The Hindu : International / India & World : "Bright outlook for India's news media"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 20, 2005

International

International - India & World

"Bright outlook for India's news media"

P.S. Suryanarayana

Pursuit of superficiality and dilettantism, an occupational problem: N. Ram

The Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu , N. Ram, displays two pages of the newspaper of two different periods at a meeting in Singapore. — PHOTO: BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

SINGAPORE: The scope for expansion of India's news media "is very considerable" right now and the serious sections of the press, television and the rest of the news media have to be "preserved and sustained and improved through various methods."

Taking a panoramic view of the "bright outlook" and addressing the challenges ahead, N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, outlined the values that could help assert the editorial primacy within the news media.

Making a formidable presentation on the theme of "India's news media: roles and outlook," at a meeting organised by the Singapore-based Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) and supported by the Singapore Press Club, Mr. Ram said: "In comparison with most countries, we are, I think, in an enviable situation, constitutionally speaking." He traced the freedom of the press in India to the Supreme Court's progressive interpretation of Article 19 of the Constitution, although this pedestal did not have the same protective sweep of the First Amendment in the United States.

Identifying "tabloidisation" as a new trend in the "Indian media bazaar," and taking note of "the pressures all around," he indicated that a set of guiding principles and "codes of professional conduct" should help the serious sections navigate their future course. Journalism education and in-house training would be central to this process.

Noting that "there are things to be learnt" from the tabloid-oriented popular press "within certain parameters," Mr. Ram spelt out the required values as truth-telling, the principles of freedom and independence, fairness doctrine and justice principle, humaneness and the social good.

Looking at the overall outlook in the specific context of the roles that the Indian media had played so far, he said these related to the credible information function, the critical/adversarial/investigative function or the watchdog role, educational role and the agenda-building role if the performance was "positive" in regard to the other three.

"Lest we should romanticise the role of the news media, don't forget there is a propaganda role that has been played all the time," Mr. Ram pointed out. Citing Singapore with reference to the credible information function, he said the "rule of law tradition contributes to it, shapes it." In the Indian context, the credible information function "would have faded away, had not the critical function come to the forefront after the late 1950s and into the early 1960s and developed in an accelerated way."

Noting how the critical function had the overtones of a "later-day Walter Lippmann vision" of improving governance and society, Mr. Ram said "your adversaries" or those at the receiving end of the investigative work would call it "a destabilising role." Nonetheless, "this role has to be sustained".

Citing some weaknesses of Indian media in the performance of the educational role, he said an "occupational problem is the pursuit of superficiality and dilettantism." He said: "A way of overcoming it is clearly journalism education and training."

Speaking about the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai, he said, "You can make a real difference to overcome superficiality and dilettantism" through training, which was a matter of skills and hands-on education. "Singapore has its own experience and will be interested in these ventures."

Discussing the outlook and roles of the Indian media, particularly the large print segment, against the trends in the evolution of the diverse and pluralistic scene, Mr. Ram said "the public perception of the news media power and the use of its power seems to be a lot less negative" than the comparable view in the West. Sporting his "press bias" on his sleeves, he criticised the "stultifying and largely misspent tradition" in the television sector as "a great demographic and developmental opportunity squandered." If "changes are made in both rules and practice" this sector would still have "some kind of potential and future."

Introducing Mr. Ram, the ISAS Director, Gopinath Pillai, hailed The Hindu as a national daily of international repute and said the "credit for The Hindu's success can be attributed to its strong leadership, well-developed strategies and clear directions."

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International