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Commendable

This is with reference to the coverage of the incidents in Nandigram by The Hindu. I wish to point out that The Hindu was the only major newspaper that did not give space for the baseless allegations and rumours that appeared in the mainstream media on the violence in the region.

In the past 10 months, the mainstream media have been filled with irresponsible stories, most of which were marked by the absence of direct sourcing or concrete evidence. By now, scores of critical media analyses have come out, which show that many of these stories were either fabricated or based on false evidence. N. D. Jayaprakash’s meticulous analysis of the coverage of CNN-IBN channel (which ran a story titled “Does the CPI (M) have blood on its hands?”, and conducted the farce of an SMS poll on it) has been appreciated by media critics. Many stories on rape in the mainstream press lacked any objective investigative element, and were proved wrong later; such reporting helped only to trivialise that ghastly and criminal act. The role of a section of intellectuals in instigating violence, and not appealing for peace, has also been questioned. Utterly absurd comparisons by certain writers of Nandigram incidents with the Gujarat pogrom and “Nazi concentration camps” certainly did not deserve the space they received in the mainstream media.

That The Hindu steered clear of such false, tendentious and mischievous reporting, and stuck to its “Panchsheel” guidelines was commendable.

It opted for balanced and non-sensationalist coverage, and did not allow the misuse of its credibility in order to legitimise falsehoods.

R. Ramakumar,

Assistant Professor, TISS, Mumbai

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