http://http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/urdu/2010/07/post_646.html
Time to stand united?
KASHMIRI MEDIA WILL HAVE TO BE UNITED EVEN WHERE IT IS MADE THE OBJECT OF ATTACK, COMMENTS NAYEEMA AHMAD MAHJOOR
Covering the latest uprising in Kashmir has turned out to be a difficult task
for not only the local media but also the national and international media. One
could understand the trauma local media has been put through either by gagging
or curbing the lifeline of Government advertisements. Still, it is a general
observation that the local media has never been united and authorities have
profited from this lack of unity. Often it remains divided and dissenting
against one another. It did not take a united stand against the government or
its harsh policies with the result that the Government has approached and
treated every organisation differently. Division is deeply rooted in our society
as a whole and affects media just like other sectors of society. Many historians
blame the Governments of India and Pakistan for sowing the seeds of division
among the masses of Kashmir in order to create a fragmented society. The
mushroom growth of outfits, political parties, NGOs and other organisations is
the result of this campaign.
Kashmiri media will have to be united even where it is made the object of attack. For all of us the greatest contribution of the freedom movement so far has been the enormous growth of a strong media culture in Kashmir. Without exaggeration Kashmir has produced the best journalists working in the local, national and international organisations who have shown their mettle everywhere. However, some of our journalists lack honesty and openness.
They sometimes get carried away by emotional attachment with the problem that makes their reporting of stories lopsided. True, one cannot shut off one's closeness to the situation but one also has to report both sides of a story and without partiality. I know it is not as simple as it sounds. One has to take into account the editorial policies of the media organisation where a journalist works. At the same time, there is fierce competition for journalist jobs and many journalists only work to get paid so that you can feed their family. Understandably, they do not wish to jeopardise their livelihoods in the name of upholding professional standards. Yet, there is no excuse for the journalistic community as a whole giving up on intellectual honesty on the pretext of working in a volatile situation or being part of the society. Honesty in reporting is important to win the trust of the reading, listening or viewing public. It might not suit the authorities but if media is united in presenting the true picture of the events it will eventually win in its battle to free itself from Government control and censorship.
Most Indian journalists, whose reporting seemed to further the policy of their Government, seemed to be working according to two principles; one to work for their livelihood and second to show patriotism to the extent that nobody would even dare to question their nationalistic credentials. There are still many journalists in the Indian fraternity resist the institutional imperative and try their utmost to relay an accurate picture of the Kashmir situation.
These journalists and writers have to bear the wrath and anger their organisations as well as getting blacklisted and marginalised as dissidents. To name a few, Seema Mustufa, Arundhati Roy or Gautum Navlakha’s works and efforts cannot be ignored, they are also Indian intellectuals who have not stopped to speak their minds and open their hearts to the misery of Kashmiris.
One cannot ignore the vital change that has occurred in the national media. Since 1989 the media scene had changed a lot with the rise of Hindutva and its campaign to saffronise the hearts and minds of the masses. There were a number of journalists who were considered the torch bearers of impartial and independent journalism in India but they turned out to be Hindutva’s policy makers. It is those torch bearers who have nurtured the new crop of journalism with the fixed mindset that if we ignore Kashmir or use routine blame game tactics, Kashmir will remain unheard and unnoticed. This new breed of journalists perhaps forgets the digital information explosion which India has embraced with open arms. One cannot black out even a minor incident these days. From mobile to internet and from Facebook to Twitter, the world has virtually become a global village. Alternative media offers individuals the chance to make their voices heard. If a national daily will not report it, blogs can. If TV channels turn a blind eye, there is youtube to fill their place. If mobiles are banned and people prevented from sending SMS messages, facebook allows an easy way of communicating and mobilising.
I can't remember the name of the reporter embedded with the US army in Iraq who showed the damaging footage of a US attack on insurgents. It damaged the image of the US army even though he was embedded in the expectation that his reporting would boost the image of the army in Iraq.
When he was questioned by the army later, he said, ‘I was an embedded journalist with a conscience. I tried my best to kill it but could not when I saw you in action against the innocent people. Either you kill my conscience or let me do my job as you are doing yours’. The reporter was sent back by the army. He was also sacked by the organisation for which he'd been working. What I want to emphasise is that real journalists are gifted with a conscience that they will not compromise whatever the consequences. It is very hard to work in a hostile atmosphere but closing eyes and ears to the killing of teenagers under the pretext of maintaining law and order is killing your own conscience and your professionalism. It is utter dishonesty, whether it is done by an Indian, Pakistani or any other journalist. nternational media tremendously depend on national media these days. If a story doesn’t get a mention in national media, international media is reluctant to cover the event. This has often happened to stories from Kashmir. There are also geopolitical and economic interests that can lead to stories being either exaggerated or ignored. Thus, large protests in Kashmir are ignored in some Western media, but even minor demonstrations in Tibet will lead to a flurry of reporting on the region due to the perceived rival status of China in the eyes of the Western media. Palestine gets the most attention due to the sensitivity of the Middle Eastern region, being the source of a large part of the world's energy supplies. Yet, none of the Arab countries ever pay any attention to what is happening in Kashmir.
The national media will have to bear in mind that Kashmir is a real and complex problem. That is why it resurfaces every now and then. To deny it or observe silence on it amounts to a criminal act. The media which masses consider their watchdog gets a bad name and so do the journalists who claim to be the champions of public welfare. Media should be above party politics or patriotic sentiments. If you do not carry the facts of the story somebody else will. How foolish is it to think that blacking out or distorting the truth will keep the problem under the carpet or help in hoodwinking the world that all is well. The recent black out or distortion by the national channels has brought the national media into disrepute. They are unlikely to be trusted to deliver accurate and unbiased content by viewers in the valley. (GK)
(Feedback at namahjoor@hotmail.com)
Kashmiri media will have to be united even where it is made the object of attack. For all of us the greatest contribution of the freedom movement so far has been the enormous growth of a strong media culture in Kashmir. Without exaggeration Kashmir has produced the best journalists working in the local, national and international organisations who have shown their mettle everywhere. However, some of our journalists lack honesty and openness.
They sometimes get carried away by emotional attachment with the problem that makes their reporting of stories lopsided. True, one cannot shut off one's closeness to the situation but one also has to report both sides of a story and without partiality. I know it is not as simple as it sounds. One has to take into account the editorial policies of the media organisation where a journalist works. At the same time, there is fierce competition for journalist jobs and many journalists only work to get paid so that you can feed their family. Understandably, they do not wish to jeopardise their livelihoods in the name of upholding professional standards. Yet, there is no excuse for the journalistic community as a whole giving up on intellectual honesty on the pretext of working in a volatile situation or being part of the society. Honesty in reporting is important to win the trust of the reading, listening or viewing public. It might not suit the authorities but if media is united in presenting the true picture of the events it will eventually win in its battle to free itself from Government control and censorship.
Most Indian journalists, whose reporting seemed to further the policy of their Government, seemed to be working according to two principles; one to work for their livelihood and second to show patriotism to the extent that nobody would even dare to question their nationalistic credentials. There are still many journalists in the Indian fraternity resist the institutional imperative and try their utmost to relay an accurate picture of the Kashmir situation.
These journalists and writers have to bear the wrath and anger their organisations as well as getting blacklisted and marginalised as dissidents. To name a few, Seema Mustufa, Arundhati Roy or Gautum Navlakha’s works and efforts cannot be ignored, they are also Indian intellectuals who have not stopped to speak their minds and open their hearts to the misery of Kashmiris.
One cannot ignore the vital change that has occurred in the national media. Since 1989 the media scene had changed a lot with the rise of Hindutva and its campaign to saffronise the hearts and minds of the masses. There were a number of journalists who were considered the torch bearers of impartial and independent journalism in India but they turned out to be Hindutva’s policy makers. It is those torch bearers who have nurtured the new crop of journalism with the fixed mindset that if we ignore Kashmir or use routine blame game tactics, Kashmir will remain unheard and unnoticed. This new breed of journalists perhaps forgets the digital information explosion which India has embraced with open arms. One cannot black out even a minor incident these days. From mobile to internet and from Facebook to Twitter, the world has virtually become a global village. Alternative media offers individuals the chance to make their voices heard. If a national daily will not report it, blogs can. If TV channels turn a blind eye, there is youtube to fill their place. If mobiles are banned and people prevented from sending SMS messages, facebook allows an easy way of communicating and mobilising.
I can't remember the name of the reporter embedded with the US army in Iraq who showed the damaging footage of a US attack on insurgents. It damaged the image of the US army even though he was embedded in the expectation that his reporting would boost the image of the army in Iraq.
When he was questioned by the army later, he said, ‘I was an embedded journalist with a conscience. I tried my best to kill it but could not when I saw you in action against the innocent people. Either you kill my conscience or let me do my job as you are doing yours’. The reporter was sent back by the army. He was also sacked by the organisation for which he'd been working. What I want to emphasise is that real journalists are gifted with a conscience that they will not compromise whatever the consequences. It is very hard to work in a hostile atmosphere but closing eyes and ears to the killing of teenagers under the pretext of maintaining law and order is killing your own conscience and your professionalism. It is utter dishonesty, whether it is done by an Indian, Pakistani or any other journalist. nternational media tremendously depend on national media these days. If a story doesn’t get a mention in national media, international media is reluctant to cover the event. This has often happened to stories from Kashmir. There are also geopolitical and economic interests that can lead to stories being either exaggerated or ignored. Thus, large protests in Kashmir are ignored in some Western media, but even minor demonstrations in Tibet will lead to a flurry of reporting on the region due to the perceived rival status of China in the eyes of the Western media. Palestine gets the most attention due to the sensitivity of the Middle Eastern region, being the source of a large part of the world's energy supplies. Yet, none of the Arab countries ever pay any attention to what is happening in Kashmir.
The national media will have to bear in mind that Kashmir is a real and complex problem. That is why it resurfaces every now and then. To deny it or observe silence on it amounts to a criminal act. The media which masses consider their watchdog gets a bad name and so do the journalists who claim to be the champions of public welfare. Media should be above party politics or patriotic sentiments. If you do not carry the facts of the story somebody else will. How foolish is it to think that blacking out or distorting the truth will keep the problem under the carpet or help in hoodwinking the world that all is well. The recent black out or distortion by the national channels has brought the national media into disrepute. They are unlikely to be trusted to deliver accurate and unbiased content by viewers in the valley. (GK)
(Feedback at namahjoor@hotmail.com)
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