we will make a diffence to this world in our small way.
Where does politicking for news sources stop and influence peddling begin? Radia’s business is the latter while Vir and Barkha’s limit is the former. I do not think though that this is something new. Ask Pritish Nandy, Kushwant Singh, Nihal Singh or MJ Akbar. A generation has merely handed over the baton to the other.
explain One can feel sad for Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi, as their credibility and integrity is being questioned based on vague speculations
Bipin, even the alternative you think of will offer lot of competition.
I liked all of your articles till now but this one i don’t quite agree with you. You r unnecessarily creating a little too much sympathy for both those journalists or journalism at large. You can’t justify the wrongdoings of the media by quoting peepli live’s scenes (remember they were supposed to be sarcastic u cant use it to justify things) or by quoting a PR agency. If you are saying you aren’t justifying things.., come on you are (may be it was involuntary??! nah i don’t think so ) lol
I totally agree with A P here journalism isn’t engineering or a bank job u have a responsibility. I am totally let down with what had happened especially the electronic media covering it all up . And this article by you pains me a little not that i’d stop reading you i really don’t have a choice do i? lol
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But in that case, they’d be treated as just another professional, who must not be given any special privileges and treatment for the “nature” of their job. That’s what the mob is doing right now.
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Brilliant insight.