Media is sold and why should a sold media speak the truth?

BY-RAJEEV CHOUDHARY

I was in Punjab lately. It was just a day after the election results were announced. Aam Aadmi Party had brought an absolute majority in Punjab and it was overwhelmed everywhere by its victory. I was staying in a hotel in the Abohar area and during the evening, I began talks with a few journalist brothers, a few Punjabi film actors, and friends. Initially, we started with stories of old times but eventually, the discussion leads to politics. All jump into the discussion enthusiastically. Even so, one friend claimed that all administrative machinery and media houses are being misused by the country. These places are sold out and working absolutely in fear.

Each time you turn on the TV, you will find news on Hindu-Muslim, Pakistan, Ukraine Russia war, this or that but all similar. Hardly any other news is being shown than these. Even so, we have stopped watching TV for quite a while. And, who will watch this way when its lies are being served everywhere. It was his full stop and everyone was nodding their heads in agreement. Again, that person raised his voice and said that you people are responsible for this mess. If you don’t show the truth then how will things work right? We all could sense a fit of strange anger in his voice. I looked at him and asked, who told you that the media is sold? He answered that everyone says so. Today’s media and politics are taking full advantage of public sentiment and their emotions.

I said it’s a good thing. If the people of the country knew that the media has been sold, then nothing can be better than this. But the question is, when was this media not sold? How many people want the media to show the truth? How many such agitations or demonstrations were done by the people of the country? How many times have the public asked the media for the truth? Remember the time when a big BJP leader who was even the Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh even called the media a prostitute. You are saying that the media and the government are exploiting the public sentiment. Maybe you are right! But why did you create such feelings that can be harassed?

Remember the first and second World Wars. The wars have changed the social and political structure of not only Europe but the whole world. At that time also the media was showing what the public has been demanding. There was a strong passion among the people about their racial superiority in their respective countries. During the Second World War, such a huge fire of nationalism was burning in the minds of the people of Germany that they did not want to hear and read against it in any newspaper. If a newspaper dares to write even a word against Hitler, then everyone knew what could happen to it. Even if someone raised slogans against Hitler, he was publicly murdered. People used to applaud instead of condolence on such deaths.

Shall people call the media sold out at that time in such an environment? Because the media started writing the way it saw the fire of public sentiments. I was reading one news recently when a woman showing a black flag was shot at PM Modi’s rally in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh of her own country. Earlier, the farmers who opposed the government were crushed to death by a minister’s son.

How many people came to the streets in protest against this? What do people want here from a journalist? The journalist who has merely a salary of fifty-sixty thousand! Should only he speak or show the truth? Why these questions are not asked by the opposition? The one who shares the juice of power, who walks shoulder to shoulder with power in other earning work?

Journalists think every day when will somebody say the truth so that we can print it. But the opposition never raises the truth which he must raise. The day the opposition will start worrying about the basic needs of the people, their sufferings, their bleeding wounds, the daily atrocities being inflicted on them that day these journalists will also start speaking.

Now, what will a journalist or this media say? Petrol is beyond 100 but there is a voice from the public, Modi Ji, we are ready to buy even 200 rupees, you keep going. Even if it is a hired tweet, it will also get millions of supporters. What will the media say now? If you oppose or explain to him, then by the evening that journalist will be labeled as a section nurtured on social media, and many tags including anti-national, Pakistani, agent of China, leftist that next time he will not dare to speak again. Even if those people are not able to read and write, continuing such discourse has become a measure of ability. No one cares who is speaking or how much is he speaking.

Why only the media, in this, every single Indian is sold. The one who knows the truth but is silent. The media only did its job when the people of Europe were themselves wanted the second world war. The media gave his yes to the yes. When Europe was devastated by the war, the homeless people started starving, then the same people started seeking peace. Then the media started publishing the news of peace.

It’s not just merely the media’s fault. If something goes wrong, then academic institutions, intellectual writers, teachers from all over the country shall come forward and, help the country get rid of this chauvinism. Only then can there be a discussion on basic things like education, employment, health in this country. Otherwise, the media or the vegetable seller will keep selling what is in demand. After all, how can one open a comb shop in a bald area?

By- Rajeev Choudhary the scoop india